Why play it back
Knowing a note's name is one thing. Finding it on your instrument is another, and that link is what makes theory useful. This drill closes the gap: it names a note, a scale or an interval, and you play or sing it. The microphone checks.
How to use it
- Notes. Find the named note anywhere on your instrument. On the guitar, try finding it on a different string each time.
- Intervals. Play the first note, then the note a third, fourth or fifth above it. This builds the link between interval names and the sound.
- Scales. Play the scale one note at a time up to the octave. Slowly and cleanly beats fast.
Tap Hear it at any time to check the target on the piano. If you are not sure your instrument is in tune, use the tuner first. To learn where the notes live on the neck, work through the fretboard trainer, and to practise scales on paper, scale spelling.
Frequently asked questions
How does Play the Note know what I played?
It listens through your microphone, measures how fast the sound wave repeats (its pitch), and compares that with the note you were asked for. Hold the note steady for about half a second and it counts.
Is my audio recorded?
No. The sound is analysed live on your device and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
What instruments and voices work?
Anything that plays one note at a time: voice, guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, flute, trumpet, piano and more. Chords will confuse it, so play single notes. A quiet room helps.
Do I have to play in the right octave?
On the Warm-up and Working set levels any octave is accepted, because the note name is what matters. On Heavy lift, single notes must be in the exact octave shown.
The note shows as wrong but I think I played it right.
Check your instrument is in tune with the tuner, and play steadily for a moment. The check allows about a third of a semitone either way. Transposing instruments such as the B♭ clarinet sound a different note from the one they read, so play the concert note.
Why use headphones for the reference note?
If the reference note plays from the speaker, the microphone can hear it and mistake it for your playing.