Music dictation: write down what you hear.
Musical dictation means turning a sound into notation. You might work out the rhythm, the pitches of a melody, or both. These exercises let you focus on one part at a time and check your work.
Start with rhythm dictation
In Rhythm Dictation, listen to the count-in, find the beat and drag note values onto the stave. Early levels use crotchets and quavers; later challenges add semiquaver groups, longer notes, dotted rhythms and syncopation. Bars join together so you can follow the phrase. Answers are marked by complete beat, helping you see which part of a bar needs another listen.
A rhythm example
In 4/4, a crotchet fills one beat and two quavers also fill one beat. A bar containing crotchet, two quavers, crotchet, crotchet lasts four beats. If you hear five note attacks, that does not necessarily mean five beats: some notes share a beat. First tap a steady pulse, then listen for the notes between the beats.
Move on to melodic dictation
Melody Dictation supplies the rhythm and any given pitches. Move the missing X-shaped noteheads up or down to match what you hear. Horizontal positions stay fixed, so you can concentrate on pitch. Start with short, stepwise examples, then add wider intervals, different keys and minor tonality. Advanced settings introduce accidentals, with sharp, natural and flat buttons for the selected note.
A melody example
If the given first note is C and the next two sounds move up by step and back down, a possible answer is C–D–C. Use the key and the size of each move to check that idea. Try remembering the phrase in small groups rather than guessing every note separately. A final note can help you check where the melody has come home.
Prefer a piano-roll view?
Piano Roll Dictation uses a sequencing grid for melody or drum-kit patterns. Given notes help you get started; draw missing blocks and extend their lengths. This is useful practice if you work with MIDI or music-production software.
Make each playback count
Before replaying, decide what you still need: the start of the next bar, one leap, or a particular note length. Check the feedback after answering. In practice you can work at your own pace; Test/Homework settings can limit playbacks. Teachers can share a dictation task through Teams or Google Classroom and check the returned mark and code.
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