Ear Training

In addition to using this site, I've been working with a personal instructor for the past couple of months. Part of what he as me working on is ear training. We've been working on two intervals each week.

For the life of me I can't "get it" (yet). I am using some song associations to help but still struggle. He is telling me this is totally normally.

I am just wondering if it really is that difficult for most people. Maybe it is, or maybe he is just trying to keep my spirits up. Anyhow, wondering what you more experienced musicians think. You can be honest -I am not going to quit - just really curious about how hard this is (or isn't).

Thx.

don't know how long you been playin but if your kinda new at it just be patient and keep on keepin on. you got ta pay your dues but you will start to recognize tonal sounds with time and experience.

I have been doing a ear training porgram for the past 5 months now. I am only half way through the program and I'm barely starting to feel the difference in each tones. This is the kind of thing that just comes on its on, someday. The less stress you put on your shoulder, the easier and faster it will come to you.

Ear training exercises include:

-transcribing music by ear

-singing scales

-singing intervals

-singing arpeggios

-improvising with your voice over chord progressions

-dissecting chords with your ears (what notes are in that chord?)


That should give you plenty to work with... Pick a different exercise to do each week and spend 5-10 minutes per day doing it.

Ear training is great! Not only can you pick apart and learn songs by ear better, but you also dramatically improve your creativity with music, and it refines your knowledge of music theory, which in turn helps you to make better musical choices when it comes to making variations on songs you learn.

naturally, knowing the notes on the fretboard will help also. You should spend the time to memorize those notes, because that way you won't need to rely on trial and error to find the notes that you hear.

You will need to study music theory as well, as you practice ear training.

Those three skills are seperate, but work together in an integrated, systematic way.

When you know what key it's in (music theory) you will know how to listen to the intervals and chords of the music (ear training) and then instantly know where to find it on the guitar (fretboard memorization)

Hope this helps!

Thanks everyone. My teacher is, I think, mixing in some theory with the ear training. He has me learning scales with numbers right now but he is teaching how to figure out the key of the song. My sense is knowing what the actual notes are is right around the corner.

Kudo's to all you real musicians - amazing how much there is to learn.

hello

Matteo is right

this is a mental game that can be pratice without anything else that your mind.

i do sometime lsiten to a song and in my head try to figure out the note of it and i try to do it afterward on the guitar to see my acuracy.
it a long process.

dont give up

Rock on!

Yep :)

It's hard to develop your ear. Your ear is like a budding flower. If you have never practiced, it's closed. As you practice, and sing things aloud, and listen more closely, it will start to open itself up.

If you spend even a few days without practicing, it will close itself back up!

It's also a delicate flower. You don't want to force it open. If your ear is having trouble listening, or if you can't quite sing something right... Don't keep forcing it to happen. Just sit back, relax, take a break, and come back to it later.

Some days your ear just doesn't want to cooperate, and that's okay. But if that's the case, then just listen to something soothing. :D