Good Ear for Music

the ability to perceive various qualities of musical sounds, such as pitch, loudness, and timbre, and to sense the functional relations between sounds in a musical system and in musical compositions. The most important aspect of a good ear is general musicality, as reflected in emotional responsiveness to musical phenomena. A person who lacks this quality is not suited for musical composition and performance.

People who have a good ear for music may have absolute pitch, relative pitch, or a good inner, or mental, ear. Absolute pitch is the ability to identify notes immediately and give their sol-fa names without comparing them to a standard sound. Relative pitch is the ability to identify pitch relations and music intervals, such as seconds, thirds, and fourths. A person who has an inner ear for music is able to imagine and remember individual qualities of musical sounds, melodic and harmonic progressions, and entire pieces.

A good ear can be developed by practice. The solfège is a special exercise designed to promote its development.