Your joystick controls a bird flying above a roadside fence that consists of five wire strands representing the five lines of the treble staff. Between each fencepost is a key signature. As the bird starts flying, a letter indicating the first note of the scale appears at the lower center of the screen. Using the joystick, land the bird on the section of fence that shows the correct key signature for the scale and note indicated. If you land correctly, you gain points and a new scale will be played.
Play continues for three minutes.
You must listen carefully to the scale being played and try to tell the difference between the major and natural minor scales. There are three levels of difficulty and an online help screen that can be accessed anytime. Beginners should first play the major option, then the minor, to accustom their ears to the difference. The third note of the scale is the most important one to listen for. Author Raymond Citak is a piano instructor at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.