Learn EQ by ear: a ten-lesson course
Short answer: this is a course in hearing EQ, in ten short lessons. Each one has a guide to read, a demo to play, and an exercise to pass by ear. Start at lesson 1 and go in order. The first four lessons are free and need no account.
How a lesson works
- Read. A short guide. The answer is in the first lines.
- Hear it. Play the demo in the guide. Flip the EQ off and on.
- Do it. Open the exercise and pass the level. That ticks the lesson off here.
Stuck on a question? Tap Ask Dan in the exercise. With a free account, he answers what you ask. Use headphones or decent speakers: laptop and phone speakers can’t play the low bands.
Part one: hear it Free
Free, no account
- Lesson 1. What EQ doesThen play Identify, level 1. Three bands far apart, on pink noise.
- Lesson 2. Put a name to each bandThen play Identify, level 2. The same three bands, on a drum kit.
- Lesson 3. The words for what’s wrongThen play Fix the Mix, level 1. Name the problem, pick the part, cut it.
- Lesson 4. Fix a muddy mixThen play Fix the Mix, level 2. More problems to tell apart, and a little subtler.
Part two: find it and fix it Pro
The guides and demos are free, and each guide has one question from its exercise to try. The full exercises are part of Mix Chops Pro.
- Lesson 5. Frequency, gain and QThen play Sweep, level 1. A boost is hidden. Sweep to find it.
- Lesson 6. Find the ringThen play Hunt, level 1. Find a narrow resonance, then cut it.
- Lesson 7. ShelvesThen play Cuts Only, level 1. A dull sound, fixed with a shelf cut and no boosts.
- Lesson 8. Cut firstThen play Cuts Only, level 2. A thin drum kit, fixed the same way.
- Lesson 9. Listen for what is thereThen play Restore, level 1. Undo an EQ move with one band.
Part three: keep it Free
Free, no account
After the course
- Keep the Daily Session going. Your profile shows your ears then and now, band by band.
- Go further in each exercise: every one has more levels. All the EQ exercises are in order, easiest first.
- Two more guides worth reading: High-pass and low-pass filters and Mixing on headphones.
The certificate
Finish all ten lessons and you get a certificate with your name and the date on it, to keep or share.
Questions
Is the course free?
The first four lessons are free, with no account. So is lesson ten, every guide and demo, and the Daily Session. Lessons five to nine each have one question to try in their guide, once a day. The exercises in lessons five to nine are part of Mix Chops Pro, which has a 7-day free trial.
How long does it take?
A lesson is one short guide and one level. Do one a day and you finish in ten days. There’s no clock, so go at your own pace.
Are there videos?
No. You read a little, then you listen and do. Each lesson ends on an exercise that scores what you hear.
Do I need to know EQ already?
No. Lesson 1 starts with what an equaliser does.
What will I be able to do at the end?
Name a boosted band by ear, find a resonance and cut it, and fix common tone problems with cuts. How far you get depends on practice, which is why lesson ten is a daily habit.
How is my progress kept?
A lesson is ticked off when you pass its level. Progress saves in your browser, and a free account carries it to your other devices.
What do I need?
A browser and headphones or decent speakers. It works on a phone.
What music does it use?
Pink noise, drum kits and songs split into stems.
Lesson 1: What EQ does.
Read the guide, play its demo, then name three bands by ear in Identify.
Start lesson 1Free, in your browser, no account