EarMaster’s scale identification test.
EarMaster is a well-established name in the realm of ear training, having been around for the past 20 years, and the company have now launched a version of their eponymous software for the iPad.
The training is divided into four sections. Beginners Course provides a foundation in music theory that starts with the concept of pitch and progresses through topics including rhythm, intervals, triads and harmonic progressions. The General Workshops section allows you to dive straight into a number of graded exercises covering intervals, chords, scales, rhythm and melody, while the Jazz Workshops and Customized Exercise sections provide more advanced material covering the same areas.
The emphasis is on practical exercises, with the amount of written material presented kept to a minimum. But links are provided to a large quantity of accompanying online theory should you want some bedtime reading. These exercises fall into various types. For some, you’re required to sing into the microphone so that EarMaster can judge your ability to copy an interval or a melody. For instance, you might be presented with a note on a staff, which is played back, and then asked to sing a Major Sixth. The app will display and play the note you sang, identify the interval, and keep your score. And with some of the sight-singing exercises, EarMaster will draw a line showing how accurate your tuning is alongside the notes as you sing, a bit like Graphical mode in Auto-Tune. Likewise, with the rhythm imitation exercises, the app provides markers to show precise information about your timing as well as notating and evaluating what you play back to it. Another type of question requires you to transcribe rhythms and melodies onto a staff using a simple toolkit which allows you to add, edit and delete different notes and rests. This is a little more confusing at first but gets easier with practice.
Everything is clearly explained, and it’s always a simple matter to repeat a question, bring up help, play back your answer, or try again, so you’re never left unsure about what you’re meant to be doing. The Settings section allows you to customise the app in various ways, for instance to match your vocal range or choose the preferred instrument sound for playback.
After browsing the Beginners Course, I spent some time with the Scale Identification exercises. This certainly sharpened my ability to recognise the various modes, as well as giving me a new appreciation of the Locrian, which, if I’m honest, I’d previously regarded as fairly weird and unnecessary.
EarMaster is available to download with various free sample modules, while additional content can be added via in-app purchases, so it’s easy to check it out before you reach for your wallet. If you decide to dig deeper, the sections are reasonably priced, with the Beginners Course currently available for £2.29$2.99, or the General Workshops for £8.99$11.99. Individual subsections are also available for a smaller cost.
There’s a lot of material on offer here, and it would take some time to plumb the depths of it. Overall, it’s a great way to develop your singing skills and sharpen your musical wits when you have some time to spare.
Free with in-app purchases.