ShacharHarshuv
commented
1 year ago I’m not clear how the “Notes with Chords”
Your description in correct. Do1 means the first scale degree as the "1st" of a chord (aka the I chord). Do3 means first scale degree as the "3rd" of a chord (aka the vi chord). For example, in C major you'll have:
- Do1 - melody note C, on chord C
- Do3 - melody note C on chord Am
- Do5 - melody note C, on chord F If you practice with only Do1, Do3, and Do5 you'll notice the melody note (highest, emphasize note) is always the tonic. But the global feeling will not always be of total rest, because the harmonic context changes how much tension the note have. In the case of Do5 for example, you will feel more tension (usually, you'll feel as if the "Tonic" wants to go to the leading tone, to complete a IV-V-I progression)
the answer buttons are defined as objects that can be dragged around the screen, rather than at fixed locations on the screen.
This is actually on purpose, to enable you to drag answers to their correct "place". For example - if you do a 3 note dictation, you can identify the second note before identifying the first note. The sensitivity of touch in your phone seems to be making this harder than it should be. I'm not sure what is the right way to "improve" this from the perspective of the app development, since I'm developing for a web view (HTML) and it's the hardware, OS and/or web engine responsibility to invoke the events based on user input.
I’m finding that the piano timbre somewhat colors — arguably confuses — the sonorities of the harmonies in ways that, say, a solo-violin/viola/‘cello sound, or an oboe/bassoon sound, or even a French-horn sound would not. Would it be possible to to add options to use other timbres in the exercises?
I agree, and I feel like you raise a valid concern in ear training in general. Even though you can still learn to identify melody in many other instruments using just piano sounds, it makes it slightly harder. There is actually already an open request for that: https://github.com/ShacharHarshuv/open-ear/issues/196. However, you should know, that I'm not actively making constant improvements to the app, and usually only add features that are relevant to my own specific needs in my education at the moment. (Given that they are simple enough). The idea of making it open source is that other people with other needs will be able to add new features themselves. So as for the moment I cannot provide any timeline as to when this feature will be available if at all. However - if you possess some programming skills (or know of someone that does) you can program it yourself, and I'll gladly review your code changes.
mr88cet
I’m enjoying the iOS (iPhone) app; thanks a bunch. However there’s a couple quirks about it that I’d like to report, along with a suggested enhancement.
First, even after reading the Help for it, I’m not clear how the “Notes with Chords” exercise works. It appears to be suggesting that I identify the emphasized pitch with solfège relative to the tonal center, and a number (1, 3 or 5) for which it is in the chord. In the first several such exercises, I’m given choices of Do1, Do3, and Do5, but the emphasized pitch clearly is not the tonic (Do), and it clearly changes when the tonic/key does not. (?)
Second, I’m finding the app hard to use if I place the iPhone on the table in front of me, rather than in my hands. I find that I have to hit a button several times before it registers. The problem appears to be that the answer buttons are defined as objects that can be dragged around the screen, rather than at fixed locations on the screen. If I tap the button with any even-extremely-slight movement in the plane of the screen, it misinterprets the gesture as an attempt to move the button around the screen rather than an attempt to tap that button.
My enhancement suggestion: Coming from an orchestral-instrument background, I’m finding that the piano timbre somewhat colors — arguably confuses — the sonorities of the harmonies in ways that, say, a solo-violin/viola/‘cello sound, or an oboe/bassoon sound, or even a French-horn sound would not. Would it be possible to to add options to use other timbres in the exercises?
Thanks again for the great ear-training tool!