Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This tutorial is packed with ear training tips and exercises that any musician will find useful, but which I've specifically designed for pianists. One of the problems piano players have is that simply learning our instrument doesn't train our ear (as it does for many strings and winds) and so it's easy for us to neglect our aural skills. But ear training can make a massive difference to your musical ability: a good hear helps with sight-reading, improvising, songwriting, production, understanding of music theory and much, much more.
*Music Theory Resources*
Chord theory epic tutorial: youtu.be/AYBQUvmhAX8
Finding the chords of a key: youtu.be/rROIEpTQGvE
👉Join my Patreon community — we're a very friendly bunch of piano learners!
patreon.com/billhilton
👉Improve your piano skills with my great value Piano Packs and 3 Ebook Bundle deal:
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
billspianopages.com/bundle
👉My gear
Nord Piano. Latest model is the Nord Piano 5: sweetwater.sjv.io/Gm3RNn
Rode NT-USB microphone: sweetwater.sjv.io/AWXR6a
Sony DCZV1/B digital camera: sweetwater.sjv.io/3erm1n
(Disclosure: I receive commission from Sweetwater if you click through and buy these or any other products from their website.)
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano
00:00 Why train your ear?
01:34 Music theory basics
03:46 Exercise 1: melody by ear at the piano
10:51 Why challenge matters
12:24 Exercise 2: chord progression by ear at the piano
24:36 Exercise 3: melody and chords by ear
28:04 Exercise 4: no piano, scales by ear
33:35 Exercise 5: no piano, keyboard visualisation
35:00 Exercise 6: no piano, score visualisation
35:52 Exercise 7: transcription by ear
37:20 Bonus exercise: sing into your phone
38:25 Extra ear training tips: sight-reading, choirs, apps
#eartraining #piano
This tutorial is packed with ear training tips and exercises that any musician will find useful, but which I've specifically designed for pianists. One of the problems piano players have is that simply learning our instrument doesn't train our ear (as it does for many strings and winds) and so it's easy for us to neglect our aural skills. But ear training can make a massive difference to your musical ability: a good hear helps with sight-reading, improvising, songwriting, production, understanding of music theory and much, much more.
*Music Theory Resources*
Chord theory epic tutorial: youtu.be/AYBQUvmhAX8
Finding the chords of a key: youtu.be/rROIEpTQGvE
👉Join my Patreon community — we're a very friendly bunch of piano learners!
patreon.com/billhilton
👉Improve your piano skills with my great value Piano Packs and 3 Ebook Bundle deal:
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
billspianopages.com/bundle
👉My gear
Nord Piano. Latest model is the Nord Piano 5: sweetwater.sjv.io/Gm3RNn
Rode NT-USB microphone: sweetwater.sjv.io/AWXR6a
Sony DCZV1/B digital camera: sweetwater.sjv.io/3erm1n
(Disclosure: I receive commission from Sweetwater if you click through and buy these or any other products from their website.)
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano
00:00 Why train your ear?
01:34 Music theory basics
03:46 Exercise 1: melody by ear at the piano
10:51 Why challenge matters
12:24 Exercise 2: chord progression by ear at the piano
24:36 Exercise 3: melody and chords by ear
28:04 Exercise 4: no piano, scales by ear
33:35 Exercise 5: no piano, keyboard visualisation
35:00 Exercise 6: no piano, score visualisation
35:52 Exercise 7: transcription by ear
37:20 Bonus exercise: sing into your phone
38:25 Extra ear training tips: sight-reading, choirs, apps
#eartraining #piano
