Ear Training CDs

Ben Rose · #1 01-06-2005, 08:41 AM

OK, so in an effort to follow through on my New Years resolution to make 2005 the "Year of the Ear", I am looking for some ear training materials.

I have a keyboard coming and I will definitely be working on the methods suggested in other posts, (thank you Durrl and Fuqua), but I spend alot of time in my car that could probably be used for something more productive than listening to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on NPR.

Does anyone know of a good ear training course that is primarily based on CD exercises that can be done without a book?

Also, does anyone have experience with other Ear Training books that they would recommend?

Steve Brooks · #2 01-06-2005, 03:07 PM

I suggest a simple and very effective solution: sing everything that you play. This will help you to hear intervals, scales, chords, etc. It's getting over your ego and ACTUALLY singing that is the hard part...

Jace The Bass · #3 01-06-2005, 03:12 PM

Here's a site in which I use everyday since I have no access to a keyboard
www.good-ear.com
Free ear training CD
You could get the Jamie abersold ear training course which has a tape or CD that comes with it
Enjoy

Ben Rose · #4 01-06-2005, 03:48 PM

Thanks Steve and Jace. Those are both good suggestions.

Jace,

I think I'm going to order the Aebersold book. Do you have any experience with it?

Steve Brooks · #5 01-06-2005, 06:14 PM

All of the Aebersold books/CD's are good learning tools. I'm sure if you were to order it, you would not be disappointed. The Aebersold series is a good one to have.

ErikP.Bass · #6 01-06-2005, 06:21 PM

Check this site out :

http://www.miles.be/

It has two programs (basic and advanced) you can download for free. You can do a lot with them...definitely worth the time check it out. Work with them ten to twenty minutes a day and I guarantee you will hear a difference....singing the intervals as mentioned above is the only true way to internalize music.

Some interesting articles there too. The site focus of hearing music in a "tonal context" hearing the function of the tones with in a key...Solfege.

Leco reis · #7 01-07-2005, 12:33 AM

Make cds or tapes
with random intervals and one with chords and try to guess them.
when you memorize the cd, make another one.

Ben Rose · #8 01-07-2005, 09:11 AM

Thank you all for the suggestions. Donelian's book and the Aebersold book are both getting good recommendations from
multiple sources. I'm going to use the exercises from www.miles.be to make some of my own CD's to practice with in the car.

I can't wait to get started tonight.

edvon · #9 01-16-2005, 09:13 PM

Hi, I bought Gary Willis UltimateEarTraining For Guitar And Bass, which comes with a CD. It has helped me a lot, it is methodical and even though geared towards fretted instruments it works just as well for the DB. I haven't tried it in the car but can imagine it to work, as some of the excercises don't involve having an instrument in your reach. I read critique on the book that people find his voice a bit boring (he reads out the intervals and exercis nos) and that the timbre of instruments used is a bit annoying, I have to aggree to an extent, but nevertheless think it's a good book.

If you can record at home you could burn a CD with certain intervals (ascending and descending), leave a short pause between the pitches, so you can then match what you sang (thats how Willis is doing it on his CD). After you done your diatonic and chromativ intervalls you could record arpeggios and chords, inversions, harmonization of the major/mior scale ...the possibilities are endless.

I found as earlier mentioned that singing aloud (and in the car I have no issues singing REALLY loud) is the best way (maybe the only way.) I really dig your New Years resolution, it has inspired me to do some more training for the ear as well...

Best of luck.

edvon · #10 01-18-2005, 06:00 PM

More to the singing aspect as Steve mentioned earlier, last night I saw Ed Schuller perform "Tales of Time and Space" with Joe Lovano on Sax in a quintet. Every solo he played he actually sang out loud (into a mic sometimes). That really takes a good ear/brain/hand coordination and just shows how helpful that can be for eartraining. I will definitely implement singing of what I play in my eartraining regime...

Johnny L · #11 07-14-2006, 08:01 AM

I just got the Abersold ear training CD's last week and it's been lots of fun.

I haven't had too much trouble with the intervals but hearing the chords is challenging for me right now. I can't hear the sonority so easily when the root of the chords move around and I have to break them down in singing and thinking about the intervals.

In fact, sometimes I struggle even to hear the root dang it LOL

EFischer1 · #12 07-14-2006, 05:53 PM

McGamut is a cd-rom program that they use at my school. I never bought it, but its supposed to be helpful.

theschnitt · #13 08-07-2006, 08:43 AM

I like this one and you can download a free trial.

Pete in Tucson

rg3000 · #14 11-03-2006, 02:57 PM

While they aren't on CD (as was originally requested), here are some free online ear training tools that include exercises for intervals, chords, random melodies, and playing simple songs by ear:

http://www.iwasdoingallright.com/tools/ear_training/

-Rick

sibass89 · #15 11-04-2006, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFischer1

McGamut is a cd-rom program that they use at my school. I never bought it, but its supposed to be helpful.

MacGamut sucks. They use it at my school too and what they don't realize is that it almost impairs your hearing because a computer has no resonance in the sound compared to a piano or an instrument. It is a waste of time.

bassdblr · #16 11-14-2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theschnitt

I like this one and you can download a free trial.

Pete in Tucson

I like Ear Master too. I have tried many of them, but this one has it all. I have not even begun the jazz section, but it looks really impressive and that's what is next. I have been working on the basics, but I would even buy this. Really think it is worth it. You can try it eleven times, I think, before you decide.

philip sirois · #17 11-15-2006, 10:43 AM

this is cool.

http://www.musictheory.net/

look under the "trainers" pull down. The chord, interval and scale
trainer are pretty good, especially if your time-constrained.

AdaGio³ · #18 11-21-2006, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip sirois

this is cool.

http://www.musictheory.net/

look under the "trainers" pull down. The chord, interval and scale
trainer are pretty good, especially if your time-constrained.

That's what I used for the basics and what I still use to reference on more complicated stuff. Its really an amazing resource.

bejoyous · #19 11-22-2006, 02:20 AM

Everyone suggests singing. Singing in a choir will improve your ear the quickest. Ask around, someone will tell you who is the best choir in your area. If it's a church choir, you'll be singing twice a week.

There's nothing like viserally feeling a Suspended 4th falling to a nice Major 3rd.

Plus, when they know you play bass, it'll open up playing opportunities as well. You also meet 20-50 people who know about music. It's never a bad thing to network.

Jaydublyew · #20 03-18-2007, 08:52 AM

Hi Friends,

I'd like to revive this old thread. I stumbled across and I love the Ear Trainer.

Does anyone want to discuss with an old "cementhead" what it means when you say that notes want to "resolve"?

PS I downloaded the Ear Trainer and I "clicked" with it immediately so I think there's hope for me. I run thru 100 times in each key and I nail the note every single time.

OBTW...I'm a Sexagenarian who has listened to and sung all types of music for all my life but am only beginning to finally play an instrument, since retirement.