Good ear training book/cds?

[RyRob813]

What I'm looking for isn't necessarily EAR TRAINING, as I already have a very good ear, I just wasn't sure what else to call it.

I need something that can teach me to mimick what I hear reletively quickly, i.e.- I'm given a starting tone of D, and then a line is played off that first note, and I match it.

Are there any training book/cd sets that are meant for that type of thing?

Sorry if the post was confusing, thanks!

[joe the cop]

There's some share ware and some inexpensive programs you could use, I found some on harmony central.

PC:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Softw..._training.html

MAC:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Softw..._training.html

MORE LINKS FROM HARMONY CENTRAL:
http://search.harmony-central.com/se...ult_collection

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by RyRob813

What I'm looking for isn't necessarily EAR TRAINING, as I already have a very good ear, I just wasn't sure what else to call it.

I need something that can teach me to mimick what I hear reletively quickly, i.e.- I'm given a starting tone of D, and then a line is played off that first note, and I match it.

Are there any training book/cd sets that are meant for that type of thing?

Sorry if the post was confusing, thanks!

That is why traditional Ear Training class do some much sight-singing that help ties the ear to what you sing and next step what you play. I would suggest start singing everything you practice and play. Learn to sing the heads of songs and play then. That gets the connection between the your ear and fretboard. When you learn or transcribe bass lines or solos learn to sing them first, then transcribe from your singing. You will also find that once start you singing what you practice it helps your time and phrasing. You don't have to be George Benson or Oteil Burbridge just groan it out.

[RyRob813]

Thanks guys!

[CanadaBass]

Gary Willis: Ultimate Ear Training for Guitar and Bass.

Highly recommended!

[Charling]

Originally Posted by DocBop

That is why traditional Ear Training class do some much sight-singing that help ties the ear to what you sing and next step what you play. I would suggest start singing everything you practice and play. Learn to sing the heads of songs and play then. That gets the connection between the your ear and fretboard. When you learn or transcribe bass lines or solos learn to sing them first, then transcribe from your singing. You will also find that once start you singing what you practice it helps your time and phrasing. You don't have to be George Benson or Oteil Burbridge just groan it out.

agreed 110%. the best of the best ear training is singing with what you are playing and transcribing tunes.

when you add a new idea to your repetoire make sure you can sing along with what you are playing before you start to use it.

ie, say you learn that using the H/W diminished scale is good over the 5 of a minor 2-5-1 make sure that you can sing with the ideas you are practicing within it. this will cement the SOUND of the scale in your head, rather than just your fingers and it will unlock the possibilites of the scale, rather than just noodling around the scale pattern!

[RyRob813]

Originally Posted by Charling

agreed 110%. the best of the best ear training is singing with what you are playing and transcribing tunes.

when you add a new idea to your repetoire make sure you can sing along with what you are playing before you start to use it.

ie, say you learn that using the H/W diminished scale is good over the 5 of a minor 2-5-1 make sure that you can sing with the ideas you are practicing within it. this will cement the SOUND of the scale in your head, rather than just your fingers and it will unlock the possibilites of the scale, rather than just noodling around the scale pattern!

Thanks again guys! I actually already figure music out this way- singing it first then matching my bass with my voice. I find it easier to just match the pitch with my voice as opposed to fumbling around the neck, it's faster for me. So I'm on the right track then?

Also, I play all my scales incessantly every time I practice; ascending, descending, in every key, different fingerings, everything I can do to pound them into my head, (what I think you're describing.)

So I could assume then I should just keep doing the things I'm doing, except try to sing my scales as well as play them?

Thanks again for the feedback, much appreciated!

[Jim Carr]

I have taught College and University ear training at a variety of schools. I have come to the conclusion that the most important parts of my training, the parts that made everything else happen for me as a musician were:

1) my parents teaching me to sing songs as a very little kid.
2) childrens choir ages 7-11
3) figuring out every single bass line on the first 6 beatles LPs as a teenager.

My advice is to try everything to improve your ears (lessons, software, classes, piano lessons, etc.), BUT....Do Not avoid doing the very thing you are trying to do.

In other words, if you want to get better at learning bass lines from recordings, work at learning bass lines as possible. yep. Learn lots of bass lines. Start simple, and do a whole lot of it. Do it everyday, and do it for an hour or two.

Once I got pretty good, I used to just put AM ('60s) top 40 radio on and play along for hours.

Do it. Start with simpler recordings, and move up. You'll get better, I promise.