Two Note Melody Dictations (D, F# and A)

Get ready to play your D, F# and A cleanly. The D and the A are open strings, so that should be easy! Play the F# with your middle finger at the fourth fret of the D string.

We are going to start the ear training with call and response dictations. The primary goal here is to begin to distinguish between different melody notes. Of course, in the background, we will be working on two other crucial aspects of playing the mandolin- playing in time with the rhythm and gaining fluidity when changing between notes.

During this course, you can apply the scaffolding methodology to help transition into new layers of musical complexity. Use the scaffolding if you need it, and then remove it as you progress. Please refer to the scaffolding screencast if you need more information.

We are going to work on the following melodic dictations:

• D and A

• D and F#

• F# and  A

Work on the dictations in order. Start with the metronome at 4o bpm, and then slowly speed it up as you progress through each combination of notes. Please refer to the musical gym screen cast if you need more information about how to do that.