Stackapella Open the app

A Plus course · 17 lessons

Hear it, then sing it.

Hear how far apart two notes are, whether a chord is major or minor, and where home is, then sing it back. You start from leaps you already carry in songs you know, and every lesson ends in singing.

  • 17 lessons, 3 to 4 minutes each
  • Every lesson ends in singing
  • No reading music

Try the first lesson free See the lessons

Your life list

By the end, you can

  1. Hear and sing leaps of three, four and five, from songs you already know.

  2. Tell half steps from whole steps, big threes from small, and up from down.

  3. Hear whether a chord is major or minor, and sing the third that decides it.

  4. Feel where home is, and sing a chord's root, the way a bass does.

The field guide

Leaps you already carry

You don't start from theory. You start from the openings of songs you know, each one a leap, and keep each leap with its song.

Plate 1

A leap of threeOh When the SaintsFrom "Oh" up to "when": do to mi.

Plate 2

A leap of fourAmazing GraceFrom "A-" up to "-ma-": so below to do.

Plate 3

A leap of fiveTwinkle, TwinkleFrom the first "-kle" up to the next "twin-": do to so.

Leaps are named in plain words first, with do re mi beside them and the textbook name, like "major third", small.

Day and dusk

Bright or dark

A chord's middle note, its third, decides whether it sounds major or minor: bright or dark. Lower it a half step and the whole chord changes colour.

Major do, mi, so
Minor do, me, so ("may")

Field trips

Four trips, from song starts to the bass line

4 units, 17 lessons

  1. Stage 1Trip 1

    Leaps you already know

    Leaps from songs you know: up or down, step or leap, three or five.

    1. Song starts Free
    2. Up or down, step or leap
    3. Three or five?
    4. Name that leap

  2. Stage 2Trip 2

    More leaps

    Four or five, half and whole steps, big and small threes, six and eight, and leaps down.

    1. Four or five?
    2. Small and smaller
    3. Big and small threes
    4. Six and eight
    5. Leaps down
    6. Leap ladder

  3. Stage 3Trip 3

    Major and minor

    Bright or dark: hear a chord's third and sing it, in chords and in tunes.

    1. Bright or dark
    2. Sing the third
    3. Major and minor tunes
    4. Fill the middle

  4. Stage 4Trip 4

    Find home

    Feel home after a phrase, sing a chord's root, and then a bass line.

    1. Where's home?
    2. The chord's root
    3. Sing the bass

In the field

Song starts

Three songs you probably know, and the leap that opens each one.

  1. Start here. Sing "Oh when the saints" and stop on "when". From "Oh" up to "when" is a leap of three.

  2. Sing "Amazing grace" and stop on "-ma-". From "A-" up to "-ma-" is a leap of four.

  3. Sing "Twinkle, twinkle". From the first "-kle" up to the second "twin-" is a leap of five.

  4. Now hum any easy note, and try each leap up from it, thinking of its song.

Lesson 1 plays each song's opening, then each leap on its own, and every leap you sing back lands as a dart on the board. At the end, your leap plays over the guide's note: that's harmony.

What the app listens for

The app hears where each sung note lands and whether it's the leap you were asked for. It doesn't check your syllables, and it never times your answers.

Listening rounds teach and never give stars: up to three stars and XP come from the leaps you sing, each one a dart on the Bullseye board.The same lesson shows the plain measure, such as "You found 5 of 6 leaps", with no stars or rewards.

Ear training's first lesson, Song starts: three leaps from songs you know, Oh When the Saints, Amazing Grace and Twinkle, Twinkle. Ear training's first lesson, Song starts: three leaps from songs you know, Oh When the Saints, Amazing Grace and Twinkle, Twinkle.
Echoing the song-start leaps on the Bullseye board: a dart in the centre, each landing in cents, and Hear it right to hear the leap. Echoing the song-start leaps on the Bullseye board: a dart in the centre, each landing in cents, and Hear it right to hear the leap.

Field notes

About listening

Your field kit

Before you set out

Who it's for

  • Singers who can follow a guide but can't yet hear where a harmony goes.
  • Anyone who has wondered what "a third" or "minor" actually sounds like.
  • Choir singers who want to find their note from the chord, not the piano.

What you need

  • A quiet spot and a few minutes a day.
  • Headphones help you hear the guide clearly.
  • No reading music and no theory: leaps are named in plain words.

Singing it safely

  • Short, easy notes at a medium volume, in the middle of your voice.
  • Stop if anything tightens or hurts. Don't practise when hoarse or ill.

The songs

  • Oh When the Saints Spiritual, public domain
  • Amazing Grace Public domain hymn (words 1779, tune 1829)
  • Twinkle, Twinkle French tune (1761), public domain
  • Ode to Joy Public domain melody (1824)
  • Frère Jacques Traditional, public domain
  • Greensleeves Anonymous, 16th century, public domain
  • My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean Traditional, public domain
  • Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Spiritual, public domain
  • This Old Man Traditional, public domain
  • O Come, All Ye Faithful 18th-century tune, public domain

Questions

Questions

How long does it take?

17 lessons of 3 to 4 minutes. Ears grow with repetition, so a lesson a day suits it well.

Do I need to know the interval names?

No. Leaps are named in plain words first, like "a leap of three", with do re mi beside them and the textbook name small.

Is it only listening?

No. Listening rounds teach and never give stars. Every lesson ends in singing, and your stars come from the leaps you sing.

Is it safe for my voice?

Yes. The notes are short and easy, at a medium volume in the middle of your voice. Stop if anything tightens or hurts.

What does it cost?

Lesson 1 is free, with no account needed. The rest is part of Plus; saving your progress takes a free account.

Go listening

Open your ears.

Lesson 1 takes a few minutes: three song openings, and each leap you sing back lands on the board.

No account needed to try it. Saving your progress takes a free account.

Try the first lesson free See Plus

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