Hear the difference between chord qualities.

Start with the third: major and minor

A major triad uses a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. The pitches are 0, 4, and 7 semitones above the root. A minor triad uses 0, 3, and 7: the third is one semitone lower.

Listen for the difference in the middle of the chord. Major often sounds bright and settled; minor has a different color because of that lowered third. Those descriptions are listening aids, rather than rules about the emotion of every song.

Suspended and seventh chords

A suspended fourth chord replaces the third with a fourth. Without a major or minor third, it has a more open quality. A dominant seventh adds a minor seventh to a major triad, creating a more complex sound with a characteristic pull toward resolution.

Foundation practice includes major, minor, suspended fourth, and dominant seventh chords. Challenge adds diminished and augmented triads. Diminished triads have a lowered fifth; augmented triads have a raised fifth.

Build your chord listening routine

1. Play the chord at a comfortable volume. Listen to the whole sound before trying to pick out individual notes.
2. Compare major and minor first. Sing or play the third above the root if that helps you hear the difference.
3. Replay the question, choose a quality, and read the formula in the feedback.
4. Move to the guitar studio and compare the sound of familiar major and minor shapes. Return to the ear quiz to recognize qualities without the diagrams.

What this exercise trains

Tonorino asks for chord quality, such as Major or Minor, rather than the root name. The root changes between questions, so the useful skill is recognizing the pattern above it.

This is a focused listening drill using synthesized, root-position chords. Real songs include different instruments, inversions, melodies, and background sounds. Use the exercise as a starting point, then listen for the same qualities in music you enjoy.