Ear Training Lesson Plan 1
1. Time Needed: 77 minutes
2. Materials Needed: Projector, computer, speakers, website links:
Virtual Keyboard: https://www.onlinepianist.com/virtual-piano
Interval ID https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/interval
Ear ID: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-interval
Chart: https://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tools/interval-song-chart-generator.html
3. Learning Objective: Students will be able to identify intervals, and will be able to identify
a unison, ascending and descending M3, and ascending and descending P5 interval by
ear.
4. Assessment: I will assess performance by going through the music theory.net exercises
and have each student take turns answering.
5. Personal Objectives:
Speak loudly and clearly. Do not talk too fast. Avoid using filler words.
Do not over explain things.
Make sure to help them out when they need it.
6. Procedure:
Set up the music theory exercises and the website with the song chart. Write CM
scale on board.
State objective. Say today we will be starting ear training. We will identify
intervals by listening.
Before we get into the ear training, we need to review intervals. Let’s identify the
intervals in a C major scale.
Start with unison. Write two C’s on the board. Ask what we would call this
interval.
Go through each interval, writing each of the two notes on the board next to the
scale. Ask for the same interval in different key signatures.
Ask them if they know why 4th and 5th are called perfect. Explain that it is because
of their frequency ratios. Unison ratio is 1:1, so the notes make the same amount
of vibrations in the same amount of time. In equal temperament, a P4 has the ratio
of 4:3, so the upper note makes four vibrations in the same amount of time the
lower note makes three. Because this is nice and even, it is considered perfect. In
a P5, the ratio is 3:2, meaning the upper note makes three vibrations in the same
amount of time the lower note makes two. Tell them they are also considered
perfect because they stay the same in major and minor keys.
Go through the music theory.net exercises on interval identification and have each
student take turns answering.
Introduce solfege. Write each symbol underneath each note. Explain how it is
helpful to use solfege in ear training. Say that the way I learned solfege is with a
moveable do. So, for each key signature, you would start with do on the first scale
degree.
Ask what interval Do to Re would be, and so on.
Say we are moving on to ear training. We will focus on unison, M3, and P5.
Introduce them to hearing intervals using songs. Start with ascending intervals.
Model M3 on piano, and use “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In”. Model P5
on piano, and use “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.
Do musictheory.net ear training interval identification exercise with just M3 and
P5 ascending intervals and have each student take turns answering.
Introduce descending intervals. M3 = Shoo fly. M5 = Don’t You
Do musictheory.net ear training interval identification exercise with just M3 and
P5 descending intervals and have each student take turns answering.
Do musictheory.net ear training interval identification exercise with both
ascending and descending M3 and P5 intervals and have each student take turns
answering.
Teach more intervals in the same way as time permits.
7. Closure: Good job with listening and identifying intervals! Continue practicing at home
using musictheory.net.
