Here at Prodigies, ear training is incredibly important, especially for young musicians. For those wanting extra practice outside Prodigies, there are numerous apps available to help you.
We try to only feature apps that are free to use, don’t require an account to be created, and have low ads impact. This is an IOS based list, but some of these might have Android versions available.
Here’s a list of the top 7 ear training apps (plus 3 honorable mentions) that every aspiring musician should check out:
Top 10 Ear Training Apps for Budding Musicians
1. Chet
Download Chet Chet is one of the most user-friendly and comprehensive ear training apps available. It can quiz based upon intervals, patterns of notes, tonal vs. atonal, modal, and more. Its more targeted to college music theory students rather than kids, and while its incredible, we’d like to see simple one note identification modes tailored for kids. Also most of the quizzes give you the starting pitch, so its more geared for relative pitch quizzing than absolute pitch development.
2. Perfect Ear
Download Perfect Ear This app offers a mix of rhythm and pitch exercises. Its clean interface and diverse range of exercises make it useful, however the quiz interface especially for the tone and pitch quizzes may be a bit harder to work with as you have to tap on the letter names with a # for all chromatic notes, rather than a piano keyboard interface. Also some quizzes require a paid unlocking or subscription.
3. Functional Ear Trainer
Download Functional Ear Trainer This app takes a different approach by teaching relative pitch based on the tonal center or key, rather than isolated intervals. We love this one because the intro quizzes make the student unlock advanced levels by acing through the easy levels, and the custom quiz mode allows the use of the piano keyboard, labeled with either letter names, solfege, fixed or moveable do. Before each pitch that is being quizzed the student will hear a cadence in that key. While that can be annoying, it is also something that will burn into the memory and have beneficial results.
4. AbsoPitch – Ear Training for Absolute Pitch
Download AbsoPitch While the interface is a little clunky, this app does freely quiz on absolute pitch notes. It takes a bit to get used to, as when the student correctly presses the correct note on the piano keyboard that’s being heard, the next pitch immediately sounds, making it sound like they played the wrong note. But once you realize its the next note, it makes more sense.
5. Absolute Pitch Checker
Download Absolute Pitch Checker This is a graded pitch quizzing app with 12 levels. This is an excellent way to start quizzing for absolute pitch starting easy and going to hard, and it has chromatics. Students pick the correct answer on a button that shows letter names after hearing the tone, which occurs in one of 4 octaves.
Level 1: C, D
Level 2: C, D, E
Level 3: C, D, E, F
Level 4: C, D, E, F, G
Level 5: C, D, E, F, G, A
Level 6: C, D, E, F, G, A, B
Level 7: C#, D#
Level 8: C#, D#, F#
Level 9: C#, D#, F#, G#
Level 10: C#, D#, F#, G#, A#
Level 11: ALL
Level 12: ALL+ (multiple octaves)
This is hands down our favorite that we’ve seen quizzing individual notes in a systematic way. This app, although not designed for kids, will perfectly pair with Prodigies! There is a Tiktok ads banner across the bottom to be aware of.
6. PerfectPitch
Download PerfectPitch PerfectPitch uses a piano keyboard layout and the ability to select between easy, medium, hard, and superhard modes. In our testing, even on Easy mode the student needs to know all the notes, as it quizzes C major and chromatics right at the beginning. The harder modes quiz two pitches simultaneously, and more complex chords. So its definitely not for beginners and could frustrate them. But for more advanced learners, check it out!
7. Interval Quiz
Download Interval Quiz Interval Quiz is a more advanced app designed to quiz intervals, and right out of the gate, its pretty advanced. Students hear two tones on a piano and should be able to identify if its perfect (i.e. P4) or major (i.e. M3), minor (i.e. m6). So definitely on the General Music Level 2 area. One weakness of this app is that there is no way to see which pitches were played after the fact, so all the quizzing is totally relative based on the sound itself.
Ear training is a crucial skill for any musician, and these apps make the process engaging and effective. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your student’s skills, there’s an app on this list for you. Dive in and let the learning begin!
Honorable Mention
While the above apps are great, there are several other resources worth mentioning. Whether you’re looking for alternative methods or just want to explore paid options, here are two additional ear training resources:
1. Earforge
Download Earforge Earforge definitely looks like a strong contender for a best pitch training app that looks like its designed for kids. Its also broken up into levels by difficulty; however, you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to unlock all but the top two levels.
2. SingTrue
Download SingTrue While primarily designed to help users sing in tune, SingTrue also offers exercises that improve pitch recognition and vocal control. Its basic quizzes test concepts like higher and lower. It’s a great tool for students who want to work on their ear training and vocal skills simultaneously.
Absolute pitch can be difficult to develop especially with older students. That’s why we recommend beginning music lessons as soon as possible during the Critical Period for Auditory Development. However, no matter how far along your student is, these apps should nicely dovetail into what we already are teaching at Prodigies. Remember, consistent practice is key, so find a method that resonates with you and stick with it. Happy musicing!
