As regards scales and intervals. When I was learning (attempting to learn) sight-reading and suchlike I found it helped to identify certain intervals with the opening notes of certain songs. The first two notes of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" gives an octave. The first two notes of "Here Comes The Bride" is a perfect fourth. A sixth, "My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean" or "I Did It My Way". The first four notes of numberless songs (MacColl's "Travelling People") for examples form a major chord. Even unusual intervals like a minor seventh can be found – the opening notes of "Who Fears To Speak Of '98".

Despite this I am still useless at transcribing or reading without a guitar or keyboard to guide me.