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Ear Training Masterclass: Learn Music By Ear (Parts 1-3) (Udemy.com)

Hear it. Identify it. Write it down. The complete ear training course for musicians who want to stop guessing.

4.7
552 reviews

Created by: J. Anthony Allen

Last updated May 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 552 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

Dr. J. Anthony Allen's ear training bundle joins Parts 1, 2 and 3 into one. Part 1 covers rhythm dictation in simple and compound meters, including rests, ties, sixteenth notes and triplets. Part 2 works through the diatonic intervals, melodic and harmonic. Part 3 moves to melodic dictation, scale fragments, chords and arpeggios. It runs about 13 hours across 284 lectures, and it expects basic notation and theory already. This is a training course for people who can read music, not a first lesson in music.

Reviewers like the teaching. They call Dr. Allen knowledgeable, easy to listen to and relaxing. One says the exercises start easy and get properly hard by Section 7, and a songwriter who has written since 1986 says it was hard at first, then started to click. The complaints are specific. One reviewer finds the delivery dull, and two say there is too much introduction before any practice starts, one of them in the interval section. A couple of low ratings say the pace is too fast or the basics are thin. One reviewer wants a Part 4 and beyond.

Of 552 ratings, 370 are five stars and only 10 are two stars or below, so the course leans strongly positive. It was last updated in May 2026, which is recent, and more than 7,700 students are enrolled. Its strength is the volume of drilling, with answer keys to check against. Recommended for notation readers who will practice daily. Anyone hoping to reach advanced transcription should treat it as a solid start, since one reviewer said exactly that.

Best forMusicians who read notation and want structured rhythm, interval and dictation drills before or alongside a college aural skills class.
Skip it ifYou want to skip long intros and start drilling at once, or you need a lively, punchy teaching style.

Pros

  • Hundreds of exercises with answer keys, so there is real practice and not just explanation
  • Builds steadily from basic rhythms through intervals to full melodic dictation
  • Dr. Allen is described as knowledgeable, relaxing and easy to listen to
  • Updated May 2026, with 38 short sections that suit daily practice

Cons

  • One reviewer finds the delivery dull, and two say long intros delay the practice
  • Assumes notation and theory already, and two reviewers say it moves too fast or skips basics
  • One reviewer wishes for a Part 4 and beyond, calling this an excellent start only
I like the vibe and relaxing words of the professor. I’m excited that I found this course and the teacher.
John McClain, a student

Labeled All Levels, but it really suits musicians who already read treble clef and know scales and interval names.

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What you will learn

  • Notate rhythms by ear in 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8, 9/8, and 3/8 — including rests, ties, 16th notes, and triplets
  • Identify every diatonic interval by ear, both melodically (one note after another) and harmonically (both notes at once)
  • Take melodic dictation — hear a phrase and write it down accurately
  • Distinguish between commonly confused interval pairs (the ones that trip everyone up)
  • Use proven recognition techniques: familiar melodies, colors, numbers, textures — whatever sticks for your brain
  • Understand what Perfect Pitch actually is (and why you don't need it) versus the Relative Pitch every working musician uses
  • Build a daily ear training practice with hundreds of exercises and answer keys

Course content

38 sections · 284 lectures · 13 hours of video 26 articles

  1. 1Introduction 6 free previews6 lectures · 17 min
  2. 2The Myth of Perfect Pitch 1 free preview3 lectures · 11 min
  3. 3Method and Equipment6 lectures · 13 min
  4. 4How to Practice 1 free preview4 lectures · 13 min
  5. 5Basic Rhythms 1 free preview15 lectures · 39 min
  6. 6Working With Pitch6 lectures · 18 min
  7. 7Adding in Rests and Ties8 lectures · 30 min
  8. 8Adding in 16th Notes6 lectures · 23 min
  9. 9Adding in Triplets6 lectures · 18 min
  10. 10New Meters!6 lectures · 15 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Musicians, songwriters, and producers who want to play and write down what they hear
  • Performers and composers preparing for (or taking) a college aural skills or music theory course
  • Self-taught musicians who can play but can't yet transcribe the music they love
  • Students who've completed a music theory course and want to lock those concepts in through listening
  • Classical, jazz, and contemporary musicians at any level who want stronger relative pitch
  • Anyone who's ever heard a melody, wanted to play it back, and couldn't

What you need before you start

  • Basic music notation literacy (you can read a treble clef and identify note names and basic rhythms)
  • Basic music theory (major/minor scales, intervals by name)
  • Any instrument is fine — or no instrument at all; this is about your ears, not your hands

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Course Description

You hear a melody. You want to play it. You can't.

Or you can play it, but you couldn't tell someone why it works.

Or you can tell them why — but if I played you two intervals back-to-back, you'd freeze.

Ear training is the skill that closes all three of those gaps. It's the difference between a musician who can copy what they hear and a musician who can understand what they hear and then do something new with it.

This course is the complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 of my ear training sequence — bundled into one masterclass.

What you'll be able to do by the end:

  • Notate rhythms by ear in any common time signature, including 16th notes, triplets, and compound meters (6/8, 9/8, 3/8)

  • Identify every diatonic interval by ear — both melodic and harmonic

  • Take dictation on melodies — write down what you hear, accurately

  • Tell the difference between commonly confused intervals (the ones that trip everyone up)

  • Use practical recognition techniques: familiar melodies, colors, numbers, textures — whatever sticks for your brain

What's actually in here:

  • Part 1: Rhythms. Notating rhythms in 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, plus 6/8, 9/8, 3/8. Rests, ties, 16ths, triplets.

  • Part 2: Diatonic Intervals. Major, minor, perfect — recognition systems that actually work.

  • Part 3: Melodies. Taking dictation on full melodic phrases, not just isolated notes.

  • Hundreds of practice exercises with answer keys. This is the part most ear training courses skip.

A note on Perfect Pitch:

You don't have it. Almost no one does. You don't need it. We use relative pitch — the same thing every working musician uses — and it's a learnable skill.

Why this course:

  • Practice, not just theory. Hundreds of exercises. You will get reps.

  • All three parts in one place. No upselling you to "Part 2" later.

  • 30-day money-back guarantee. If it's not working for you, get a refund. No questions.

  • I answer every question posted in the class, within 24 hours. Not a TA. Me.

Who I am:

Hi, I'm Jay. I'm a tenured university music professor with a Ph.D. in Music. I'm also a working composer and an active guitarist — so I use this stuff every day, in real situations, not just on a whiteboard. My theory and ear training courses have around a million students and a 4.7+ average rating.

Who this is for:

Musicians, songwriters, producers, performers, composers, and theory students who are tired of "almost" hearing the music. If you've taken (or are about to take) a college aural skills class — this is the most efficient way to get ahead of it.

Let's train your ears.

See you in Lesson 1. — Jay
Read More All Levels All Levels product length iconTime: 13.1h

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Instructor Details

J. Anthony Allen

Dr. Allen is a 2026 Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dr. J. Anthony Allen is a distinguished composer, producer, educator, and innovator whose multifaceted career spans various musical disciplines. Born in Michigan and based in Minneapolis, Dr. Allen has composed orchestral works, produced acclaimed dance music, and, through his entrepreneurship projects, he has educated over a million students worldwide in music theory and electronic music production.


Dr. Allen's musical influence is global, with compositions performed across Europe, North America, and Asia. His versatility is evident in works ranging from Minnesota Orchestra performances to Netflix soundtracks. Beyond creation, Dr. Allen is committed to revolutionizing music education for the 21st century. In 2011, he founded Slam Academy, an electronic music school aimed at increasing accessibility to music production education. His innovative approach to academia was highlighted in 2024 when he received tenure and resigned from his university position on the same day.


As a composer, Dr. Allen is known for his unique synthesis of diverse musical influences, often blending acoustic music with electronic dance music elements. With a Ph.D. in Music Composition, multiple master's degrees, and numerous awards, Dr. Allen's academic and professional achievements are substantial.

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Reviews

4.7

552 ratings on Udemy

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Write a review

By Lee Yin Shan on 8/16/2026

This course is really great. The exercises are easy at the beginning but not so when I progress to Section 7. Appreciate Dr. Allen for the content. This is your 2nd course I joined, the first course I joined was Music Theory Comprehensive Part 1.... , which is very good too, really comprehensive and easy to understand. Thank you. Updated review: The more I learn, the more interesting the course becomes. So many unknown areas. I am very happy that I am better than who I was yesterday!

By Anonymized User on 11/28/2023

Las palabras del profesor me motivan a seguir intentando mejorar mi oido musical. Este trabajo realmente me esta costando bastante esfuerzo y no he logrado mejorar mucho con la practica que venia realizando, por lo que estoy muy contenta y con muchas ganas de aprender.

By Aundrea Radford on 9/17/2023

im glad I did this class last it was hard at first but It started to click. Not everything I won't lie but I will go back to this every week until its second nature. I've been writing songs since 1986, some things I just used in my songwriting because it sounded good. Now i know why I did what I did. thank you for sharing your knowledge. If you want to become a better songwriting, knowing what Doctor Allen taught is what you need. I don't have perfect pitch but i'm getting closer because of these 3 classes.

By Alfred Arreguin on 9/2/2023

Foundational work and examples. Slow and tedious but that's the job, until you get good at it. And the teachers direction is spot on, starting with the very basics you should master.

By Matt on 7/31/2023

The class is really informative and helpful. In what I’m trying to learn. The instructor is easy to understand. And he is very learned on the subject that is being taught.

By Brian Williams on 6/3/2023

Just finished 25. So far so good. Instructor is easy to listen to and keeps it interesting. "If you're no good at this, you're in the right place" was an early quote if I recall. :-D

By Dave Cheli on 4/24/2022

I did ear training many years ago and found this course to be a great refresher for me. The teacher presented the material in a very logical progression and introduced some really good tools to work with.

By Krystof Polansky on 1/16/2022

I am watching the interval training section. So far, I watched videos number 94-105. And all of them were just introductory videos to get us prepared. There was no practice yet. I think all the information in these 11 videos could be said briefly in 5 minutes, instead of making it 11 videos.

By Eddie De La Rosa on 11/17/2021

Freaking incredible class! Jason Allen is an incredible teacher. I've gained so much already. I am already a working musician and this class has made my ear better and I'm only halfway there! Do the excercises! Put in the work and it will pay off! Take this class!

By Gary Pullar on 11/13/2021

Jason, I am definitely in the 2nd camp. Until we did the tied notes in Section 6, I was going fine. I just felt that the next jump was just too big - I wouldn't have minded having some more practise before moving on to Section 7. Having just finished Section 7, it is with trepidation that I am moving on to Section 8. Hopefully, the graded sections do not have such a steep learning curve. I will go back and repeat the earlier sections, something that I have done with your music theory courses (and I have done most of them), as I find I pick up more each time I go through them. The challenge with all these on-line courses is having enough examples to practise on with each level. My suggestion would be you need 6-10 examples to work through for each concept, before you move onto the next one.

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Overall Score : 94 / 100

Ear Training Masterclass: Learn Music By Ear (Parts 1-3)
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 13.1h
  • Price: $84.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon May 2026
  • Level: All Levels All Levels
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:284 in 38 sections
  • Students:7,743
  • Subtitles:1 language
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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