Originally Posted By: Joe V
For all the music lessons out there, I think very few focus on this as an intentional goal - of course interval training does to some extent - but it seems to be something that is not typically formally taught...unless I have missed something.


Can you tell us what "formally taught" means to you? There is a great deal of exactly this kind of interval training when you study along a music degree program in college. It is taught in both vocal and instrumental pursuits.

But through it all, there is never a replacement for experience. I used to cheat when I went into class and pick up the payphone (Yes, I am that old) outside the classroom an listen to the dial tone. The modern dial tone is an F. I walked into the room with that F in my ear and could easily hear intervals. However, what is a 4th and what is a 5th is theory you need to know or being able to identify intervals means nothing. The next thing you will likely be asked is "What is a Bb the 4th (or 5th) of" and you can't answer that, that reveals a lot about what you don't know to the instructor. Circle of 5ths, steps of a scale. etc...

I remember years back the band I played reunions with was learning Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the bass player made the comment "And that's where it goes to the B". and I lost my freakin' mind. I screamed at him "TAKE A MUSIC CLASS ALREADY!!! This song is in Bb minor. There is no B in a Bb minor scale. It NEVER goes to the B. It DOES go to a B FLAT. Those are not the same thing. You don't know how hard it is to be here when you don't speak music!"

But that's just me. LOL!

Remember, as has been discussed to death here, NONE of that is necessary for you to strum a guitar. It just makes it easier and for seekers of knowledge, more enjoyable. It's hard to answer questions like this without knowing what your endgame is and what level you are at. I honestly don't even know what you really mean by "memorize chord progressions". That's all part of the circle of 5th topic. If your ear can hear a 4th and a 5th, no matter what the root is, then you already know how. But the difference between the root and 4th, when the root is a C and the 4th is an F is going to sound very different from the difference when the root is an Ab and the 4th is Dd. The start note doesn't really matter, and if you can only recognize the interval when the root note is a C, no list in the world will teach you much. I'd start here. Start with the basic one, then move to the expanded. It will really help you with understanding what is behind ear interval training.