Learn a song by ear: solo the part, slow it down, loop it
You can learn any song by ear far faster when you hear the part on its own, slow it down in the original key, and loop the phrase you are working on. StemConsole does all three in the browser with no install: upload the song, split it into stems, solo your instrument and get to work.
Splitting and soloing are free, and the first split needs no account. Slowing the whole song down is free in the speed and key player; slowing the soloed stem and named loops are Pro.
How to learn a song by ear
- 1
Upload the song
Drop an MP3, WAV, FLAC or M4A (up to 200MB) at stemconsole.ai. The first split needs no account.
- 2
Split it
Basic Split (free) gives vocals, drums, bass and other. Full Separation (Pro or a credit) adds guitar and piano if that is the part you are learning.
- 3
Map the form first
Play the song once and note the sections: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solo.
- 4
Solo and slow the part
Solo your stem. With Pro, drop Speed to three-quarters, or half for a fast run, with the pitch locked. Sing the phrase back before you play it.
- 5
Loop and write it down
Loop two bars at a time: rhythm first, then pitches, then check the roots against the bass stem. Write it down.
- 6
Play it with the band
Mute your stem and play the part with the original players. Bring the speed up to 100% and save the session with its loops.
The method, in more detail
Rhythm before pitch: most wrong notes are really wrong rhythms. Tap the phrase, sing it, then find the notes. If you can sing it accurately at half speed, your hands will follow.
Use the bass to anchor the harmony. Even for a melody, solo the bass for one pass: the roots tell you the chords, the chords tell you the scale, and the notes you cannot quite hear have only two or three candidates. The free Key & BPM Finder names the key before you start, which narrows them further.
Distrust what only appears at half speed. Time-stretching smears reverb tails, so a note you can only hear at half speed might be an artefact; check it nearer full speed before writing it down. And move the song to your instrument: if a horn line sits awkwardly on guitar, shift the key (Pro) to learn the shape, then shift back.
What to expect
Separation is very good on vocals, drums and bass, and good on guitar and piano. Parts that share a register, such as piano under rhythm guitar, can leak a little between stems, and backing vocals sometimes ride with the lead. Solo two stems together when a note seems to belong to nobody.
What is free and what is Pro
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Stems | Vocal Remover and 4-stem Basic Split | 6-stem Full Separation (adds guitar and piano) |
| Slow down | The whole song, 50% to 150%, pitch kept (free player) | Separate stems too |
| Looping | One A/B loop (free account) | Named loops, count-in, tap tempo |
| Change key | The whole song, 12 semitones either way (free player) | Separate stems too |
| Downloads | MP3 stems and MP3 mix bounces | WAV stems and bounces, including at a changed speed or key |
| Splits | 5 a month; first needs no account | 100 a month |
Pro is US$6.99 a month or US$49 a year. A US$1.99 credit buys one Full Separation, no practice tools, never expires. See plans.
Frequently asked questions
Does slowing down change the pitch?
No. Speed and Pitch are independent, so the part stays in the original key at half speed. The free speed and key player slows the whole song; slowing the soloed stem on its own is Pro.
Which split should I use?
Basic Split (free) is enough for singers, bassists and drummers. For guitar or piano parts, use Full Separation for a dedicated stem.
Does it work on MP3 files?
Yes. MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, OGG and AAC up to 200MB. Higher bitrates separate more cleanly.
Can I save my loops and settings?
Yes. Saved sessions in My songs remember your mix, speed and loop. Pro adds named loops, one per section if you like.
Is it free?
Uploading, splitting and soloing are free, with 5 splits a month, and the speed and key player slows a whole song free. Slow-down and key change on the soloed stem, and named loops, are Pro at US$6.99 a month or US$49 a year.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in the mobile browser with nothing to install. Use headphones so you can hear the detail.
Compared with Transcribe!, YouTube and chord-detection apps
| Transcribe! | YouTube | Chord apps | StemConsole | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hear one instrument alone | No, EQ only | No | No | Yes, solo any stem |
| Slow down in the original key | Yes | Yes, coarse steps | Sometimes | Yes: the whole song free, the soloed stem with Pro |
| Loop a phrase | Yes, precise | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| Tells you the notes | No, you do | No | Chords, often approximate | No, you do |
| Cost | One-off licence | Free | Subscription | Free split; Pro US$6.99 a month |
More tools compared, with prices and platforms: the best apps to learn songs by ear, Transcribe! alternatives, Chordify alternatives and Capo alternatives.
Related guides and tools
Transcribe a bass line
Solo the bass in any song and write the line down.
Slow down a song without changing pitch
Learn fast passages at a comfortable speed without changing the key, free in your browser.
Loop a section of a song
Repeat a phrase until it sits under your fingers. Basic looping is free; named loops need Pro.
Change the key of a song
Move a song into your range without changing the speed, free in your browser.
Practise guitar with a backing track
Mute the guitar in any song and play the part yourself.
How to learn any bassline by ear
From the blog. Solo the bass, learn it phrase by phrase, then play with the band.
Key & BPM Finder
Find a song’s key and tempo free, right in your browser.
Online metronome
Accents, subdivisions, tap BPM and a speed trainer, free in your browser.
Written by Dan Murtagh, mixing engineer and audio educator. Updated 3 October 2026.