Ear training exercises

{{whyLabel}}: Functional ear training helps you recognize notes relative to a key center, which is how music actually works in real-world scenarios.

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• Download Functional Ear Trainer (based on the Alain Benbassat method) or Perfect Ear (available on iOS/Android).
• For a desktop open-source alternative, install GNU Solfege.
• Set up a daily reminder within the app for a 15-minute session.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: The app is installed and the first introductory level is completed.

{{whyLabel}}: Solfège (Do, Re, Mi...) provides a mental map for the relationship between notes in any key.

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• Memorize the syllables for the major scale: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do.
• Understand that 'Do' is always the tonic (the home note) regardless of the starting pitch.
• Practice saying the syllables out loud while visualizing a keyboard or fretboard.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You can recite the major scale syllables forward and backward without hesitation.

{{whyLabel}}: Having a structured curriculum prevents 'exercise fatigue' and provides professional guidance.

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• Obtain this book or a similar Berklee Press guide like 'Beginning Ear Training' by Gilson Schachnik.
• Focus on the first chapter regarding 'Hearing the Tonic'.
• Use the accompanying audio tracks to test your initial baseline.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: The book is ready and the first chapter's concepts are understood.

{{whyLabel}}: This trains your brain to hear the 'color' of each scale degree relative to the tonic.

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• Open your app and select 'Major Scale' levels.
• Listen to the 'Cadence' (the I-IV-V-I chords) to establish the key.
• Identify the random note played by its scale degree number (1 through 7).

{{doneWhenLabel}}: 10 minutes of active practice completed with at least 80% accuracy.

{{whyLabel}}: Intervals are the building blocks of melodies; reference songs make them instantly recognizable.

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• Use 'Star Wars' for a Perfect 5th, 'Jaws' for a Minor 2nd, and 'When the Saints Go Marching In' for a Major 3rd.
• Practice identifying these intervals in isolation using the app's 'Interval' mode.
• Focus on ascending intervals first, then move to descending.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You can correctly identify 5 consecutive intervals using your reference songs.

{{whyLabel}}: If you can sing it, you can hear it. Singing creates a physical connection to the pitch.

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• Play a root note on your instrument or app.
• Sing the major scale using Solfège syllables.
• Try 'Interval Jumps': Sing Do-Mi (Maj 3rd), Do-Sol (Perf 5th), then Do-Ti (Maj 7th).

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You have sung the major scale and at least three different intervals in tune.

{{whyLabel}}: Transcription is the ultimate ear training exercise as it combines rhythm, pitch, and context.

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• Choose a simple melody like 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' or 'Happy Birthday'.
• Find the starting note on your instrument.
• Figure out the rest of the melody note-by-note without looking at sheet music.
• Write it down using basic notation or 'scale degree numbers'.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: The full melody is written down or played back perfectly on your instrument.

{{whyLabel}}: Most popular music is built on these three chords; recognizing them allows you to play along with thousands of songs.

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• Listen to a simple 3-chord song (e.g., 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley).
• Focus on the bass note to identify the root movement.
• Use the app's 'Chord Progression' mode to practice hearing the difference between a I-IV-V and a I-V-vi-IV progression.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You can correctly identify the chord changes in one simple song.

{{whyLabel}}: This simulates real-world performance where you must react to other musicians instantly.

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• Use a 'backing track' or a friend to play a short 3-4 note phrase.
• Immediately play the phrase back on your instrument without searching for notes.
• Increase the length and complexity of the phrases as you improve.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: You can accurately repeat 5 different 4-note phrases in real-time.

{{whyLabel}}: Dictation proves that your internal ear can translate sound into formal musical data.

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• Use the 'Melodic Dictation' module in EarMaster or TonedEar.com.
• Listen to a 2-bar melody twice.
• Notate the rhythm first, then fill in the pitches.
• Check your work against the answer key.

{{doneWhenLabel}}: One 2-bar melody is correctly notated with 100% pitch and rhythm accuracy.