In this exercise you will be given a series of chords (cadence) to establish a tonal center. Then a note (or a series of notes) will be played and you will be asked to find the scale degree of the note.
The major scale consist of 7 notes that are built from the following intervals:
For example, the C major scale, consists of the following notes:
The first note of the scale - also called the tonic - is the "home" note. The note that will feel most "resolves" and at "rest".
Any other note will have a specific "tension" or "sensation" in relation to the tonic note. It might feel as if the note "wants" to resolve to the tonic note.
In this example a group of chords will be played to let your mind feel C as the "root note". Then the note D will be played, listen to its sense of tension, like it wants to resolve down to C.
In the key of D however, D is the tonic, so it assumes a sensation of rest. To avoid confusion between different keys, we use solfege syllables.
Each syllable represents a different degree in the scale.
After getting a correct answer, the app will play a resolution of the note to the tonic, to enforce your memory and sensation of tension and release.