Targets for learning-a-tune-by-ear. For each: press play, listen with the violin down,
then work it out by the six steps — audiate, rhythm, find home, degree by degree, correct,
join. Reveal only to check your finished version against the notation and the degree
numbers.
Work the ladder in order. Levels 1–2 are here as notated targets; Levels 3–4 are real
recordings you choose.
Level 1 — a tune you know cold
You already know how these go, so you're practising the method, not stressing the ear.
76 bpm
Twinkle, Twinkle — first two lines, in G. Home is G; it opens with the ^1→^5 leap. Degrees: ^1 ^1 ^5 ^5 ^6 ^6 ^5, then ^4 ^4 ^3 ^3 ^2 ^2 ^1.
80 bpm
Mary Had a Little Lamb, in G. It never leaves ^1 ^2 ^3 except for one jump up to ^5. Degrees: ^3 ^2 ^1 ^2 ^3 ^3 ^3, ^2 ^2 ^2, ^3 ^5 ^5.
Level 2 — a tune you half-know
72 bpm
Ode to Joy — the full first strain, in G. Starts on ^3, not home. The only tricky bit is the end: a dotted ^3, a quick ^2, then ^2 held (it doesn't resolve to ^1 yet — that's the next strain).
Levels 3 & 4 — real recordings
No notation here — the point is to take these off an actual recording, by ear.
Level 3 — the first phrase of a hook you love. Pick from the viral-melody list in
REPERTOIRE.md (Hedwig's Theme, Married Life, He's a Pirate, Over the Rainbow, Skyrim…) —
most open with a first-position-playable phrase. Just the first line. Slow the recording
down; find home; take it degree by degree.
Level 4 — a whole short tune, played along with the track. Learn it slowly and alone
first, then follow play-along: match key, slow the track, lock the pulse, bring the speed
up.
When you can do a Level 4 tune — hear a piece of music you like and play it back, in tune, in
time, on your own — you've reached the goal this whole course was pointed at.