Computer Software Music Education and Theory Software EarMaster Pro Ear Training Software Review

EarMaster Pro Ear Training Software Review

EarMaster Pro Ear Training Software Review

4.3

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Software-Instruction

Age Level	5th grade and up
Operating Systems	Windows
License Type	Commercial

Finding a software title that takes the pain and suffering out of learning a vital skill is always refreshing. For many people ear training classes are one of these painful yet necessary parts of learning to be a good musician. The EarMaster Pro version 5 software manages to provide an excellent series of ear training exercises while avoiding the common pitfalls of many music education software titles . While it is doubtful that any company could make aural training exercises fun, EarMaster comes quite close and still manages to be rich in features and variety of instruction.

Ear Training Lessons Of All Kinds

The EarMaster Pro software package includes lessons in the following areas:

Interval Comparison (which of two intervals is larger)

Interval Identification (identify an interval by pitch and notate it)

Interval Singing (singing or playing intervals)

Chord Identification (and transcription)

Chord Inversions (identification and transcription)

Chord Progressions (identify a sequence of chords)

Scale Identification (identify and transcribe)

Rhythm Reading (clapping hands to rhythms)

Rhythm Imitation (imitating clapped rhythms)

Rhythm Dictation (writing down played rhythms)

Rhythm Correction (fix incorrectly notated rhythms)

Melodic Dictation (transcribe melodies)

Each of the lesson segments has an almost endless variety of exercises for beginners through advanced musicians.

Editor review

EarMaster Pro Version 5

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Computerized Assessment For Voice, Guitar, Wind Instrument, or MIDI

The EarMaster Pro offers the ability to have the learner play or sing their answers and assess their accuracy. The system can transpose into any key and for any instrument including MIDI keyboards . On screen piano keyboards, guitar fretboards, and grand staff can be turned on and off at will. Many questions can be placed in multiple choice mode as well if some gentle guidance is needed. Questions can be set to have a time limit, auto replay, and many other options. The results of the assessment sessions can be exported as an email message or as a file that can be saved to the local network for a classroom teacher to examine at a later time.

The Bottom Line on the EarMaster Pro 5

Overall this software is very well designed and thought out. A few minor issues such as better on screen help to teach first time users how to use the program would be nice, but in general you will be hard pressed to find a more user friendly ear training software program. Whether in a lab or on an individual computer the EarMaster does what it sets out to do and it does it quite well.