Melodic dictation practice
You hear the tonic chord, then a short melody. Play it back on the keyboard, starting from the given first note.
Entered 0 of 0 notes. The first note () is shown — play it too.
A method for dictation
- Hear the key. Sing the tonic after the opening chord.
- Hear the contour. On the first play, just follow whether each note goes up, down or repeats.
- Hear the degrees. Most melodies move by step. Name each note as a scale degree (1, 2, 3…) or with solfège syllables.
- Check the leaps. A jump is usually to a note of the tonic chord (1, 3 or 5). Your interval training pays off here.
Questions
What is melodic dictation?
Melodic dictation means hearing a short melody and writing it down (or here, playing it back). It combines interval recognition, a sense of the key, and short-term musical memory, and it is a standard part of conservatory and AP Music Theory exams.
How do I get better at melodic dictation?
Listen to the whole melody before answering. Identify the first note relative to the tonic, then sing the melody back in your head using scale degrees or solfège. Write the contour (up, down, same) first, then the exact intervals.
Why does the drill play the tonic chord first?
Exams normally establish the key before a dictation. Hearing the tonic chord lets you hear each note as a scale degree rather than as an isolated pitch.
Do I need to find the exact octave?
No. Any C counts as C, so you can focus on the pitches. The first note is given to you on the staff to anchor the melody.