Ear Training Tricks

[Vasudeva]

Hi guys. I have noticed that the biggest problem I seem to have at the moment is not being able to figure out the key in which someone is playing. Does anyone have any tips to help me get better at this (aside from practice)?

[topper]

My son is learning to play electric guitar. Sometimes we sit together back to back, one of us plays a note and the other tries to match it.

[hunta]

Sight singing. Learn solfege (with kodaly hand symbols!), get a copy of Ottman Music for Sight Singing, spend many tedious hours singing chord progressions and melodies, WIN!

[Vasudeva]

thanks for the replies guys.

[perucci]

Knowing the key a song is in is really more "music theory" than "ear training". "Ear training" is really more about:

• Matching a pitch
• Hearing/identifying intervals
• Hearing/identifying chords
• Remembering musical phrases

[hunta]

Being able to pick up the key and the proper major/minor tonality without being told what it is, that is ear training. It's handy! Ear training generally also covers singing of rhythms, so it helps train your internal sense of rhythm as well. It's also important to be able to tell when notes you're playing (or others are playing) are diatonic or not, or in tune, that's ear training too.

[bottomend!]

as perucci pointed out it's more a matter of therry than ears... and heres' why;

If you can find the root and if you can then find the third of the chord you're ( supposed!) to be playing, you'll be pretty darn close to finding the key you're in. Of course, before you can "find" either of those two notes you have to know what they are and how they function within a musical context... ( What did he just say?!) I'm talking about tension and release here. Some notes have a tendency to "pull" away and others have a tendency to "push" towards and some just wanna stay right where they are.

I would say to be able to find the key of a song you're struggleing through, you would first need to be able to locate the root and KNOW it's actually the root and not another note by mistake ( alot of people confuse the root with the fifth when first starting out), next be able to identify a note which is a major third about the root note and finally be able to discern whether or not those two notes as a combination "feel" like they are moving or stationary. Answer those question and you'll know what key you're in ( oh yea, and be able to do it in under .ooo5 seconds!)

[bigthemat]

go to musictheory.net and do their ear training exercises.

knowing on the fly the difference between a perfect 4 and 5, or hearing a minor or major 6th, well, knowing all your intervals is integral.

also, i second the solfege! I spent 2 longs years when i first started college doing ear training and theory and dictation. I thought it was useless until I saw how much it applied to my playing. Then when i started playing bass, it manifested itself so much more (I am originally a trumpet player)

can you sing all the different scales? If I asked you to sing a harmonic minor scale, can you? Or how about a half diminished 7th chord?

knowing it internally to the point of not even having to think about it is something I am trying to still get to. I am on my way, but still have a ways to go.

it is hard, but not impossible. i passed all my theory core with As and Bs, somehow.. even though I can barely pass my GEs.

and, with everything, listen!! try doing some simple dictation of songs. Start easy with an easy blues, something like freddie freeloader, and see if you can name/write down all the chords. then try something a little more complex, or a song from the radio.

good luck, though.

[bassbuddie]

I've designed a new tool for ear training, Mp3s taht you can put on your Ipod, shuffle, with this answer at the end. Really helped me.
www.eartrainingsolutions.com

[tbone0813]

Try:

http://www.musictheory.net

or

http://www.byear.com/

[Vasudeva]

thanks guys, looks like I have my work cut out for me!

[theshadow2001]

The rule of thumb is that the key is usually the same as the last chord played in the song. Not true for every song but certainly a good chunk.

Personally I look at the scales being used on riffs the chords and other aspects. Then I see what scale they fit into and that usually gives me the key. Some times the chords might throw you off though. Like a minor being used where with basic theory it should be a major. Or using a dominant of a dominant which is a seventh that isn't based on the fifth note of a major scale and so on.


Generally though it's the last chord. Also if you use this rule to find the key you can then see how riffs in the song and other chords fit into that key. You will be able to see for yourself how you can find they key without necessarily looking at the last chord (because sometimes it isn't) but using other aspects of the song.

[seanm]

Really, it is much easier if you are just told the key!

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

The rule of thumb is that the key is usually the same as the last chord played in the song. Not true for every song but certainly a good chunk.

Good rule of thumb, but doesn't work that well at a gig But I have also found the last chord is a better indicator than the first chord.

[theshadow2001]

Originally Posted by seanm

Good rule of thumb, but doesn't work that well at a gig But I have also found the last chord is a better indicator than the first chord.

I don't follow how does being at a gig change things?

[Wootsticks]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I don't follow how does being at a gig change things?

'Cause what would you do for the rest of the song?

[seanm]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

I don't follow how does being at a gig change things?

The singer starts a song, and forgets to tell you the key.... you can't very well wait till the *last* chord of the song to decide what key it is in

EDIT: Wootsticks beat me to it.

[theshadow2001]

Originally Posted by seanm

The singer starts a song, and forgets to tell you the key.... you can't very well wait till the *last* chord of the song to decide what key it is in

EDIT: Wootsticks beat me to it.

Pfft when did a singer ever know what key anything is in?

[Wootsticks]

Originally Posted by theshadow2001

Pfft when did a singer ever know what key anything is in?

When they have any singing experience at all. Not all singers are douchebags.

The ones I play and sing with are, though. "What are you doing?" "Harmonizing with you." "Stop that."