Identify chords by ear
Major, minor, diminished, augmented triads. All five 7th chord types with inversions. The chord foundation, drilled unlimited and free in Practice Mode. With PRO, the same module unlocks modal triads (sus, Phrygian, Lydian), extended chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths), and altered colours.
Free to start. No card required. PRO unlocks advanced content.
A gamified ear training app, built by a professional jazz pianist
Earonman trains your ear from your first interval up to advanced jazz harmony. Real grand piano sound, structured curriculum, no ads. Web in any browser, native iOS, Android landing soon. Free to start, no card required.
The feature,
explained clearly
The Chords module in Earonman Practice Mode is a chord-quality drill. You pick which chord qualities to include, choose harmonic or melodic playback, restrict to specific inversions, and Earonman feeds you randomised exercises. No daily cooldown. Free Practice covers triads and 7th chords with inversions; PRO unlocks modal triads, extended chords, and altered colours within the same module.
Every triad quality
Major, minor, diminished, augmented. The four base qualities every musician must know cold.
All five 7th chord types
Major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, half-diminished, fully diminished. The five seventh chord qualities that cover almost all jazz and popular music harmony.
Modal triads (PRO)
Sus2, sus4, Phrygian, Lydian triads. The non-major/minor triad colours that appear in modal jazz, pop production, and film scoring - included in the PRO library.
Extended chords (PRO)
Add chords, 6 chords, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, altered tensions. The harmonic colour vocabulary of modern jazz and R&B, unlocked with PRO inside the same Chords module.
Inversions as a separate skill
Identify whether the root, third, fifth, or seventh is in the bass. Critical for transcription and understanding what a pianist is voicing.
Harmonic vs melodic playback
Harmonic = all notes at once. Melodic = notes in sequence (arpeggiated). Earonman trains both because chord quality has to be recognisable regardless of how it is voiced in time.
Notation on the web
On the web, each chord is shown on a real notation staff alongside the audio - useful for connecting sound to the symbol you read in charts.
Three steps.
Repeated until it sticks.
Set up your session
Practice Mode > Chords. Tick which chord qualities to drill, pick harmonic or melodic playback, and choose whether to include inversions.
Hear the chord
A chord plays automatically. Tap Repeat to hear it again, or switch the playback mode between harmonic and melodic mid-session.
Tap your answer
Pick the chord quality (and inversion, if enabled) from the answer buttons. The notation and the correct answer reveal immediately so you can connect sound to symbol.
Skills you walk away with
Chord recognition is the second layer of relative pitch. Once intervals are solid, chord recognition is what lets you call out changes in real time, transcribe a tune by ear, and understand what a pianist is doing harmonically.
Tell apart the four triad qualities
Major, minor, diminished, augmented. Every harmonic decision in tonal music starts with these four colours.
Recognise all 7th chord types
The vocabulary that lets you transcribe jazz standards, pop ballads, R&B grooves, and almost everything else.
Identify the bass note
Root, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, 3rd inversion (for 7ths). Hearing what the bass is doing changes how you interpret the entire harmony.
Hear modal triads in context (PRO)
Sus chords define modern pop. Phrygian triads anchor flamenco and modal jazz. Lydian triads colour film scores. Available in the PRO chord library inside Practice Mode.
Build a chord quality library
After enough reps, you stop thinking and just hear the chord. Major 7 has a specific colour. Half-diminished has a specific colour. The library becomes instinctive.
Prepare for voicings and extensions
Jazz voicings and extended harmony assume you already know what a basic chord type sounds like. This module is the prerequisite.
Daily reps.
Compound results.
Chord recognition decays even faster than interval recognition because the differences are subtler. Daily 5-10 minutes is the difference between hesitating on a m7b5 and naming it before the next chord lands.
Working musicians need instant recall
On the bandstand, in a session, in a producer chair - you do not have time to count chord tones. Daily drilling builds sub-second recognition.
Inversions matter in real music
Most musicians can hear root-position chords but choke on inversions. Inversions are everywhere in real music. Daily drilling closes this gap.
Harmonic and melodic are different skills
A chord played harmonically (all notes together) sounds different from the same chord played melodically (notes in sequence). Real music mixes both. Daily reps in both modes generalise the skill.
Modal triads are unfairly hard
Sus2, sus4, Phrygian, Lydian triads sound subtly different from major/minor. Daily reps are the only way to make these reliable.
Not just jazz musicians
Chord recognition is universal vocabulary. Every musician benefits from instant chord ID, regardless of style.
Jazz musicians
Call out changes by ear, transcribe solos, hear what the pianist is comping under a melody.
Pop and rock songwriters
Hear the difference between a maj7 and a 6 chord, recognise the m9 colour, write progressions intentionally instead of by trial-and-error.
Producers and beatmakers
Identify chord progressions in samples, hear which inversion fits the bass line, recognise modal triad colours in reference tracks.
Choir directors and arrangers
Vocal arrangements are about voice leading. Hearing chord qualities and inversions lets you write SATB by ear.
Classical musicians
Harmonic analysis in your head while sight reading. Faster transcription. Better intonation by understanding what chord the ensemble is on.
Songwriters at any level
You do not need to be advanced. The Chords module starts with just major and minor triads and builds up to 7ths and inversions.
Free forever.
PRO when you want more.
Real free tier, not a trial. Practice Mode is open to everyone with a usable foundation library across Intervals, Chords, Scales, and Jazz Voicings - no daily cooldown.
Built so any serious musician can train their ears forever, free.
- Basic intervals, triads & major/minor scales
- Jazz Voicings game mode
- Practice Mode: free training for core intervals, triads, 7ths, major scale modes and basic jazz voicings
- 3 exercises per 8-hour window
- Basic stats and achievement badges
Or €59.99/year (~€5/mo, save 28%)
- Unlimited exercises (no cooldown)
- All intervals, chord types and scales (incl. 7ths, altered, modes)
- 6 advanced quest modes: Slashmaster, Functioneer, Harmonic Quest, Guido, Hybrid Lab, Polychordist
- Open Mic: answer by singing or playing into your microphone (mobile app)
- Practice Mode: full library of intervals, chord types, scales and voicing categories
- Advanced stats: per-quest-type analytics & session breakdowns
- Weekly Leagues with full history
- Full achievement & badge system
- All 8 instrument sounds (Rhodes, strings, harp, e-guitar, flute, clarinet, French horn)
- Priority support
Cancel anytime. No charge during PRO trial. Card only required at trial start.
What makes this
different
Harmonic and melodic trained separately
Most apps only train chords played all at once. Earonman trains both harmonic (simultaneous) and melodic (arpeggiated) playback because real music mixes them.
Inversions as a dedicated skill
Most apps treat inversions as the same chord. Earonman trains bass-note identification as its own micro-skill.
Free 7th chords
7th chords are often paywalled in ear training apps. In Earonman Practice Mode, all five 7th chord types with inversions are free.
Full library with PRO
Modal triads (sus, Phrygian, Lydian), add chords, 6 chords, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, altered colours - the same Chords module just expands with PRO. No new mode to learn.
“The structured progression from basic intervals to complex jazz harmonies is brilliant. This is a game-changer for any serious musician.”
Your questions,
answered
What chord types are free in Practice Mode?
What is the difference between a half-diminished and a fully diminished 7?
Can I narrow down to a specific pair or small group of chord types?
How long until I can recognise 7th chords reliably?
Do I need to know music theory?
Ready to train
your ears?
Major, minor, diminished, augmented triads. All five 7th chord types with inversions. The chord foundation, drilled unlimited and free in Practice Mode. With PRO, the same module unlocks modal triads (sus, Phrygian, Lydian), extended chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths), and altered colours.