8.23 Melodic deviation

The purpose of this exercise is to learn to hear the difference between two melodies. One melody is played and the other melody is notated. The melody played deviates from the notated melody, by only one tone. Discover the wrongly played note.

Exercise melodic deviation

Ear Training exercise 8a: melodic deviation. Being able to hear a wrongly played note.

Example question

In the next melodie a wrong note is played:

Question 1: which note is played incorrectly?

Question 2: fill in the name of the note that is being played.

Practical steps

Sing the notated melody to train your inner hearing abilties. Pay particular attention to:

• the tonic of the melody.
• the ascending and descending shape of the melody.
• small or large skips in the melody.
• the use of triads.
• identical notes.
• the leading tone, especially in a minor key.

Then play the melody and notice that:

1. the tonic F# (minor) is being played in the first, second and fourth measure (try to remember how this note sounds).
2. in the first measure, the root is notated twice.
3. in the first measure, try to hear if the triad F# - A - C# is being played. The second F# is not the tonic and is the wrong note being played.
4. on the fourth beat in the first measure, the third A is being played.

Answer 1: the wrong note being played is the note on the fourth beat in the first measure, F#.

Answer 2: an A is being played.