Challenge Mode

Practice mode gives you time to think, replays on demand, and a health bar that lets you recover from mistakes. Challenge strips all of that away. You get 60 seconds, no health bar, and just 0.5 seconds of feedback after a wrong answer before the next question arrives.

Question types are also mixed — a single Challenge session can pull from notes, m3, P5, maj, min7, and more depending on the level. The pressure is what builds recognition speed, not just accuracy.

Open the Listen tab and tap the stage you want to train — Notes, Intervals, or Melodies. Expand the stage card to reveal individual levels, then tap the Challenge button next to the level. The session starts immediately with a 60-second countdown visible at the top of the screen.

The last-used mode is remembered per stage, so if you always run Challenge on Intervals, it will be pre-highlighted next time you visit.

Tip A level must have at least 1 star from a Practice session before Challenge is available. If the Challenge button appears locked, complete a Practice round on that level first.

Each question plays a sound — a note, a melodic or harmonic M3, a major, or a dom7 — and presents a grid of answer options. Tap the option that matches what you heard. There are no replays in Challenge; the timer keeps running whether you answer or hesitate.

Answering within 2 seconds earns a Speed Bonus (+25 points). The timer turns amber at 15 seconds and pulses red at 10 — use those cues to pace yourself in the final stretch.

Each correct answer is worth 100 base points. String correct answers together to build a streak: at 5 consecutive correct answers the multiplier jumps to ×2, then ×3 at 10, ×4 at 15, and ×5 at 20+. A wrong answer resets the streak to zero and costs you the multiplier.

Combined with the Speed Bonus, a flawless run with a ×5 multiplier earns 625 points per question — over 10× the base rate.

Tip If you're unsure on a question, it can be worth a fast guess rather than hesitating. A wrong answer costs you the multiplier, but a slow correct answer costs you the Speed Bonus — decide based on your current streak.

The summary screen shows your total points, best streak, accuracy percentage, and whether you set a new personal best for that level. Below the main stats, a 'Notes to practice' list surfaces the specific intervals or chords you missed most often — for example, if you repeatedly confused m7 and M6, both will appear here.

Tap any entry in the list to hear examples of that sound before starting your next session.

Your personal best score for each level is saved and shown on the level card so you always know the target to beat. The Stats view (accessible from the Listen home screen) has a Challenge tab showing your score trends over time and a per-stage breakdown — use it to identify which stages are plateauing so you know where focused Practice sessions will have the most impact.

Progress syncs via iCloud, so your personal bests and streaks carry across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.