I play by ear. Have you heard someone saying that? Probably, many times. After all, musicians speak in the language of music, and it may seem somewhat different from the common people. There is no doubt to say that the language of music is meant for musicians, but if you are interested to know more about a few common phrases, you can search online.
Here we are going to talk about the concept of ear training that is one of the most valuable things for musicians around the world. If you are a beginner in this field, you may have a common question in your mind about whether I need ear training or not. Well, the quick answer is Yes. Everyone needs this language of music to succeed in this field. Otherwise, the journey may appear like pretending to learn a new language without practicing it in actual.
It is possible for all of us to enjoy the benefits of our listening skills. But when it comes to music, we can just recognize the melodies that please our ears, without actually knowing what note is being played. But for musicians who need to craft music, learning these important aspects is important. The ultimate goal is to create music that can create value for the listener. You can analyze its impact on your ears first and then make changes in notes and melodies accordingly.
How to develop your ear for training?
From where you need to start? Well, you need to begin by creating a reference point in your mind that can assist you in understanding the depth of music. The first most thing every beginner needs to learn is the interval between two notes that interact with each other. When someone plays a song on guitar or some other instrument, the song uses to have a key, home, and center. All the notes played by the musician must connect to the center somehow.
Even if you are not aware of the note, you can still be able to sing it. When you listen to the melody, you may observe that the first and the last note in the line present the home. In order to improve the impact of music transcription, you need to keep the home note for the song key stored inside your brain.
While doing ear training, you need to recognize all notes in the melody. They are better known as intervals. In order to improve your confidence level with the intervals, you may need to follow two simple steps:
- First of all, start singing with intervals. No matter which instrument you play, whether it is a flute, guitar, or anything else, practice the scale by singing the notes accurately.
- It is not enough to learn to sing an interval. When you wish to grow in this field, it is important to create connections — spare time to relate every interval to some song.
As intervals are played at the beginning of the songs, they are usually convenient to remember. Spending more time on major intervals may help you to be confident with your basics. With continuous practice, you will learn the non-diatonic intervals and minors a little faster.
How to practice ear training?
If you are eager to practice ear training, you may need some tips from experts to succeed faster. Well, here we have listed a few tips to help you achieve your goal without overburdening your brain:
Tip 1: Prefer intervals that move away from the root
You need to start by learning intervals that move naturally away from the root. It is possible to find many such options online, and you can practice them on a regular basis.
Tip 2: Use reliable ear training software
The market is loaded with a variety of ear training software; however, beginners need to be a little careful while choosing the best one. It is important to find one that is easy to use and is loaded with interactive features. You can also download some advanced apps on your smartphone. The idea is to stay tuned to something that could introduce you to some relevant combinations of intervals. You can also find some artificial intelligence-powered software tools for enhanced learning.
Tip 3: Practice major arpeggios
Experts advise starting with chord tones such as firth, third and root. When you learn these three intervals, you may get solid ear skills with ease. They are better known as bone intervals and can guide you better to learn other aspects of ear training. Another sample you should practice is back, fifth, third, major and root. Whenever you practice these notes and tones, it is important to anticipate the note that comes next in the sequence.
Tip 4: Sing seventh arpeggios
When you feel comfortable with the basic triad chord tones, the next task is to start singing with seventh arpeggios. The structure appears more refined when you have memorized the basic ones.
Key Takeaway
With time, you can start filling the gaps by learning the remaining chord tones and piano notes. Slowly, start creating a list of songs and convert them into recognition of intervals. Another valuable technique to ear training is the philosophical approach. The idea is to stick to a specific song in the list and then read through it to understand the specific composition. Spare time to understand how the notes are moving and how the intervals are connected to each other.
Ear training is a trusted approach to improve your skills in the world of music; however, it is not getting the necessary attention these days. Logically, if you are playing without listening to the intervals and the chord tones, all efforts get pointless. It is better to spare more time to understand the basic concepts behind the music and then start practicing the keynotes. Ear training can help you be more specific with your compositions, and you can also sing them well. It can be the most trusted trick to impress your audience in big concerts.
