Favorite Music App for March

Playing by ear is a skill that comes natural to some students. Other students need time, instruction, and practice to develop this skill. Once students strengthen their ability to play by ear, a whole new world of music opens up for them. By developing ear training skills and sight reading abilities, students become well-rounded musicians.

Students who develop an ear to hear music intervals, chords, and scales have an advantage over students who rely solely on reading notes. When playing by ear, students can pick out favorite tunes they want to learn to play, even if they do not have written music for the song. Additionally, students are often more successful in playing with other musicians because they can follow the flow of the music better by listening to the chord progressions.

Ear Trainer Lite

Ear Trainer Lite is a helpful app for students who want to improve their ear training skills. This app offers various levels of practice, from basic to advanced.  No matter what level the student’s musical hearing skills are, Ear Trainer will help them advance to the next level.

The educational value of this app is terrific for more mature students. The visual graphics allow the student to see the notes represented by each musical tone. Students will learn to identify intervals, chords, and melodies. A virtual piano keyboard in each exercise helps students visually understand and analyze the notes that have been played. As students progress through the exercises, statistics display on the screen to track their progress.

Ear Trainer Lite version, which is free, offers 32 practices with ear training.   The full Ear Trainer version, which can be purchased for $6.99, includes over 260 exercises and allows customizable exercises for the student. Students can create their own custom exercises to match their desired areas of study and/or skill level. Click here to download Ear Trainer Lite and start developing an ear that will improve your musicianship.

Contributor Kimberly Jones is a wife, mother, and the Director of the Dawson Music Academy at the Dawson Family of Faith.