Melodic Dictation Set Note Range

[rickeyjt]

I select a group of notes on the custom scale keyboard setup but the melodic dictation exercise does not play them all. The exercise only plays the range of blues scale notes in one octave from b7 to b7. Number of tones set to 1.

Not sure of the correct way to use the Activity Setup in Melodic Dictation to playback all the notes I select on the custom scale piano keyboard config. I kind of get that it the key is set to C (or other modes). I am selecting notes of an extended blues scale in E. That is, the E blues scale over several octaves (matching the notes available on my diatonic harmonica).

The notes I select are A A# B D E G A A# B D E A B D E to match the available notes on the three octave diatonic harmonica.
The exercise only plays any note from D to D and never the A A# B or E A B D E.

What am I doing wrong to get all these notes to play one note at a time random? Do I have to play with Largest Interval / Ambitus settings?

[Quentin]

Hello,

In EarMaster, custom scales must be defined in the key of C. So you need to input it as a C Blues scales. Then EarMaster will transpose the scale for each question depending on which key the question is in. You can select the keys that are allowed in the exercise via the TRANSPOSITION option when setting up your custom exercise (right side of the window). If you select the key of E, then EarMaster will play your custom Blues scale defined in C as an E blues scale.

[rickeyjt]

Not intuitive but I did finally figure it out. However, I really still cannot pick exactly what notes over a three octave range that I want to have play in my custom scale. On the harmonica in the third octave the b3 and b5 are unavailable but earmaster will not let me have a full three octave range with different notes.

My selection for available notes to play on the harmonica across three octaves will also vary depending on what key I choose to play it in. That is a diatonic harp is tuned in one key and commonly I can play that harmonica in five different keys. Therefore as the keys I choose to play in change so does the available notes of any particular scale on that one harmonica. Only the middle octave on the harp has one complete diatonic scale. Other notes needed can be played by bending them in tune but not all.

That is why I want to create a truly custom three octave 'scale' to train only on the notes I am able to replicate on the harmonica.

If you are not with Earmaster, I hope they read this thread and can respond.

[Quentin]

I understand. Then I think it would be better for you to add custom melodies to the melody library of EarMaster, and define a specific key for each one. To do that, use the Melodic Dictation exercise in "Customized Exercise" mode, and select the melody database as "source of musical material". Then click on "Add Melody" at the bottom of the window, and finally find the small icon with a staff and a + sign to add a melody manually. Remember to define a key for each scale/melody.

Once you have added your melodies, you will be able to set up exercises that will be based on them. Here is a video showing how it is done (notice that there's an extra step with MusicXML import in that video, which won't be relevant n your case): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJEv1F96LqM

[rickeyjt]

I was able to create the melody using all the notes available to me on the three octave harmonica. However I cannot see that I can limit the number of notes to play back randomly and to set the interval and ambitus.

[Quentin]

Sorry, my suggestion about using the melody database was a mistake, it won't enable you to make the exercise you're looking for. I think you should do like you started (i.e. with a custom scale defined in C), but this time set the "Transpose to pitch range" setting in the right part of the setup window to "Customized". Click then on "Edit..." and push the upper and lower range limits to the maximum values. That way, the questions will extend to the lowest and highest notes of your scale.

[rickeyjt]

This is what I was hoping to originally accomplish. I can set a three octave range in the Transpose Range edit. However in the Custom Scale dialog I can only hold a two octave range of notes selected. I can select as many combination notes there as I want but earmaster will only hold on to a two octave range of notes I select, the extra notes will disappear and not usable in the exercise.

[Quentin]

Ok, I will report this to our developers right away. Thank you for pointing out that issue.