TideToneFind a handpan phrase by ear: start with two notes
You do not need to reproduce a whole tune at once. Start with one question: is the next note higher, lower or the same?
1. Choose a tiny, clear fragment
Hear two or three notes, pause, then hum or trace the shape with a hand. Leave positions aside. Louder is not higher, and longer resonance is not lower.
Hear two phrases; compare only the second note
Listen here: same contour, a different middle note
Listen to A, then B before checking the answer. Their first and third pitches match. Ask just one question: which rises farther in the middle? Replay whenever you wish; an unclear first attempt is fine.
A · F4 → A4 → F4
Three attacks at 0, 1 and 2 seconds, followed by resonance.
B · F4 → G4 → F4
Three attacks at 0, 1 and 2 seconds, followed by resonance.
After listening: what changed?
A has A4 in the middle; B has G4. Both rise from F4 and return, but A rises farther. Hearing the difference without naming it is already a useful result.
Diagram height shows pitch relationships, not sound waves or physical tone-field locations. These web examples arrange the app’s original Haoyoupengyou D Kurd 10 samples at equal intervals, with no pitch shifting, added reverb or background music. They are listening examples, not app recordings. Resonance is retained and both use the same overall gain; different pitches need not sound equally loud.
Next, try it in the app: Enter A using the steps below, then change only its second note to make B. Practise with these known pitches before working on your own recorded fragment.
2. Compare known pitches
Use the interactive pitch map to hear F4, A4, F4. Check labels, then listen with your eyes closed. This rises then falls, but matching direction alone does not establish the exact intervals.
Is the second note higher because it is louder?
No. Pitch and loudness differ. A4 is higher than F4; making F4 louder does not turn it into A4.
3. Find an anchor, then the next note
Alternate a candidate with the source. Establish one anchor, then the next; return to two notes when confused. Check your pitch list if nothing matches. A missing pitch or different octave may be the issue; substitution is arranging, not exact transcription.
With a physical handpan
Check your pitch list and layout. One available note is enough for a rhythm task. For a pitch comparison, choose a compatible example; a substituted note changes the melody.
Without a handpan yet
Tap your leg for timing, use the interactive pitch map for listening, or enter a short phrase in the app. Screen practice cannot teach the physical touch and response of a real instrument.
4. Restore timing and keep a clue
Check note order, tap the attack spacing, then combine them. Keep a short recording or enter and check notes manually in the app. This is not automatic audio transcription. One recognisable contour is enough for today.
Compare two candidates in TideTone, not a whole tune
Practise the comparison method with a known F4 → A4 → F4 before tackling an unfamiliar tune. Use D Kurd 10 and pitch-name view so position numbers do not get mistaken for pitches.
- Create a reference: on one track of the default straight 4/4 grid, select the starts of beats 1, 2 and 3 (cells 1, 5 and 9), tapping F4, A4 and F4 on the virtual handpan. Leave beat 4 without a new note.
- Hear the direction: play and listen for the rise to the second note and return to the first pitch. Focus on attacks and pitch rather than matching the exact timbre of a physical instrument.
- Compare one change: tap A4 on beat two, check its selection and delete it with the trash control. Select the now-empty cell 5 and tap G4 on the virtual handpan. Both versions rise and fall, but the middle pitch differs. Matching direction alone does not establish an exact melody.
- Restore the reference: delete G4, select its empty cell and enter A4 again. One Undo after entering G4 reverses that last edit; it does not necessarily restore the earlier deleted A4. Check the cell after each undo. Replay to check rather than changing several things from memory.
Your result: identify that only the second note changed and confirm it in pitch-name view. If the difference is unclear, alternate G4 and A4 in the interactive map. Your first comparison need not be an exam.
For a real fragment, alternate source, candidate, then source again. If a note never matches, check its octave and your pitch list; the source may use a note absent from this scale.
Watch actual note entry · Editing and undo · Compare pitches
Notes and feedback
Activities and diagrams are original TideTone material. The teaching video is linked from its creator’s page; no unverified timestamps are supplied. A teacher can observe persistent physical difficulties.
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