Tone Recognition
Listen to short melodic phrases and identify the key: major or minor, and which note is the tonic.
Develop your sense of tonality and your ability to recognise the tonal centre.
A Guide to Identifying Shades
Major Key
A bright, cheerful and steady sound. The melody tends to gravitate towards the tonic, creating a sense of completeness.
Characteristics: major third, major sixth, major seventh.
How to recognise the tonic
The tonic is the ‘centre of gravity’ of the melody. It is the note to which the melody tends to return and where it finds rest.
Minor Key
A dark, melancholic and dramatic sound. The melody has a more introspective quality.
Characteristics: minor third, minor sixth, minor seventh.
Tips
• Focus on the first and last notes (these are often the tonic)
• Listen to the overall ‘colour’: bright = higher, dark = lower
• Try singing the melody and see where it ‘wants to end up’