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Start here: how to learn with Earchemy

The goal is to hear where a note sits in the key — then use that in singing, playing and writing music.

Know what you're training

Functional ear training uses the tonic as the reference point and identifies each melody note's role in the key. A scale degree is a relative position — you don't need perfect pitch to name a key on the piano, and the same relationships stay audible after transposing.

Your first week

Start with major scale degrees in chapter 1. First hear the key-setting chords or phrase and find “home” in your head; then hear the question, think or quietly sing it, and choose a key. Keep one key at first and tell a few degrees apart; once a small group is solid, widen the pool, then add several octaves and new keys. Don't switch on every degree from day one.

What to do after a wrong answer

Only the correct answer is played back automatically, so wrong notes don't get reinforced. Listen again to how the correct note relates to the tonic, then try again. Your first answer is what's scored — corrections don't inflate accuracy. If you don't pass, retry the lesson; a lesson is marked “stable” only after two passing rounds in a row.

Doable every day — and real learning

Daily goals are based on learning outcomes: passing a lesson, making a lesson stable, getting the same item solid across two rounds, or correctly reviewing due items. Random tapping earns nothing. Choose Light, Standard or Advanced to match your energy — stopping once you hit the goal is great. When you're tired, pause and pick it up tomorrow.

Suggested order

Major scale degrees → short melodies → melodic dictation and playing back on the keys → minor scale degrees → chord qualities → diatonic chords and progressions → finding the key. Chromatic notes and other modes are electives; the home page keeps you on your current course. The Review page handles due items, and the mistake book handles things you tend to confuse.

References: Functional Ear Trainer · Miles.be · Puget Sound · Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom · musictheory.net · Lessons