Functional Ear Trainer
based on the Alain Benbassat Method
Is anyone familiar with this app?
I can play a few dozen songs, and can jam along to some blues, but I really want to expand my understanding of Musical Theory, and I found this app which has really great reviews, and should teach you to identify notes by ear (I assume that's the point of it). I'll post the "Tutorial Instructions" in a spoiler below, for those kind souls who may not be aware of the ap, but would like to help anyway.
This is word for word, from the tutorial:
Okay. Now on to the actual app. I select the "C Major (1 octave) option. Press start.
A piano plays bum-bum-bum-bum-blah (5 notes). There are four boxes I am supposed to pick from, labeled 1 2 3 4
Okay .... so what exactly does this ap want from me? If I press the "Play the correct answer" button, it plays four other notes, and lights up 4 3 2 1 in that order. Okay – I thought I was supposed to be playing which note comes next in the scale – not multiple notes?? I am really really confused. If I press 4 it says I am correct, but not why .... And sometimes, when pressing the Play the Correct Answer button, it will play 2 notes or 3 .... And it's not telling what the notes are ... so I really don't understand how I am supposed to learn? And sometimes, I will guess right by accident, by just pressing one number. There are twenty 'questions' in the first found, and every single one of them plays the same piano bum-bum-bum-bum-blah; I guess the -blah- is different on each, except there are only 12 notes, not 20??
I really want to learn how to use this app, so many people have so many good things to say about it, and I really want to expand my knowledge of musical theory! (I would LOVE to be able know what key a song is being played in, for example)
Thanks for reading all of this, any advice anyone offers is greatly appreciated.
based on the Alain Benbassat Method
Is anyone familiar with this app?
I can play a few dozen songs, and can jam along to some blues, but I really want to expand my understanding of Musical Theory, and I found this app which has really great reviews, and should teach you to identify notes by ear (I assume that's the point of it). I'll post the "Tutorial Instructions" in a spoiler below, for those kind souls who may not be aware of the ap, but would like to help anyway.
This is word for word, from the tutorial:
There are 12 notes: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#,B
The interval between two adjacent notes is called a semitone [C..C#, D#..E, B..C, etc]
*okay, I'm lost already – There is nothing between a C and a C#, so we are measuring zero? I don't get it...
A tone is an interval of 2 semitones [C..D, F..G,E..F#, etc]
*what?
A Scale is a set of notes. This set is defined by some interval pattern. For example, a major scale is defined by the interval pattern: tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.
*Okay, this, I understand! Except when I do it in my head, I say whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. Don't know where I picked that up from, probably some book two decades ago ...
Lets build a major scale based on C:
C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
Here is a major scale based on G:
G major: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G
A melody in the key of C major consists mainly only of these 7 notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B
As another example, a melody in the key of G major consists mainly only of these 7 notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#
*Got it!
To make it really easy, let's represent a major scale with numbers:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1
These are scale tones (or scale degrees).
Same scale tones in different keys sound practically the same. In other words, they have the same function. Eg, the 3rd tone in a C major melody (the E note) and the 3rd tone i a G major melody (the B note) sound very similar.
*Wait. What? Isn't the point of this to help me tell the difference between different notes? I mean, I'm not in a band right now, but when I was, the guitarist would certainly know if I played a B instead of an E . . . .
Alain's method teaches us to distinguish tones in the context of a key.
The 1st tone (the tonic) is fundamental. Hearing the tonic gives us a sense of stability. It feels like 'home'. Other tones tend to resolve into the nearest tonic.
1<-2<-3<-4 5->6->7->1
*Okay, so I guess tonic is another word for Root. But I have no idea what is meant by resolve into the nearest tonic (root).
This app contains levels with questions. Each question starts with a cadence (the basic I-IV-V-I chord progression that establishes the "sound" of the current key in your head). Simply listen to it.
*Okay, so now we have switched from numbers to roman numerals, not sure why, but fine.
After that, some tone is played. Your task is to guess what it is and to press the corresponding tonal button.
After your correct answer, the tone resolves into the nearest tonic.
Frequent listening to such resolutions helps you to identify and memorize personalities of each tone (in the context of a key). It is helpful to sing along with the resolutions.
In the First levels you will practice only in the key of C major.
Then, in the "Not-C" levels, you will practice in one random key different from C major. This is the trickiest part. Just practice regularly, and one day you will be surprised that tones in other major keys sound practically the same as in C major.
*practically the same? Shouldn't the same tone sound exactly the same, regardless of what scale you are playing?
The interval between two adjacent notes is called a semitone [C..C#, D#..E, B..C, etc]
*okay, I'm lost already – There is nothing between a C and a C#, so we are measuring zero? I don't get it...
A tone is an interval of 2 semitones [C..D, F..G,E..F#, etc]
*what?
A Scale is a set of notes. This set is defined by some interval pattern. For example, a major scale is defined by the interval pattern: tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone.
*Okay, this, I understand! Except when I do it in my head, I say whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. Don't know where I picked that up from, probably some book two decades ago ...
Lets build a major scale based on C:
C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
Here is a major scale based on G:
G major: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G
A melody in the key of C major consists mainly only of these 7 notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B
As another example, a melody in the key of G major consists mainly only of these 7 notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#
*Got it!
To make it really easy, let's represent a major scale with numbers:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1
These are scale tones (or scale degrees).
Same scale tones in different keys sound practically the same. In other words, they have the same function. Eg, the 3rd tone in a C major melody (the E note) and the 3rd tone i a G major melody (the B note) sound very similar.
*Wait. What? Isn't the point of this to help me tell the difference between different notes? I mean, I'm not in a band right now, but when I was, the guitarist would certainly know if I played a B instead of an E . . . .
Alain's method teaches us to distinguish tones in the context of a key.
The 1st tone (the tonic) is fundamental. Hearing the tonic gives us a sense of stability. It feels like 'home'. Other tones tend to resolve into the nearest tonic.
1<-2<-3<-4 5->6->7->1
*Okay, so I guess tonic is another word for Root. But I have no idea what is meant by resolve into the nearest tonic (root).
This app contains levels with questions. Each question starts with a cadence (the basic I-IV-V-I chord progression that establishes the "sound" of the current key in your head). Simply listen to it.
*Okay, so now we have switched from numbers to roman numerals, not sure why, but fine.
After that, some tone is played. Your task is to guess what it is and to press the corresponding tonal button.
After your correct answer, the tone resolves into the nearest tonic.
Frequent listening to such resolutions helps you to identify and memorize personalities of each tone (in the context of a key). It is helpful to sing along with the resolutions.
In the First levels you will practice only in the key of C major.
Then, in the "Not-C" levels, you will practice in one random key different from C major. This is the trickiest part. Just practice regularly, and one day you will be surprised that tones in other major keys sound practically the same as in C major.
*practically the same? Shouldn't the same tone sound exactly the same, regardless of what scale you are playing?
Okay. Now on to the actual app. I select the "C Major (1 octave) option. Press start.
A piano plays bum-bum-bum-bum-blah (5 notes). There are four boxes I am supposed to pick from, labeled 1 2 3 4
Okay .... so what exactly does this ap want from me? If I press the "Play the correct answer" button, it plays four other notes, and lights up 4 3 2 1 in that order. Okay – I thought I was supposed to be playing which note comes next in the scale – not multiple notes?? I am really really confused. If I press 4 it says I am correct, but not why .... And sometimes, when pressing the Play the Correct Answer button, it will play 2 notes or 3 .... And it's not telling what the notes are ... so I really don't understand how I am supposed to learn? And sometimes, I will guess right by accident, by just pressing one number. There are twenty 'questions' in the first found, and every single one of them plays the same piano bum-bum-bum-bum-blah; I guess the -blah- is different on each, except there are only 12 notes, not 20??
I really want to learn how to use this app, so many people have so many good things to say about it, and I really want to expand my knowledge of musical theory! (I would LOVE to be able know what key a song is being played in, for example)
Thanks for reading all of this, any advice anyone offers is greatly appreciated.
