![]() ![]() Over the years, I learned that what he could do was only the tip of the iceberg. I learned that there were people who could listen to a song and tell you the chords without even touching an instrument. I learned that there were people who could hear quartets and quintets and transcribe every single note that was performed by each instrument. I learned that there were people who wrote music without even touching a musical instrument - straight from thought to paper. So I continued to study methods of ear training, and pass my discoveries on to my students. Here are a few ways to strengthen your ear. + Read more on Flypaper: How Trailblazing Composer and Sound Artist Pauline Oliveros Made Me a Better Listener 1. In order to do this, I would start with a minor pentatonic scale, as those are simple and easy for your ear to digest. Start by playing the first note of the scale and then sing it to yourself. Do the same with the second, third, and so on until you’ve completed the scale (I would suggest doing at least two octaves worth). Eventually, you’ll be able to time it so that as each note is played on your instrument, you’ll sing it at the exact same time. Once you can sing a minor pentatonic scale while you play it, try testing yourself. Start by singing a few notes, then play them back on your instrument. See if you can use your brain to come up with melodies that your fingers wouldn’t otherwise naturally be drawn to. ![]() And of course, once you’ve had enough of the minor pentatonic scale, venture into the modes of the major scale, arpeggios, harmonic and melodic minor - the more scales you can sing, the better! 2. Intervals are what we call the space between two notes. Within the confines of one octave, there are 12 intervals.įor example, starting on an A and ending on the F# above it is a major 6th interval. An octave, for example, is the first two notes from “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Try playing an octave and see if you can recognize that structure from the song. Other intervals have similar familiar qualities, such as the perfect 4th (“Here Comes the Bride”), minor 2nd (the “Theme from Jaws”), and major 6th (the “NBC Theme”). All intervals have an immediately identifiable character, and the more that you can familiarize yourself with each one, the better your ear will become. Transcribing melodies by ear becomes infinitely easier when you understand that all notes have a distance that can be measured.
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