Melodic Ear Training

Melodic ear training is the art of recognizing notes played sequentially. It is the core skill required to hear a solo on the radio and immediately play it back on your instrument.

The Building Blocks of Melody

Every melody in existence is simply a series of melodic intervals. If you can accurately identify the distance from Note 1 to Note 2, and Note 2 to Note 3, you can transcribe any melody in the world.

Ascending vs Descending

A common trap is only practicing ascending (upward) melodies. The human brain processes downward pitch movement differently. You must practice both!

In BananaTone's settings, make sure the Interval Direction is set to "Mixed" so you are constantly challenged by both upward and downward leaps.

The Song Association Method

The fastest way to learn melodic intervals is to map them to famous melodies. For example, an ascending Perfect 4th is the start of "Here Comes the Bride", while a descending Minor 3rd is the start of "Hey Jude". Use these mental hooks during your practice sessions.

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