# Main Window

The main window is Better Ear's control center. Here you can choose different training exercises and answer questions.

## Overview

The main window is divided into five areas:

## Toolbar

### Repeat & Play Button

In training mode the play button skips to the next question. If you didn't answer the current question, then it'll be marked as incorrect.
In learning mode, the play button is deactivated.
Clicking the repeat button in training mode plays the current question. In learning mode, the last selected entry from the sidebar will play again.

### Timer

You can only see the timer if Auto Play or Time to Answer has been activated in Preferences.

### Play Direction

This button lets you choose how an exercise is played in Better Ears. If you choose the arrow on the left (pointing upwards), the scale will play from lowest to highest note. If you choose the arrow on the right (pointing downwards), the scale will begin at the highest. If the button with the "?" is selected, the playback direction is chosen randomly.

Play direction is unique for every exercise and can be changed within preferences.

### Mode Toggle

Toggle between training and learning mode. In training mode Better Ears poses questions that you should attempt to answer.
In learning mode you can widen your knowledge without being questioned on it. More information regarding training and learning mode can be found here.

### Information Window

The information window shows the question and answer, along with other useful information about what to do next.

### Exercise

Choose an exercise from the exercise menu.

The exercises include

- Interval recognition
- Scale recognition
- Chord recognition
- Chord progressions
- Pitch recognition
- Melodic dictation

all of which will help train your ear by solving the set tasks.
Using

- Tempo recognition

you will learn to recognize the Tempo (BPM, beats per minute) of the played beats.
In contrast, the execises

- Key Signature recognition
- Music reading
- Interval music reading
- Scale music reading
- Chord music reading
- Melody music reading

test you on your staff reading skills and help you learn to recognize what key, notes, intervals, scales, and chords are shown based on the notes.

### Level*

The Level menu lets you choose between difficulty levels.

All these functions can be chosen not only in the main window, but can also be accessed via the menus in the menu bar at the very top of your screen.

## Sidebar

| The sidebar changes depending on the current mode. In training mode, the possible answers to the current question will be shown here. In learning mode, Better Ears will display all information associated with the current exercises. Clicking on an entry here will either play the entry or show you the relevant notes.

## Keyboard / Fretboard

Better Ears comes with a virtual keyboard and virtual guitar fretboard. You can key notes on either. Use the toggle on the left of the view to change between instruments.

Use the arrow keys above the instrument to move up or down an octave.

The instrument used when playing each exercise is determined by the instrument chosen here.* MIDI tone generators will not be affected by this choice, instead you will need to choose your preferred sound directly on the device.

### Microphone

Turn on the microphone to enter notes with a real instrument or with your voice. The light next to the microphone button indicates the level. If it lights yellow, then the threshold is reached and the pitch detection begins. After the pitch was detected it lights green or red, depending if the note was right or wrong.

## Staff

The staff displays the notes for the current exercise.

## Wikipedia / Statistics

Training mode will show your current stats, including how often you have answered each question correctly or incorrectly in each exercise.

In learning mode, Better Ears shows the relevant Wikipedia article for the current exercise. If a relevant article is not available online, another topically-appropriate article will be shown instead.

*Only available in the full version of Better Ears