We're excited to share the release of our latest Ear Training lesson: Major Scale Solfege/Scale Degrees.

This lesson is a beginner's introduction to solfege systems, stepwise dictation (with the first note given) and aurally identifying half steps and whole steps. It is also the first lesson from David Newman, our newest uTheory team member.

In this lesson, students learn how to:

  1. Sing a Major scale on Moveable Do solfege or scale degrees.
  2. Translate between Moveable Do solfege and scale degrees in Major.
  3. Match Kodály/Curwen hand signs to Moveable Do solfege.
  4. Transcribe short stepwise patterns, where the first note is given, using solfege or scale degrees.
  5. Aurally identify whether a note is or is not tonic.
  6. Identify where the half-steps and whole-steps are in a major scale.
  7. Aurally identify half-steps and whole-steps, played melodically.
An exercise in the lesson: Identifying Kodály/Curwen hand signs

This lesson also introduces several new skills, which as a teacher you may wish to enable by going to uTheory → Teach → Classes, clicking the (…) button, then clicking Choose Skills:

  1. Ear Training → Solfege:
    a. Major Scale Solfege
    b. Major Scale Hand Signs
    c. Natural Minor Solfege
    d. Natural Minor Hand Signs
    e. Harmonic Minor Solfege
    f. Harmonic Minor Hand Signs
    g. Melodic Minor Solfege
    h. Melodic Minor Hand Signs
  2. Ear Training → Multi-Note Degree ID:
    a. Stepwise motion in Major
    b. Stepwise motion in minor
  3. Ear Training → Scale-Degree ID:
    a. Recognizing Tonic (Is a note played tonic, or not?)

To try out this lesson, log in, then go to uTheory → Lessons and click "Major Scale Solfege" or "Major Scale Degrees" lesson under Ear Training. (The title will vary depending on your preferred method of solfege.)

If you're a teacher and don't see the lesson, be sure you're viewing uTheory as a teacher (click to make the professor's cap appear, as below), and refresh your browser to load the latest version of uTheory.

If you're a student and don't see the lesson, it's possible your teacher has not turned this lesson on for viewing yet.

To add this lesson to a class you teach, go to uTheory → Teach → Classes, and click the "..." on any of your classes, then click Choose Lessons. You'll find the lesson appears as either Major Scale Solfege or Major Scale Degrees in your list of lessons, depending on what solfege system you've selected for the class in the class settings.