Basics of Ear Training Part 2

Send Steve a Text Message Can you tell major from minor with your eyes closed? That single skill can change how fast you learn songs by ear, how confident you feel in a jam, and how “musical” your playing sounds without relying on tabs. Steve Stein from Guitar Zoom walks through a simple ear training approach that helps you recognize chord quality first, before you worry about the exact chord name. We start by isolating the most important contrast in everyday harmony: major versus minor. Steve demonstrates how small changes on the guitar create a big shift in mood, and he explains why your brain needs time to learn the sound itself, not the shape. Then we turn it into a quick quiz: listen to a chord you can’t see and decide whether it feels major (brighter) or minor (darker), training your ear to make clean decisions under pressure. From there, we zoom out into relative pitch and real music. Instead of chasing “Is it C sharp?” we focus on hearing what feels like home, identifying the main chord in a progression, and using basic chord theory to narrow down what’s likely next. Steve also shares why simple, repeating songs with fewer chord changes are the best starting point, and how to practice in small blocks so you don’t get overwhelmed. If you want more structure and guidance, Steve points you toward Guitar Zoom Academy. Subscribe for more guitar lessons, share this with a friend who’s learning by ear, and leave a review with the biggest ear training challenge you’re working on. Thanks for being here!! I will continue to do my best to bring you the best, most informative guitar discussions to help you along your guitar journey! The more you share this podcast with others, the more I can continue to grow this channel and offer the best information and advice I can to you. Thank you! Steve Links: Check out the GuitarZoom Academy: https://academy.guitarzoom.com/ Steve’s Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/stinemus...  GuitarZoom Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/guitarz0...  Songs Channel → https://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarSo... .