Chord Progressions

Hear the Progressions Behind Every Song

Most songs use a small set of harmonic patterns. Train your ear to recognise them and you can play almost anything by ear.

What you will learn

What the test covers

From the I-IV-V-I behind countless pop songs to the ii-V-I of jazz. This test maps your harmonic pattern recognition.

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Common progressions

The I-IV-V-I, I-V-vi-IV, and ii-V-I cover the majority of Western popular and jazz music. The test starts here.

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Cadence recognition

Perfect, plagal, and deceptive cadences each have a distinct sound. Recognising them improves your harmonic intuition.

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Any key

The test plays progressions in various keys so you train the harmonic function, not just a memorised sound.

How it works

How the test works

01

A short progression plays

Four to eight chords in a musical context. One listen only.

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02

Identify the pattern

Select the chord progression from the options displayed. Roman numeral notation is explained on screen.

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03

Build harmonic fluency

Over time, your ear starts to anticipate where progressions are going. That is the goal.

Also try

Complete your pitch profile

Each dimension of pitch perception reinforces the others.

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Relative Pitch

Measure intervals between two notes.

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Chord Recognition

Identify chord types by ear.

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Perfect Pitch

Name any note without a reference.

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FAQ

Common questions

The test explains each symbol on screen. No prior knowledge is needed, though you will pick it up naturally as you train.
Real music moves through harmonic sequences, not isolated chords. Training progressions teaches you to hear music the way composers think it.

Ready to test your harmonic recognition?

Discover your true musical potential.

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