The Sonofield Ear Trainer Method
An intuitive approach to melodic ear training that helps you learn to identify musical notes by playing them over a steady drone. The goal is to sharpen your ear and train you to recognize scale degrees by how they feel, not just how they sound.
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Important terms
- The Circle
- How it works
- The Path
- A simple practice plan
- What results to expect
- Where to start
- Learn more
Introduction
Many people want to learn to play, improvise, and compose music by ear, but are confused about how best to do this. The secret lies in the fact that each note of a key has a unique character, known as a feeling-state in Sonofield Ear Trainer, that you can become familiar with and learn to recognize.
The Sonofield Method is an intuitive approach to melodic ear training. Instead of memorizing intervals or doing mental math, you learn to recognize musical notes by how they feel when played over a steady drone. Over time, this becomes second nature, enabling you to identify any scale degree in real-time, regardless of whether you hear it in a melody, sing it yourself, or imagine it in your mind.
Important terms
Tonic
Think of the tonic as “home base.” It’s the key center—the note that feels totally resolved and restful. All the other notes in a key get their feeling and meaning from their relationship to the tonic.
Scale degree
Instead of using letter names like C or F♯, Sonofield labels the notes of a key using numbers known as scale degrees. A standard major scale runs from 1 through 7, and by flattening or sharpening these numbers, you can cover all twelve notes of the chromatic scale.
The beauty of this system is that it’s universal—1 is always “home,” no matter what key you’re in. The note C feels different in the key of G than it does in the key of E, but scale degrees always feel the same.
Feeling-state
Each scale degree has its own unique quality or characteristic sound. For example, degree 5 always feels like 5, and degree 3 always feels like 3, no matter the octave or key. These feeling-states are what you learn to recognize in Sonofield.
The Circle
At the heart of the app is the Sonofield Circle—a color-coded circle of fifths which serves as both a visual aid and a functional instrument. Degrees close to each other on the circle feel similar, while those across from one another feel very different.
This layout helps your ear and mind make intuitive sense of musical space. It is also the primary interface you’ll use when training in Sonofield.
How it works
Sonofield introduces you gradually to all 12 scale degrees through different modes of play:
- Degrees Mode: Hear a note over a drone and identify its scale degree. This is the foundation.
- Melodies Mode: Short melodic phrases instead of single notes, bringing you closer to real music.
- Voice Mode: See a degree, sing it into your mic, and let the app’s tuner guide you. Singing is the fastest way to internalize feeling-states.
- Pocket Mode: Hands-free listening. Perfect for walks, commutes, or downtime.
- Free Play Mode: Tap around the circle, sing, and explore freely to become familiar with each feeling-state.
By practicing across these modes, your ear develops naturally. With repetition, the labels (1, 2, 3, etc.) become automatic, and you start to recognize degrees in the songs you hear every day.
The Path
Each mode has a guided sequence of levels, called The Path. Think of it as a set of stepping stones: each level introduces a new degree, building steadily until you’ve met all 12. Along the way, Free Play and Pocket Mode let you experiment and reinforce what you’re learning in a less structured way.
A simple practice plan
Consistency matters more than clocking hours. You can’t force your ear to internalize a new feeling-state; it takes time, patience, and honesty. A balanced daily plan might look like this:
- 5–15 minutes a day is enough.
- Start with Free Play. Listen to, sing, and compare scale degrees.
- Attempt your current levels in Degrees, Melodies, and Voice Modes a few times.
- Switch modes often to keep things fresh.
- Use Pocket Mode while doing chores, walking, or commuting.
And remember: not practicing is just as important as practicing. Your brain needs downtime to integrate what you’ve learned.
What results to expect
Everyone learns at their own pace. Some degrees click instantly, while others take longer. Take your time; there is no rush. Over time, you’ll notice less guessing and more immediate recognition.
If you remain consistent, the results will come. One day, you’ll hear a melody and instantly know: “That’s a 6 moving to 5.” That’s an exciting moment and reveals the shape of things to come.
Where to start
If you’re new, begin with Degrees Mode on the first level. Once you pass it, try the same level in Melodies Mode and Voice Mode to add context. Continue on like this, cycling between modes as you progress.
If a particular degree feels tricky, spend extra time with it in Free Play. Contrast it against other degrees, sing it, and get comfortable. Remember to utilize Pocket Mode to train while on the go!
Learn more
More information about Sonofield and ear training altogether can be found on my YouTube channel. I am the creator of SET, and the Sonofield User Guide video is a good place to begin if you’re looking to get the most out of the app.
You can download the app here if you have not already.
