Learn Chinese with Songs
Rhythmic Mandarin
From The Third Ear · by Chris Lonsdale
The complete course — three volumes, 950+ core words & phrases.
Learn Mandarin with music — effortlessly, anytime, anywhere. Just listen, and the most useful Mandarin moves into your long-term memory on its own. All three volumes, in one web edition.
New to Mandarin? Start on the Learn Mandarin Chinese page.
Why it works
Six principles that make Mandarin easy to absorb — and hard to forget.
Word groups, not word lists
You learn the phrases that actually appear together in real life — the logical chunks you’ll meet on the street, not isolated vocabulary.
20–50%
Music & rhythm
Presented as Mandarin songs, your brain relaxes and absorbs. Research on accelerated learning shows a 20–50% jump in words remembered.
Memory hooks
Funny, vivid links tie new Mandarin sounds to things you already know in English — built for 60%+ of the content, so the words lodge in long-term memory.
Starting with what you know
You hear the English first, then the Mandarin — so instead of guessing, you relax into noticing exactly how the language is put together.
Mandarin logic, made obvious
The English is often phrased using Mandarin’s own word order. It sounds odd for a second — then the grammar just clicks, with no rules to memorise.
A rational overview
Bonus material gives the adult learner the big picture of how Mandarin fits together — plus the tips that help you skip the most common beginner mistakes.
What’s inside
Three volumes — from your first taxi ride to real conversation.
Three volumes of easy Chinese songs, built to be learned by ear. Each volume builds on the last: survive, then socialise, then express yourself. Every volume includes a welcome from Chris, bonus Memory Hooks, printable phrase books to download any time, and native-speaker recordings throughout.
Vol 1 · 230+ words
Get going
The daily essentials to find your feet: taxis, ordering food, numbers, prices, directions, the phone, and asking for help.
Vol 2 · 370+ words
Get talking
Everyday life and real interaction: greetings, time and dates, buying tickets, travel and holidays, and talking about people and plans.
Vol 3 · 350+ words
Get expressive
Nuance and emotion: emergencies, empathy and care, encouragement, exaggeration — plus vocab builders for opposites and people.
- Printable phrase books included — download any time
- Recorded by native speakers
- Bonus “Memory Hooks” programs
- Developed by accelerated-learning experts
- 950+ core words & phrases in total
Press play. In 42 seconds you’ll be saying “left,” “right,” and “turn left” in Mandarin — without trying to memorise anything.
Perfect for the busy learner
Absorb Mandarin while you walk, cook, or commute.
Learn Mandarin with songs playing in the background: simply enjoy the music and let new words and phrases soak in while you're jogging, waiting, or driving. Never again will you wish, "I'd learn Mandarin if only I had the time."
Don't take our word for it
It really works.
"Infectious!"
— G. Andrew Work · Executive Director, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
"A fun and easy way to help you master the absolute essentials for getting by on the streets — it really works!"
— Prof. David Santandreu · Linguistics expert, City University of Hong Kong
Get started today
The complete Rhythmic Mandarin course.
$47
One payment · all three volumes · 18-month online access
The three volumes originally sold for over US$85 on CD. Now they're one web edition — with all the guidance and memory hooks — for $47.
- All three volumes — 950+ core words & phrases
- A welcome from Chris + bonus Memory Hooks programs
- Full online access for 18 months — one payment, no subscription
- Printable phrase books included — yours to download & keep
- Native-speaker recordings across every volume
- Delivered instantly in your Speech Genie account — listen on any device
14-day money-back guarantee — if it's not for you, email us within 14 days for a full refund.
Rapid progress & satisfaction guaranteed.