Last few days I’ve been thinking about improvements to the ear trainer.

Current restrictions

Currently it generates tests from pre-selected melodies (for introducing scale sounds and tonality), or randomising interval(s) or chord(s) you specified.  But you can’t specify a specifc order of notes (as a melody) or specific order of chords (in a progression).  When listening to the correct choice and you choice (in a phrase or progression), you cannot hear it again without wrapping around through the phrase again.

Prototype fixing these.

So, I’ve added a rough version of creating your own melodies, and fixed the wrapping round issue.

1. Choose “User Melodies” from the Content Choice dropdown menu.
2. Create some notes on-“instrument” as usual (left-click) or choose a scale from Toolkit > Scale.
3. Select notes (one or more times) to build a melody
4. “Add” to set of melodies (currently empty as no file has been opened holding melodies)
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 as needed
6. Click “Interval choice completed”  (this will be renamed as I tidy up)
7. Click “Start” as usual, and one of the melodies is randomly chosen
8. Click out the intervals each note in the melody makes with the the tonal centre.  This can be via “instrument” in any octave, or via the interval button block
9. You can also navigate through the melody, note by note, to hear the correct note, and your choice, for comparison.  The < and > buttons do this.  (Previously you had to wrap arround to get back to the same place).
10. Click “Next” to hear another melody and repeat steps 9 nand 10.
11. “Save” to a file.

Another time, use “Open” to retrieve melodies from a file.  Thereafter “Add” can be used  to add more melodies.

 

Here is a short video showing the ear trainer now (it will become available shortly)

 

Still left

(Much) later on … do the same for user-built chord progressions.  Rhythm-X supports this, but for a very differet purpose, where the progressions can be looped, chords edited, tempo controlled, so you can practice improvisation, chord changes, add melodies on top, add bass and drums, and so on.  Doesn’t make sense for looping an ear test!!