Play it By Ear

For more information on Play it By Ear, including a demo, visit our web site at http://KellysMusicAndComputers.com/savemoney.asp?c=1611.  Play it By Ear is only available for DOS or Windows.

Made by the same company as Rhythm Ace, Play it By Ear focuses on melodic training.  It can be used with virtually all ages and ranges from very simple to quite challenging, along with the ability to customize each level.

Activities

Activities include aural dictation for: melody, intervals, chords (up to 13ths) and scales (all modes, etc.)  You can use the on-screen keyboard, or a MIDI keyboard to play back what you hear.  Note that there is no written component to this program – there is no written dictation.  There are also exercises for the identification of interval, chord and scale identity.  In these exercises, Play it By Ear will play an item and ask you to select its identity from the list.  Although you can choose to include all inversions in the chord identification, it does not require that you name the inversion.

Levels

Each activity includes six skill levels, with the option of customizing each level.  This is beneficial if you need to practice certain intervals, chords or scales.

Summary

The melodies in Play it By Ear are randomly generated using the scale degrees you specify.  There is no sense of underlying harmony or cadence.  Play it By Ear simply plays the scale degrees you select.  This can be great for atonal dictation, but not as beneficial to beginners.  Another complaint regarding the melodies is that they are all quarter notes – there are no rhythmic variances.

The real advantage of Play it By Ear is the ease in which specific intervals, scales and chords can be practiced – perfect for exam preparation.