Ear Training for Jazz Improv: How I Practice Hearing Before Playing

One of the biggest breakthroughs I had with jazz improvisation didn’t come from learning more scales — it came from ear training.

In this video, I walk through a simple ear-training exercise I use to help students (and myself!) hear harmony more clearly before trying to improvise over it. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s building a stronger connection between your ears and your instrument.

The exercise focuses on Major 7th chords and moving through the Circle of Fifths. Instead of thinking about theory first, I encourage you to listen carefully to how each note feels against the chord. Over time, you start to recognize sounds — not just fingerings — which makes improvising feel way more natural and musical.

This kind of practice helps with:

• Hearing chord tones more clearly

• Improving relative pitch

• Feeling more confident improvising without relying on patterns

• Playing what you hear, not just what you’ve memorized
  

If ear training has ever felt intimidating or frustrating, I promise it doesn’t have to be complicated. Even a few minutes a day of focused listening like this can make a huge difference in how connected your solos feel to the harmony.

If you try this exercise, take it slow, sing along if you can, and be patient with yourself. Ear training is a long game, but it’s one of the most rewarding parts of learning jazz.

🎷 Happy practicing! Musically, Ana