Alchemy For Mac

Being able to identify notes in a composition just by listening to them is an important skill for any musician, but the means to learn it are not readily available outside college classes or other specialized courses.

However, it is an ability that anyone can master with enough practice, even if you cannot read music. Alchemy is a simple OS X app for practicing functional ear training that can prove to be invaluable for any novice learning the ropes.

For starters, users who have limited musical knowledge would most likely benefit from brushing up on the theory behind these exercises, especially if the specialized terms being used do not make much sense.

Fortunately, Alchemy offers extensive online documentation, which both provides the basic knowledge needed to take advantage of this ear training method and teaches you how to use the application.

Now that you know the basics, you can start your first exercise and see how adept you are at distinguishing notes. By default, the app plays a cadence followed by a single note, which you have to identify. Your score is recorded for each session, and you can continue the exercise for as long as you like.

If you get good enough, you can try recognizing multiple sounds at once, as it is possible to practice with up to eight notes simultaneously, as well as select a different key, disable the initial cadence or add some chromatic notes.

The cadence and the note can be repeated if you are having trouble identifying it, and you can also have the app show you the right answer if you cannot figure it out.

Alchemy keeps things simple, for the most part, ensuring that any user that has at least a basic understanding of musical theory can start training immediately. It is an easy-to-use tool that offers plenty of customization options and detailed online documentation.