Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Learn to hear melodies accurately through this unique training method. Read below to get the most out of this video!
Instructions:
The numbers you see are called "scale degrees". If you do not understand what scale degrees are, I suggest you watch the first portion of my other video, Sonofield User Guide, before this:
youtu.be/EU4bV0zE4pk?si=rrFH3seE8sH-SmnB&t=234
In this video, the low droning bass note is the tonic (home note) of the key, which is G in this case, and the visualizer shows the melodic contour and scale degrees of the flute melody in relation to this tonic. The three blue lines (bottom, middle, and top) represent the tonic or "1" in three octaves, with the degrees of the major scale between them.
Simply watch the visualizer and remain conscious of the degrees (the numbers) that are being played as you hear the melody. This is similar to watching movies in a foreign language with subtitles on - your mind will begin to make associations between the sounds you hear, the feeling-states you experience, and the numbers you see, automatically. This leads to being able to identify scale degrees in real-time in actual music, allowing you to understand what you hear quickly and easily.
If you have done work with scale degree recognition before, like in my app Sonofield Ear Trainer, then you should simply listen without watching the video and do your best to follow the melody by ear as a kind of quiz. When you're confused or stuck, reference the video to get back on track.
The colouring of the degrees was initially inspired by the work of Stephen Malinowski ("smalin" on YouTube) and is also the same palette used in my Sonofield app, which means the associations made in the app will be applicable here and vice versa.
To develop your ear further, I highly recommend checking out Sonofield for your mobile device here:
sonofield.com/get/ear-trainer/07
—————————
Musical Warp Drive, my series of courses on theory and composition, is available now on Udemy! Check it out here:
- Music Theory Fundamentals, Mind & Ear Training: maxkonyi.com/mwd1
- Melody, Scales & Modes: maxkonyi.com/mwd2
- Chord Progressions & Harmony for Composition: maxkonyi.com/mwd3
By using these specific links, you are supporting me most directly 🙏🏼
Join the Sonic Sorcery Discord server! A supportive community of musicians and producers. Ask questions, get feedback, and participate in weekly production challenges:
sonic-sorcery.com
—————————
Chordwatch - the app that displays my keyboard and chord names - can be purchased here:
gumroad.com/a/909907059
—————————
Visit my website to learn more about me and explore the content I offer:
maxkonyi.com
Learn to hear melodies accurately through this unique training method. Read below to get the most out of this video!
Instructions:
The numbers you see are called "scale degrees". If you do not understand what scale degrees are, I suggest you watch the first portion of my other video, Sonofield User Guide, before this:
youtu.be/EU4bV0zE4pk?si=rrFH3seE8sH-SmnB&t=234
In this video, the low droning bass note is the tonic (home note) of the key, which is G in this case, and the visualizer shows the melodic contour and scale degrees of the flute melody in relation to this tonic. The three blue lines (bottom, middle, and top) represent the tonic or "1" in three octaves, with the degrees of the major scale between them.
Simply watch the visualizer and remain conscious of the degrees (the numbers) that are being played as you hear the melody. This is similar to watching movies in a foreign language with subtitles on - your mind will begin to make associations between the sounds you hear, the feeling-states you experience, and the numbers you see, automatically. This leads to being able to identify scale degrees in real-time in actual music, allowing you to understand what you hear quickly and easily.
If you have done work with scale degree recognition before, like in my app Sonofield Ear Trainer, then you should simply listen without watching the video and do your best to follow the melody by ear as a kind of quiz. When you're confused or stuck, reference the video to get back on track.
The colouring of the degrees was initially inspired by the work of Stephen Malinowski ("smalin" on YouTube) and is also the same palette used in my Sonofield app, which means the associations made in the app will be applicable here and vice versa.
To develop your ear further, I highly recommend checking out Sonofield for your mobile device here:
sonofield.com/get/ear-trainer/07
—————————
Musical Warp Drive, my series of courses on theory and composition, is available now on Udemy! Check it out here:
- Music Theory Fundamentals, Mind & Ear Training: maxkonyi.com/mwd1
- Melody, Scales & Modes: maxkonyi.com/mwd2
- Chord Progressions & Harmony for Composition: maxkonyi.com/mwd3
By using these specific links, you are supporting me most directly 🙏🏼
Join the Sonic Sorcery Discord server! A supportive community of musicians and producers. Ask questions, get feedback, and participate in weekly production challenges:
sonic-sorcery.com
—————————
Chordwatch - the app that displays my keyboard and chord names - can be purchased here:
gumroad.com/a/909907059
—————————
Visit my website to learn more about me and explore the content I offer:
maxkonyi.com
