Scale degree ear training: build your relative pitch
To play a song by ear, recognizing isolated intervals isn't enough: you need to know what role each note plays in the key. That's recognizing scale degrees. In this exercise a cadence sets the key, a note plays, and you identify it by playing it on the keyboard.
How it works
- A cadence (I–IV–V–I) establishes the key.
- A note from the scale plays.
- Play it on the on-screen keyboard or your MIDI keyboard. Get it right and you move on; if not, the app tells you which degree you played so you can compare.
The right note counts in any octave: what matters is the degree, not where you play it.
Where to start
First enable only degrees 1 (do), 3 (mi) and 5 (sol), the notes of the tonic chord. They're the most stable and the easiest to lock in. Once you recognize them without hesitating, add 2, 4, 6 and 7, the tension notes.
What relative pitch is and why it matters
Relative pitch is the ability to recognize a note by its relationship to the tonic. Functional ear training methods, like Alain Benbassat's, are built on this idea: hearing "that's the 5" rather than "that's a G". It's the skill musicians use to play by ear, transcribe and pick up songs quickly.
Once single degrees feel solid, move on to melodic dictation, which strings them into short melodies.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a MIDI keyboard?
No. You can click the on-screen keyboard. If you have a MIDI keyboard, turn it on in Settings; it works in Chrome and Edge.
Do I need perfect pitch?
No. This trains relative pitch, which anyone can learn with practice and is what's actually used to play by ear.
What's the difference between scale degrees and intervals?
An interval measures the distance between any two notes; a scale degree tells you where a note sits within the key. Degrees give you context, which is why they help more with picking out melodies.
More c4nta exercises
- Vocal warm-up — a guided routine to warm up your voice before singing or recording.
- Vocal pitch monitor — see the note you sing in real time and whether you are sharp or flat.
- Pitch matching exercises — hear a note, sing it and hold it inside the target band.
- Interval ear training — hear two notes and sing them, from a minor second to an octave.
- Melodic dictation — hear a short melody and play it back note by note.
- Karaoke pitch trainer — sing a melody with a piano guide and get a pitch accuracy score.