Ear Training

[superblonde]

Did you ever study ear training, if so, how did you do?

Quote from a famous (frequent radio airplay) professional AC jazz musician: " I have personally witnessed professional working musicians who couldn't pass aural skills (ear training) exams."

Quote from an established UC music theory instructor & music theory textbook author: "One of my previous classmates had to take the classes three times and never passed so I don't know how he got his degree. He teaches at (famous school) now so somehow..they figured it out."

UCLA admissions: "Must pass through all four semesters of ear training coursework and final exams to obtain degree."

Here is a beginner test, to be written on staff, with correct rhythm. No rewinding allowed.
https://youtu.be/_CagsKTcB7U

[Paulie]

I've got a music degree in jazz studies with a minor in music theory, had to pass four semesters of music theory, along with four semesters of music history, plus a piano barrier exam required by all students, no matter what their primary instrument is. Ear Training can certainly be learned, but it is not a requirement to be a successful composer, Neither is a basic understanding of music harmony, or the ability to read music. There are plenty of examples famous musicians that can't read music or don't know theory... same could be said for a lot of music supervisors as well. And generally speaking, a lot of people get annoyed when music theory gets brought up, for some its about as useful or interesting as Latin.

My take is that learning music theory is incredibly helpful when it comes to learning music, and writing music. If you are working on a a piece in a certain genre you usually need to listen to lot of examples in that genre to get a basic understanding of the musical elements and stylistic components needed to hit the target. Now, if you have a basic understanding... basic ear training skills, you can easily recognize most chord progressions found in popular music today. "Oh, this song is nothing but the I-V-vi-IV progression." Or, "The bridge on this starts on the IV chord and moves to the vi, before building up a big Vsus4 chord back into the chorus." Knowing what you are listening to saves a lot of time, not knowing means that you are sitting at the keyboard poking at keys until you find something that sounds close. in this business, time is money... you need to be able to crank out a lot of music if you want to make any money.

I view music theory literacy like reading literacy. There have been famous people that didn't know how to read, but we all recognize that knowing how to read makes things easy. Understanding music theory will absolutely make you a better writer and will improve your work flow and productivity.

PC

[RPaul]

Did you ever study ear training, if so, how did you do?

Quote from a famous (frequent radio airplay) professional AC jazz musician: " I have personally witnessed professional working musicians who couldn't pass aural skills (ear training) exams."

Quote from an established UC music theory instructor & music theory textbook author: "One of my previous classmates had to take the classes three times and never passed so I don't know how he got his degree. He teaches at (famous school) now so somehow..they figured it out."

UCLA admissions: "Must pass through all four semesters of ear training coursework and final exams to obtain degree."

Here is a beginner test, to be written on staff, with correct rhythm. No rewinding allowed.
https://youtu.be/_CagsKTcB7U

FWIW, I probably could have passed this test on the first listen since it was super simple and not quick. I was expecting something more challenging.

As for ear training, I never did anything formal, but my mother taught me to play piano starting at the age of 4. I know she used to sing the notes along with my playing them, and I think I was doing that. I'm pretty sure I actually learned to read music before I learned to read English (I think we learned that in the first grade, which would have been a couple of years later). As long as I can remember, I've always been pretty good at sight reading. I've also had "absolute pitch", which seemed to amaze some of my high school music teachers. While some with "perfect pitch" can tell you want the notes are if they give you a starting point reference, I could generally tell without that starting point reference. I can only suspect that it relates back to having learned to play the piano so early. (I should note that doesn't mean I have great pitch control -- that's a different thing that involves breath support and various other considerations beyond recognizing the pitches you hear.)

My formal training in general was limited. I only took piano lessons from my mother from 4-7 years of age, and I did not take piano lessons beyond that -- I was self taught from 7 onwards, for example teaching myself to read chord diagrams (mainly based on comparing the notes in sheet music to the chord names initially). I also had clarinet, and, for a little while, sax, lessons in school from the 4th grade through 12th grade, and I was in all the relevant musical ensembles (choir, band, jazz band). One of our music teachers tried starting up an out-of-hours music theory course, but that only lasted a brief while. (I think it was frowned on for teachers to teach outside of school hours -- union stuff, maybe.)

I have read a lot of books, magazines, etc. over the years, but, once you start getting into jazz chords beyond 9ths, my attention span goes out the window quickly. Also, I really can't deal with the Nashville numbering system, even if I understand it. It is somehow like trying to do math in real time. Yet, if you give me a piece in C and ask me to play it in F, I can do that in my head in real time with no problem. (Just don't ask me to do it in C# or F# -- I simply can't hear in those keys for some reason. And Db is only slightly better.) I guess what I'm saying here is I understand more theory than I can use in practice, but most of what I do tends to be ear-based and muscle-based. And I think I really need to attribute it to starting so early. Some people have asked me how I play piano without looking at the keys, and I've asked them if they have to concentrate when they breathe.

Rick

[cosmicdolphin]

I am the complete opposite...never had music lessons, can't read music, never studied theory. To be honest my eyes just glaze over when people start banging about it.

But I have several hundred tracks in various libraries now and about 80 placements..mostly Electronica - Tension - EDM - Pop - Trailer - Hip Hop.

Earlier this year I wrote an Orchestral piece for a brief which got placed by an Italian history channel type show last week. So it can be done.

Mark

[RPaul]

I am the complete opposite...never had music lessons, can't read music, never studied theory. To be honest my eyes just glaze over when people start banging about it.

My eyes also glaze over when people start talking music theory. Also when they talk about music history trivia like who played what on which <name-a-famous-artist> album. I think it's that whole "talking about music is like dancing about architecture" thing.

I also know lots of excellent musicians (especially guitar players) who don't read music at all. A number of years back, I was playing keyboard on a worship team at a church whose pastor used to play with the Beach Boys on the road. He wanted to play the keyboard on one of his songs, so I was sitting in the congregation watching . He'd supplied a lead sheet (notated music and lyrics with chord names in the relevant places) for the musicians to read. All the musicians there were excellent, but you should have seen the expressions on the guitar players' faces with the intense concentration they had to use for following those charts (as opposed to the more typical ones that just had chords above lyrics with no notation). They had a running joke: How do you get guitar players to stop playing? Put notation in front of them.

Rick

[cosmicdolphin]

All the musicians there were excellent, but you should have seen the expressions on the guitar players' faces with the intense concentration they had to use for following those charts (as opposed to the more typical ones that just had chords above lyrics with no notation). They had a running joke: How do you get guitar players to stop playing? Put notation in front of them.

Reminds me of this https://vimeo.com/167985315

[lesmac]

Reminds me of this https://vimeo.com/167985315

Classic. +1

[Telefunkin]

Here's a technique that might help vocalists ......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGeT--W0pFk

[based on 'Who's That Girl' by Eurythmics]

[RPaul]

Reminds me of this https://vimeo.com/167985315

That is hilarious!!!

[cosmicdolphin]

Here's a technique that might help vocalists ......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGeT--W0pFk

Ahah,...frighteningly like an actual singing lesson