# Functional Ear Trainer — Ear training for everyone

> Ear training app to recognize tones and their function within musical keys. (iPhone/iPad app by Serhii Korchan.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Serhii Korchan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088761925)
- Category: Music, Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 3,735 App Store ratings · 606 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 41 MB
- Languages: American English, Bulgarian, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Polish, European Portuguese, Romanian and 3 more
- Released: 2016-03-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926/reviews.md

## What is Functional Ear Trainer?

Have you (or maybe one of your friends) ever wanted to learn to transcribe or play music by ear?

It is so important for a musician to know what you are hearing. A good musical ear helps when you are composing, improvising, transcribing melodies, or playing with others.

Most likely you have already tried different programs to learn to recognize intervals or even to acquire perfect pitch. However, although such programs develop your ear, but can you actually play any melody you hear as soon as you listen to it?

Imagine you could understand music... It is like when somebody is talking to you, you not only hear pleasant sounds, but you recognize words and their meaning.

One day I came across Alain Benbassat's program called "Functional Ear Trainer" and have been using it ever since. It is based on Alain's method to learn to recognize tones.

The main difference between the Functional Ear Trainer and other methods is that it teaches you to distinguish between tones in the context of a particular musical key. You begin to recognize the role (or function) of each tone in this key, which is incredibly similar to its role in other keys of the same scale.

And it is *guaranteed* anyone can gradually develop this skill. It does not matter:
 - who you are - an absolute beginner in music or a virtuoso professional musician;
 - how old you are - a 3 yo kid or a 90+ adult;
 - what musical instrument you play (you don't even have to play one).

The only requirement is to practice for 10 minutes a day.

I was so excited about this ear trainer that I have developed a mobile app based on the Alain Benbassat method. I hope you will find it useful.

## Key features

- Recognize tones in musical key context
- Understand note function
- Improve transcription skills
- Enhance improvisation
- Develop perfect pitch
- Daily 10-minute practice

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Functional Ear Trainer Plus | $19.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Functional Ear Trainer?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Effective ear training
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable exercises
- 🎉 Noticeable improvement with regular practice
- 🎨 Visually appealing design
- 🆓 Free app with no ads

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional audio glitches
- 💡 Lack of support for other instruments besides piano
- 💡 Desire for more advanced features (e.g. chord recognition)

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Keyboard display issues when selecting all chromatic notes
- Inconsistent note resolutions in some exercises

**Most requested features**

- Add support for multiple notes/chords at once
- Implement a mode for training key recognition
- Provide more customization options for exercises
- Include voice input to play the notes
- Add support for German/Norwegian key names

## Recent user reviews (10 of 606)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The best ear trainer

*2026-08-26*

I tried for months to train my ear. Using sonofield and other resources. But this app, Functional Ear Trainer, it’s just … another level. The method is deceptively simple and yet … it works. In just 1-2 weeks of Functional Ear trainer I can recognize all the degrees of the major scale in less than 1 second each. I’m amazed!

### 5/5 — first review i have ever posted,  first time I have ever spent money on an app

*2026-08-19, version 3.28.0*

absolutely sublime. simple and to the point, no ads, well thought out ui and progression through the levels. This is what every app should be like.

Hoping some day they add a chord progressions level

### 4/5 — Too Random

*2026-08-16*

The only problem I have with this app is that the notes given to you in a lesson are too random. You can go through a lesson for a single note, and not hear it once. 

Developers: please stop using a completely random value to determine what note should be played next. I would recommend dividing the number of notes being tested by the number of questions the user is given. Use the quotient to determine the minimum number of times each note is played. Then randomly assign the remainder (ideally without adding to the same note twice). Then randomly determine the order of the questions.

Seriously, I would like to be able to practice “Fa”, and “Sol”, but most of the quizzes give me “Do” nearly 50% of the time.

### 5/5 — Reward system

*2026-08-12*

Imo the only things that is missing from this app is a reward system. Something that track your consistency and maybe unlock some titles. Anything that keep you practicing daily. Otherwise this is perfect. More then a fair price for the whole package. Amazing tool

### 4/5 — Very functional

*2026-08-09*

It does what it says on the box. It would be nice if there was a more fun game section but my ears are improving with the training nevertheless

### 5/5 — Amazing Ear Training App

*2026-07-31, version 3.28.0*

Great app, I’ve been getting over 90% consistently on the exercises. It would be great if the developers added identifying chord progressions as well.

### 2/5 — Easy

*2026-07-15*

It is way too easy for professional musicians. There is no clap back and many more.

### 5/5 — Nice app

*2026-07-13*

I'm an app developer too, and have impressed with your app. The app doesn't seem to be updated very often, but I would appreciate it if you add Korean. Just AI translation is fine. Hope you everything goes well.

### 5/5 — すばらしい。

*2026-06-23*

続けたい。世界が広がりそう。

### 5/5 — Tell your worship team vocalist

*2026-06-17, version 3.28.0*

This is a great tool to share with your worship team for simple ear training.

## Frequently asked questions about Functional Ear Trainer

### What does the Functional Ear Trainer app do?

This app helps you develop your musical ear by teaching you to recognize tones and their functions within the context of a specific musical key. It's designed to improve your ability to transcribe music, improvise, and play by ear, similar to understanding spoken language.

### How does this app differ from other ear training methods?

Unlike other methods that focus on recognizing intervals in isolation, this app teaches you to distinguish tones based on their role within a musical key. This contextual approach is designed to be more functional for real-world musical application.

### Who is this app for and what are the requirements?

The app is for anyone interested in music, regardless of age or current skill level, from absolute beginners to professional musicians. The only requirement is a commitment to practice for just 10 minutes a day.

### Is this app free to use?

The app is free to download and use, offering a foundational ear training experience. Additional features or content may be available through in-app purchases.

### What are the benefits of using this ear trainer?

Regular use can significantly enhance your ability to understand music by ear. This includes improving skills in composing, improvising, transcribing melodies, and playing music with others more effectively.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.32.12 — 2026-08-28

Improved stability on iOS 26.6.
Enhanced settings structure in:
- The main menu.
- Playback modes (e.g., "Settings" below the large "Play" button).
Ongoing development for modifying mode settings mid-game (scheduled for the next release).
Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 3.28.0 — 2025-10-22

Added support for iOS 26.

### 3.24.0 — 2025-05-25

Payment accounts: verification via 6-digit code, password update, and email update.

### 3.23.5 — 2025-04-24

– Melodic Dictations
– Sound Plugins
– Listener Mode

Enjoy your ear training!

### 3.23.2 — 2025-04-17

– Melodic Dictations
– Sound Plugins
– Listener Mode

Enjoy your ear training!

## Apps similar to Functional Ear Trainer

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Earpeggio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earpeggio/id884775105) | 4.9 (9,541) | Free | Music |
| [ScoreSkills- Learn Music Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scoreskills-learn-music-notes/id1439046224) | 4.6 (1,938) | Free | Music |
| [EarMaster - Music Theory](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earmaster-music-theory/id1105030163) | 4.6 (420) | Free | Music |
| [Music Rhythm Trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-rhythm-trainer/id1319997438) | 4.8 (5,050) | Free | Music |
| [Tone - Learn Perfect Pitch!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tone-learn-perfect-pitch/id1139019670) | 4.5 (10,268) | Free | Music |
| [Chet - Ear Training](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chet-ear-training/id1405525467) | 4.8 (2,396) | Free | Music |

## Related topics

[ear trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-trainer) · [ear training singers](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-singers) · [functional ear trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/functional-ear-trainer) · [functional ear training](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/functional-ear-training) · [ear training](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training) · [ear training piano](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-piano) · [ear training game](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-game) · [complete ear trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/complete-ear-trainer) · [ear training tools for musicians](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-tools-for-musicians) · [hoir ear training](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hoir-ear-training) · [ear pitch training](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-pitch-training) · [pick up music](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pick-up-music) · [music ear trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/music-ear-trainer) · [ear training musical](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-musical) · [ear training app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ear-training-app) · [sonofield ear trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sonofield-ear-trainer) · [earmaster](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/earmaster) · [rhythmic dictation](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/rhythmic-dictation) · [music ear training](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/music-ear-training) · [aural skills](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/aural-skills)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*