Dictation and Solfège

The two identifications everything else in ear training rests on. Hearing differences rather than absolute pitches, and following a procedure that decides one distinction at a time.

Tools used in this lesson: Ear Training

Practice at hearing how a passage ends. Is the last chord the tonic, is the one before it the dominant, does the soprano land on the tonic? Three questions narrow five cadence types down.

Tools used in this lesson: Cadence Trainer / Ear Training

A procedure for writing down a melody you have heard. Rather than filling in one note at a time from the beginning, secure the skeleton first and fill the gaps afterward - including how to tie leaps to the underlying harmony.

Tools used in this lesson: Dictation Trainer

A procedure for transcribing four-voice progressions. Why the bass comes first, how function narrows the candidates, and what it means to write the answer in Roman numerals.

Tools used in this lesson: Dictation Trainer

Transcribing rhythm with pitch set aside. The procedure of counting beats while judging subdivisions, and the notation conventions that keep the beats visible on the page.

Tools used in this lesson: Rhythm Ear Training