Melody OS 90-Day Workbook

How to Use This Workbook

1

Use this alongside the 90-Day Practice Plan — one weekly page per week.

2

The Ladder Warmup happens every session — it's printed at the top of every weekly page.

3

Templates at the back (pages 14–18) can be photocopied or used multiple times.

4

Write everything — composition sketches, analysis notes, observations. The act of writing is half the learning.

6-Milestone Progress Tracker

Day 7 — Sing the stability ladder cold in under 5 seconds

Date achieved: ________________________________

Day 14 — Draw the zone map from memory

Date achieved: ________________________________

Day 30 — Label any note's zone over a static chord in under 3 seconds

Date achieved: ________________________________

Day 45 — Hear a chord change and predict the zone shift

Date achieved: ________________________________

Day 60 — Full verse analysis in real time while singing

Date achieved: ________________________________

Day 90 — The Instinct Test passes

Date achieved: ________________________________

Stability Ladder Reference

DO

#1

→

SO

#2

→

MI

#3

→

LA

#4

→

RE

#5

→

TI

#6

→

FA

#7

Week 1

Phase 1 · Inner Ear

The Stability Ladder

Days 1–7

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Memorize DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA as a physical, singable sequence. By Day 7 you should be able to sing it cold in under 5 seconds.

Daily Log

Day 1

Learn & sing the order 10× forward, 5× backward

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 2

Sing ladder over drone, feel the pull of each note

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 3

Rank 20 random notes 1–7 without looking

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 4

Read Sheet 1A, place each note in its zone over C chord

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 5

Compose a 4-note phrase using only Zone 1 notes

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 2

Phase 1 · Inner Ear

Zone Fluency

Days 8–14

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Label, substitute, and target zones in real melodies. Move fluidly between zone names and the emotional feel they create.

Daily Log

Day 8

Analyze a known melody, label each note's zone

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 9

Zone substitution — swap one note, hear the shift

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 10

Compose phrase visiting all 4 zones

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 11

Sweet Home Chicago — first pass, zone vs. not zone 1

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 12

Compose phrases ending in Zone 1, 2, and 4

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 3

Phase 1 · Inner Ear

Scale Degree Keywords

Days 15–21

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

One note per day — build emotional vocabulary for each scale degree. By week's end, each note should have a word attached to it in your body.

Daily Log

Day 15

DO — HOME. Play in all octaves, compose using DO

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 16

SO — OPEN. Alternate DO and SO, hear the difference

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 17

MI — SWEET. Lead into MI as final note

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 18

LA — LONGING. Compose blues phrase with LA as peak

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 19

RE — YEARNING. Hold RE longer than comfortable, feel the pull

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 4

Phase 1 · Inner Ear

Phase 1 Integration

Days 22–28

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Combine stability + zones + keywords. The three tools from Phase 1 should now work together in real-time analysis and composition.

Daily Log

Day 22

Draw the full map + ladder from memory in 60 sec

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 23

Analyze a melody — name, rank, zone for every note

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 24

Analyze a second melody

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 25

Compose 2-bar zone arc (Zone 1 → tension → Zone 1)

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 26

Write 3 versions, pick the one that moves you most

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 5

Phase 2 · Context

Chord Tone Ear Training

Days 31–37

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Instantly identify whether a note belongs to the chord. Chord tones are your anchor points — everything else is color.

Daily Log

Day 31

Memorize chord tones for C, F, G7, Am

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 32

Chord tone test — 20 rounds, play chord + sing note, is it in the chord?

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 33

20 more rounds, aim for 90% accuracy

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 34

Add passing tone between chord tones, hear the color

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 35

Compose I–IV–V–I melody with chord tone landings

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 6

Phase 2 · Context

Context Shifting

Days 38–44

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

The same note over different chords = different zones. Context is everything — practice hearing one note shift meaning as the harmony moves.

Daily Log

Day 38

Hold RE over C, F, G7, Dm — write zone for each

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 39

Sing RE over each chord in turn without stopping

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 40

Pick your own note, run it through 4 chords

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 41

Do the same with 2 more notes

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 42

Compose melody where one note is held while chord changes

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 7

Phase 2 · Context

Non-Chord Tone Types

Days 45–51

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Passing, Neighbor, Anticipation, Suspension — the four NCT types give color without losing direction. Practice each until it feels intentional.

Daily Log

Day 45

Passing tone — DO→RE→MI over C, compose 3 phrases

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 46

Neighbor tone — SO→LA→SO, compose 3 phrases

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 47

Anticipation — melody note arrives one beat early

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 48

Suspension — FA held into C chord, resolves to MI

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 49

Analyze Sweet Home Chicago for all NCT types

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 8

Phase 2 · Context

Chord Change Behaviors

Days 52–58

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Track what happens when the chord moves. Stay Sweet, Turn Tense, Float Free — three behaviors that tell you how to handle any note through a chord change.

Daily Log

Day 52

Stay Sweet — hold SO through C→G, hear stability

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 53

Compose a backbone-note phrase

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 54

Turn Tense — hold note that becomes non-chord on chord change

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 55

Float Free — hold note that chord change adopts

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 56

Sweet Home Chicago with chord changes — full context analysis

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 9

Phase 3 · Architecture

Sweet vs. Bitter Balance

Days 61–67

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Score your phrases, aim for section ratios. Verse ~50% Zone 1, Chorus ~60%, Bridge heavy on Zone 3+4. Balance is a design decision.

Daily Log

Day 61

Score 3 of your phrases — count notes per zone

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 62

Compare to reference ratios on Sheet 6A

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 63

Compose "verse" phrase targeting 50% Zone 1

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 64

Compose "chorus" phrase targeting 60% Zone 1

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 65

Compose "bridge" phrase with heavy Zone 3+4

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 10

Phase 3 · Architecture

Tension Arc Planning

Days 68–74

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Map the emotional arc before writing. The Section Planner forces intentional choices — every section should have a zone target before a note is sung.

Daily Log

Day 68

Fill Section Planner for a 4-section song

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 69

Write verse melody from the plan

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 70

Write chorus melody from the plan

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 71

Compose bridge — Zone 3 and 4 dominant

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 72

Analyze a complete song's tension arc

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 11

Phase 3 · Architecture

The Revision Checklist

Days 75–81

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Run the 8-step audit on real melodies — yours and published. The checklist turns vague dissatisfaction into specific, fixable problems.

Daily Log

Day 75

Run 8-step audit on one of your composed phrases

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 76

Identify and fix at least one thing

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 77

Check last 5 phrases for red flags

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 78

Fix any red flags found

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 79

Analyze a published song using full 8-step audit

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

This Week's Composition Sketch — Write a phrase using this week's concept. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels:

Weekly Reflection

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

Week 12

Phase 3 · Architecture

Full Song + Final Assessment

Days 82–90

▶ Open every session: Sing DO–SO–MI–LA–RE–TI–FA forward + backward over a drone. (2 min)

This Week's Focus

Compose your capstone piece. Plan first, write section by section from the plan, then run the full 8-step audit on the complete song.

Daily Log

Day 82

Fill Section Planner for full song (Verse / Pre-Chorus / Chorus / Bridge)

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 83

Write verse + pre-chorus from plan

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 84

Write chorus from plan

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 85

Write bridge from plan

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

Day 86

Run full 8-step audit on your 90-Day Song

Zone used:

1

2

3

4

90-Day Song — Capstone Composition Sketch. Label each note's zone below the staff.

Zone labels (Verse):

Zone labels (Chorus):

Zone labels (Bridge):

Final Reflection

What changed most in how I hear melody:

The concept that unlocked the most:

What I'll keep practicing beyond Day 90:

Sweet Home Chicago moment this week:

TEMPLATE — Photocopy or use multiple times

Song: _________________________________ Key: ________ Chord: ________

#	Note	Stability Rank (1–7)	Chord	Chord Tone? (Y/N)	Zone (1–4)	Emotional Quality
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Phrase zone distribution: Zone 1: _____ Zone 2: _____ Zone 3: _____ Zone 4: _____

Dominant feel of this phrase:

Song: _________________________________ Key: ________ Chord: ________

#	Note	Stability Rank (1–7)	Chord	Chord Tone? (Y/N)	Zone (1–4)	Emotional Quality
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Phrase zone distribution: Zone 1: _____ Zone 2: _____ Zone 3: _____ Zone 4: _____

Dominant feel of this phrase:

TEMPLATE — Photocopy or use multiple times

Horizontal Axis →

Vertical Axis ↑

Axis 1 (horizontal):

Axis 2 (vertical):

Time taken:

Accuracy:

After checking — what did I miss or mix up?

Second Attempt — After Correction

Date:

Time taken:

Accuracy:

TEMPLATE — Photocopy or use multiple times

Song:

Artist:

Key:

Chord progression:

Section	First Note	Highest Note	Last Note	Dominant Zone	NCT Types Present
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Other

What makes this melody effective? (use AMF language):

One thing I would change:

Song:

Artist:

Key:

Chord progression:

Section	First Note	Highest Note	Last Note	Dominant Zone	NCT Types Present
Verse
Chorus
Bridge
Other

What makes this melody effective?

One thing I would change:

TEMPLATE — Photocopy or use multiple times

Plan your phrase before writing:

Note 1 Zone

Note 2 Zone

Note 3 Zone

Note 4 Zone

Target feel:

Section type:

Pillar note for this phrase:

Chord:

Composition Space

Staff 1

Zone labels:

Staff 2

Zone labels:

Staff 3

Zone labels:

Staff 4

Zone labels:

Second Phrase Plan

Note 1 Zone

Note 2 Zone

Note 3 Zone

Note 4 Zone

Target feel:

Pillar note:

Chord:

TEMPLATE — Photocopy or use multiple times

Note Slots — Write note name, zone, and chord tone status

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone 1: ___

Zone 2: ___

Zone 3: ___

Zone 4: ___

% Sweet (Z1+Z2):

%

% Color/Tension (Z3+Z4):

%

Target for this section type:

Matches target? Y N

What to adjust:

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone: ___

CT? Y/N

Zone 1: ___

Zone 2: ___

Zone 3: ___

Zone 4: ___

% Sweet:

%

% Tension:

%

Target:

Extra Weekly Reflection — Week: _______

What clicked this week:

What's still fuzzy:

I'll repeat or focus on next time:

Melody OS 90-Day Workbook

How to Use This Workbook

6-Milestone Progress Tracker

Stability Ladder Reference

Note Analysis Grid

Zone Map — Draw From Memory

Song Analysis Template

Phrase Arc Planner + Composition Space

Balance Tally Sheet + Extra Weekly Reflection