Interactive interval recognition
Interval Ear Training
Identify melodic and harmonic intervals with guided difficulty, instant feedback, and detailed performance tracking.
Test setup
Choose the interval pool, playback style, and sound.
Recent tests
Stored only in this browser tab.
Completed tests will appear here.
Performance
Track streaks and results for each interval.
| Interval | Semitones | Correct | Accuracy |
|---|
Final test summary
Your completed interval test results.
Missed questions
No missed questions.
Interval Ear Training
This interval ear training tool tests your ability to identify the distance between two musical notes. It supports ascending, descending, harmonic, and mixed playback, with three difficulty levels covering simple intervals from perfect unison to perfect octave.
Each question provides immediate feedback, including the correct interval name, abbreviation, semitone distance, notes played, and playback direction. The test also tracks score, accuracy, streaks, interval-specific performance, missed answers, and recent completed sessions.
Audio is generated locally in your browser. The plugin does not request microphone access, record sound, or upload audio.
How to Use the Interval Ear Training Test
- Choose Ascending, Descending, Harmonic, or Mixed playback.
- Select Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced difficulty.
- Choose 5, 10, 15, or 20 questions.
- Select Sine, Triangle, or Piano-style sound.
- Set the volume, starting at a comfortable level.
- Select Start test and listen to the interval.
- Choose an answer, submit it, and study the feedback before continuing.
The interval can be replayed before answering and again after the correct answer is revealed.
Choose a Playback Mode
| Mode | How the notes play |
|---|---|
| Ascending | Lower note first, higher note second |
| Descending | Higher note first, lower note second |
| Harmonic | Both notes at the same time |
| Mixed | Randomly chooses ascending, descending, or harmonic |
Ascending and descending intervals are melodic intervals because the notes play in sequence. Harmonic intervals play both pitches simultaneously.
Some competing interval exercises focus only on two sequential notes, while more configurable platforms allow melodic, harmonic, or combined practice. This plugin includes both formats but keeps the controls focused on simple intervals within one octave.
Why Mixed Mode Is More Challenging
Mixed mode randomly selects one of the three actual playback formats for every question. You may hear an ascending interval, followed by a harmonic interval, followed by a descending interval.
The feedback always identifies which format was used. This helps you separate interval identity from playback direction instead of memorizing only one presentation.
How Difficulty Changes the Interval Pool
| Difficulty | Included intervals |
|---|---|
| Beginner | P1, M3, P5, P8 |
| Intermediate | P1, M2, m3, M3, P4, P5, M6, P8 |
| Advanced | All 13 simple intervals from P1 through P8 |
The available answer buttons match the selected difficulty. Questions are randomized independently, so an interval can appear more than once during the same test.
Beginner mode creates clear contrasts between unison, third, fifth, and octave. Intermediate introduces seconds, a minor third, a fourth, and a major sixth. Advanced includes every chromatic interval within the octave.
Interval Names and Semitones
A semitone is the distance between adjacent pitches in the plugin’s equal-tempered note system.
| Semitones | Interval | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Perfect unison | P1 |
| 1 | Minor second | m2 |
| 2 | Major second | M2 |
| 3 | Minor third | m3 |
| 4 | Major third | M3 |
| 5 | Perfect fourth | P4 |
| 6 | Tritone | TT |
| 7 | Perfect fifth | P5 |
| 8 | Minor sixth | m6 |
| 9 | Major sixth | M6 |
| 10 | Minor seventh | m7 |
| 11 | Major seventh | M7 |
| 12 | Perfect octave | P8 |
These names and abbreviations appear in the answer choices and feedback. Established interval exercises commonly use the same set of simple intervals, although some competitors also offer compound intervals beyond the octave.
Choose a Sound Type
Sine
Sine uses one sine-wave oscillator for each note. Its simple tone makes pitch relationships relatively exposed because there is no added synthesized harmonic structure.
Triangle
Triangle uses one triangle-wave oscillator per note. It has a different timbre from the sine option while preserving the same selected pitches.
Piano-style
Piano-style is synthesized rather than sampled. For each note, the plugin combines three sine oscillators at:
- The base frequency
- Twice the base frequency
- Three times the base frequency
The partials use decreasing gain values and an exponential decay. This produces a more complex, piano-like attack and decay, but it is not a recording of an acoustic piano.
Browser audio graphs commonly connect oscillator sources to gain nodes, which control signal level before the sound reaches the output.
How the Notes Are Generated
Every pitch is calculated from a MIDI-style note number using A4 = 440 Hz:
frequency = 440 × 2^((note number − 69) ÷ 12)
For ascending and harmonic questions, the root is randomly selected from MIDI notes 52 through 63. The second note is created by adding the chosen interval’s semitone distance.
For descending questions, the first note is selected from MIDI notes 64 through 75. The second note is created by subtracting the interval distance.
In melodic modes, each note lasts about 0.58 seconds, and the second note begins approximately 0.75 seconds after the first. In harmonic mode, both notes begin together and last about 0.9 seconds.
How Scoring and Feedback Work
Your score increases by one after each correct answer.
Accuracy is calculated as:
correct answers ÷ submitted answers × 100
The Current streak increases after consecutive correct answers and resets to zero after a mistake. Best streak preserves the longest correct run from the active test.
After submission:
- The correct answer turns green.
- An incorrect selected answer turns red.
- The full interval name and abbreviation are shown.
- The notes played are identified.
- The semitone count is displayed.
- The playback format is revealed.
- Replay remains available.
This feedback is more useful than a simple correct-or-incorrect result because it connects the sound with its theoretical distance and actual note names.
Per-Interval Performance
The performance table tracks correct answers and total attempts separately for all 13 intervals.
For example, a result of 3/5 for the major third means three correct answers from five major-third questions. Its displayed accuracy is calculated only from those attempts.
These statistics persist across multiple tests in the same browser tab through sessionStorage. Select Reset statistics to clear the interval table.
Resetting statistics does not clear recent completed tests.
Final Summary and Missed Questions
After the final question, the summary shows your total score and accuracy.
Each missed item includes:
- The correct interval
- Your selected interval
- The two note names
- The playback format
- The semitone distance
The review numbers mistakes in the order they appear in the missed-answer list rather than using their original question numbers.
Select Restart test to begin another randomized session with the current settings.
Recent Test History
The plugin stores up to eight completed test summaries in the current browser tab.
Each entry records:
- Score and accuracy
- Playback mode
- Difficulty
- Sound type
- Best streak
- Completion time
Clear history removes these completed-test records. It does not reset the per-interval statistics table.
Neither history nor interval statistics are synchronized to an account or another device.
A Practical Training Strategy
Begin with Beginner difficulty and one melodic direction. Once you can identify those intervals consistently, practice the opposite direction before adding harmonic playback.
Use the per-interval table to find specific weaknesses. A total score may look acceptable even when one interval has much lower accuracy than the others.
After an incorrect answer:
- Read the correct interval and semitone count.
- Replay the sound.
- Compare your selected interval with the correct one.
- Notice whether the error changes in ascending, descending, or harmonic form.
- Continue with the same difficulty until the distinction becomes more reliable.
Short, repeated sessions are generally more practical than immediately choosing every available interval. ToneDear similarly recommends regular, manageable practice rather than relying on a single long session.
What This Tool Does Not Include
This interval recognition test does not provide:
- Intervals beyond one octave
- Custom interval selection
- Fixed root notes
- Musical notation or clefs
- Piano-keyboard answer input
- MIDI-controller input
- Chords, scales, rhythms, or melodies
- Singing analysis
- Microphone recording
- Sampled acoustic instruments
- Account-based progress
More advanced competitors may offer compound intervals, notation, visual keyboards, time limits, fixed starting notes, or custom exercise configurations. Those features are not part of this focused interval quiz.
The test practices relative interval recognition. It does not diagnose hearing ability or prove that a user has perfect pitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is interval ear training?
Interval ear training is the practice of identifying the pitch distance between two notes by listening. This tool tests simple intervals from perfect unison through perfect octave.
What is the difference between melodic and harmonic intervals?
Melodic intervals play notes one after another, while harmonic intervals play both notes simultaneously. Ascending and descending modes are melodic; Harmonic mode plays the pair together.
What does Mixed mode include?
Mixed mode randomly chooses ascending, descending, or harmonic playback for each question. The feedback reveals the actual playback type after you submit an answer.
How many semitones are in a tritone?
A tritone contains six semitones. The plugin labels it Tritone (TT) in the answer choices and performance table.
Which intervals are included in Beginner mode?
Beginner mode includes perfect unison, major third, perfect fifth, and perfect octave. These correspond to 0, 4, 7, and 12 semitones.
Can I replay an interval?
Yes. You can play the current interval before answering and replay it after submission while reviewing the correct interval, notes, and semitone distance.
What is the piano-style sound?
It is a synthesized sound made from three sine-wave partials with a fast attack and exponential decay. It does not use recorded or sampled piano audio.
How is interval accuracy calculated?
Overall accuracy is correct answers divided by submitted answers. The performance table separately calculates accuracy for each interval using that interval’s correct and total attempts.
Does the test use my microphone?
No. The plugin generates tones locally through the Web Audio API and does not request microphone permission, record audio, or upload sound.
Does interval ear training test perfect pitch?
No. The test measures how well you identify the distance between two generated notes. It is a relative-pitch exercise, not a perfect-pitch assessment.