Hear the change, one note at a time.
Find the change compares an original sequence with a second version that changes one pitch. Start by following the shape of the melody, then narrow your attention to the position that sounds different. You do not need to name every note to find the change.
How to playRules & scoring
Find the change
Hear the phrase twice and identify the one note that changes in the second version.
How to play
- Listen to the original four-position phrase, followed by the changed version. You do not need to name notes or read sheet music.
- Choose the changed position. In a chord round, choose the changed note within that chord too: columns show positions and rows show the high and low notes.
- Select one answer to lock it in. After the reveal, compare the highlighted correct note with your choice and read what changed.
Try an example
Listen to both example phrases before opening the answer.
Original: C4, E4, G4, C5. Changed: C4, E4, A4, C5. Which of the four positions changed?
Audio example · no game or score is saved.
Show example answer
Position 3.
The third note moves from G4 to A4. The other three stay the same. Even without knowing the names, you can hear the third note rise in the second phrase.
Scoring and modes
Each exact answer counts as one correct round, out of ten. For chords, finding the right position but choosing the wrong note within it is incorrect.
Daily challenges have three single-note rounds, three two-note rounds, two three-note rounds and two four-note rounds. The shared challenge resets at midnight UTC. Practice Easy uses single notes, Medium uses two-note chords, and Hard mixes five three-note and five four-note rounds.
Head-to-head has three single-note rounds, three two-note rounds, three three-note rounds and one four-note round. The size of pitch changes adapts to the players’ average rating; both players get the same set. The player with more correct answers wins; total response time breaks ties. You can answer during playback, but ranked rounds have no pauses or replays. Practice does not change your rating.
Try thisFollow the shape of the phrase first, then focus on the position that sounds different.
More listening exercisesFollow the melody’s shape
The sound check above plays C4, E4, G4, C5: four notes that climb in pitch. The number identifies the octave, so C5 is one octave above C4. Listen for the direction and size of each step rather than the names alone.
OriginalC4 → E4 → G4 → C5
ChangedC4 → E4 → A4 → C5
Here the third note moves from G4 to A4, two semitones higher. Both versions still rise, but the middle leap becomes larger and the final leap becomes smaller. The answer is position 3, even though the first and last notes sound identical.
Listen inside a chord
A chord plays several pitches together. Elo Arcade’s chord rounds change one of those pitches within one of four chord positions. First find the chord that sounds different, then listen for whether its lowest, middle, or highest note moved.
Original chordC4 + E4 + G4
Changed chordC4 + E4 + A4
In this example C4 and E4 stay fixed while the highest note rises. Use those unchanged notes as anchors. In the answer grid, columns represent the four positions in time and rows represent the voices, arranged from high to low.
Build a listening routine
Count “one, two, three, four” with the original sequence. Keep that count during the changed version so you can attach the difference to a position. If you miss it, try humming the original shape before listening again in daily or practice mode.
After an answer, open Review to compare the two versions in sheet music. Check which pitch moved and in which direction. Easy practice gives you room to learn this routine; harder rounds add chord voices and smaller pitch changes.
For Find the change head-to-head, finish your sound check before joining. Both players hear the same sequence. You can answer during playback or within 10 seconds after it ends. The five-second review shows the change before the next round. Correct answers decide the winner; total response time from the start of each round breaks a tie.
Read the full ear-training guide for listening exercises, interval examples, and tips for your first game.