Aural Trainer support

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Feedback Functions

Some tests provide different feedback tools for self-assessment:

We offer some useful advice below to enable you to make best use of each element of Aural Trainer.

Rhythm and Pulse

Take a moment before starting and watch the instructions carefully during the exercise. The switch to either rhythm or pulse is displayed two bars before you need to change your response.

Pulse and Metre

Start tapping within two bars of the piece starting to have a chance of getting all the beats correct. You can tap anywhere on the screen but try to stay on the same spot on the screen. Don't leap about too much.

Echoes and Melodic Repetition

Echoes and Melodic Repetition are not auto-assessed, but the exercises provide excellent tools to help self-assessment using a combination of useful feedback mechanisms.

Come in promptly to keep in time. In Echoes, the gap between the phrases is exactly the right length if you start and sing each phrase in time.

Differences

Press the blue button as soon as you hear the change. The extracts are very short so you need to press this very quickly to confirm you heard the change in the correct place.

At Grade 2 and Grade 3 practise with the preparatory tasks Change in pitch and Change in rhythm for a while, before moving on to Differences so that you can get used to the response buttons.

Sight-singing (Grades 1-5)

Sing confidently into the microphone of your device to ensure better pitch detection. Using headphones with a built-in microphone will reduce ambient noise and increase pitch detection reliability.

You can sing the notes at any octave but the app needs to identify which octave by analysing the first note you sing. If this first note is not recognised as a pitch (e.g. some background noise was recorded instead of a pitch) the remaining notes will not be detected.

The tuner is quite sensitive. Remember that if you disagree with the tuner (auto assessment) use the self-assessment tools to check for yourself. We are continuing to develop the quality of the Sight-singing tuner.

Use the preparatory tasks to warm up and approach the practice exercise.

Sight-singing (Grades 6-8)

At Grades 6-8 Sight-singing uses audio recording and synchronisation to let you hear yourself back with the accompaniment or with the correct response. Keep in time with the accompaniment when you sing so that you are able to review your pitch and rhythm more clearly.

Musical Features

The text phrases presented are not exhaustive and some are quite subjective. Over time you will begin to notice patterns in the description of different musical features. They are just suggestions – in an exam you may use any description that is appropriate.

Don't worry about trying questions again. The app is a trainer and is designed to encourage repeat attempts to help you develop your aural skills. It is not an exam application. If you are finding Musical Features difficult try listening to the extract once before attempting to respond to the features.

Rhythmic Repetition

This is often a difficult exercise. The metronome click is there to help the app track the timing of your tapped response. Remember there is no metronome click in the exam.

Is there a version available for Android devices?

We cannot, at this stage, confirm for definite when an Android release might be available or provide any further information about potential compatibility for specific devices.

Is there a version available for desktop and laptop computers?

Aural Trainer was built specifically as a mobile app. The design of the application and its exercises is founded on use of mobile and touch-screen technology, both of which enable the patterns of use and types of interaction required for this particular mode of learning. In many cases, mobile and tablet apps are unique strands of technology that are quite distinct from desktop and laptop software.

In Differences sometimes a note gets longer but the application tells me the change was to a dotted rhythm. Why?

When identifying a change in rhythm the change to and from dotted rhythms can be a little ambiguous. For example, making an even rhythm dotted involves lengthening a note but also shortening another. The response expected by Aural Trainer is the one that best matches the ‘feel’ of the change in line with expected responses to be given in an exam.

I am sure I sang all the notes right in Sight-singing but the app thinks I got some/all of them wrong. Why?

There are a few possible reasons for Sight-singing misreading your sung notes.

You can sing the notes at any octave but the app needs to identify which octave by analysing the first note you sing. If this first note is not recognised as a pitch (e.g. some background noise was recorded instead of a pitch) the remaining notes will not be detected.

‘Leaping’ octaves can lead to incorrect feedback from the sight-singing exercises.

Ambient noise can affect the recording of any note. To reduce ambient noise problems:

• Try to reduce noise in the room to a minimum.
• Sing confidently into the microphone of your device to ensure better pitch detection.
• Using headphones with a built-in microphone will reduce ambient noise and increase pitch detection reliability.

Can I share Aural Trainer via Family Sharing?