Ear Training - would a keyboard help?

[Julian G]

I've always considered myself not to have a 'good ear' but I realise its something I have to work at and put the effort into it. I've done a couple of online courses and it's taking a while to sink in.
I've been thinking of getting a keyboard to help with ear training and in particular to help recognising chords. I can't play a keyboard and I have an acoustic guitar which i tend to mangle around the neck when trying to play bar chords in particular.
Does it make sense to use a keyboard to help identifying notes and chords? Or am I just making things more complicated?
Appreciate any advice or tips that any of you have for ear training.

 

[bholder]

It does make a lot of sense, I always want a keyboard handy when I want to "think music" and things like interval recognition and such. And cheap keyboards are very functional and very cheap these days.

 

[JRA]

Does it make sense to use a keyboard to help identifying notes and chords?

yes.

...am I just making things more complicated?

a piano/keyboard might actually make "things" less complicated.

 

[bholder]

yes.

a piano/keyboard might actually make "things" less complicated.

Yeah, this. A keyboard reduces that magical "number of different ways to play a note", no worries about which fret on which string, there's only one key. Just a question of which finger to hit it with. Makes it easier to focus on the actual music / sound.

Ought to be easy enough to play well, then, right? Hehe. NOT! hehe hehe hehe

 

[gsneto]

... I have an acoustic guitar which i tend to mangle around the neck when trying to play bar chords in particular.

Try a guitar with nylon strings, if you haven't already.

A keyboard/piano is a beautiful instrument. Although it would be a very nice tool for ear training, that is the wrong reason to get one IMO. You get a piano/keyboard because you'd love to be able to play one, not for ear training. It takes dedication and is as frustrating to learn as the next instrument; IME people don't learn instruments they don't really love.

As for ear training advice, vocabulary is important. A lot of what the 'good ear' does is recognition (as opposed to "figuring out", if it makes any sense). Learn new songs often, from multiple different genres, even if you don't like them. You don't have to remember these songs for life, you don't have to play them to your friends, you just want exposure to new things.

And adjust expectations: it takes time. YT videos and online courses say otherwise because money.

 

[CallMeAl]

Ear training classes in college were always with a keyboard. I think it’s the way to go. You can see the intervals, easily play harmonies, and sing along. Connecting the ear to your singing voice is a huge learning aid. get one!

 

[onda'bass]

I used my bass for ear training.

 

[mrcbass]

Coming from a position of a trained musician, I believe every musician should have functional understanding of a keyboard and yes, it is the best tool for ear training and other theoretical exploration. You don't need anything fancy.

 

[singlemalt]

Probably an app for that. Pick a chord and hear it, or play a game like flash cards. Hear it and guess.

IrealB is an awesome tool for hearing chords and recognizing chord progressions.

A used Casio is probably your for a song, and learning keyboards certainly won’t hurt.

Playing guitar is a great way to hear chords and inversions.

 

[Alexis Duntov]

I would suggest you get a keyboard. Inversions on guitar can be done but they are much easier on a keyboard. I would also get an ear training book that works through different levels. A New Approach to Sight Singing (Berkowitz) or Training The Ear by Armen Donelian (with whom I studied- a brilliant musician and teacher). And kudos to you for realizing that working on ear training is important.

 

[TyBo]

Would a keyboard be helpful for ear training?
Yes.
That's how Freddie Mercury did it, when very early on he was having some pitch problems. 'Nuff said.
Good for chords too. Yep.

 

[perfektspace6]

Much easier with a keyboard/piano.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Everyone should have at least some knowledge of keyboard playing.
The thing is that most everyone that takes any formal training in music will be exposed to keys.
This can be very useful if you are trying discuss something with someone that plays an instrument you don't even begin to understand.
It lets a bass player show a bassoon player a simple line because you both speak a little keyboard.
Kind of a universal translator.

 

[Jason Sypher]

Keyboards quickly become easily visualized which adds in the memorization of pitches and relationships. Indispensable.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

It did not help me with ear training (That said: I've not put a lot of effort into that) HOWEVER knowing your way around a keyboard can help yourself, and others, when working out a song. It's easy enough to say "I play this pattern here", but that means nothing to a guitar who wants to know what notes you are playing or a keyboard player, or a.....insert any other muso here.....I can also work out intervals on keys faster than I can on Bass. I can also usually work out what key a song is in faster on keys. No, I do not play a piano.

 

[Killing Floor]

Yessir. Even if you don’t dive into keys you’ll expand your musical range with a little effort. Will help your ear but also should help your bass playing. It’s a great tool for learning all aspects of music.

 

[JimmyM]

Arranger’s piano: A basic skill set of knowing what notes are what and how to form chords and pick out melodies on it.

I can’t play piano very well, but it is so useful for many things beyond ear training that I highly recommend getting one, even if it’s a cheapo.

 

[Dadum]

A keyboard is great.

With a free computer program like Musescore, you can make MP3 loops of similar sounding chord to listen to endlessly in your car. You can also switch to different instruments and record the same sequence that way.

It’s another option.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

For melody your voice or a bass works.

Working on harmony with the sparse chords available on the bass gives you an implicit understanding of harmony and where it all lies on the instrument. Not a bad thing. Your bass lines might become less busy and more sophisticated.

What harmony on the bass can't give you is an explicit understanding of what more dense harmony sounds like. You need a keyboard for that.

 

[rogerb]

It may help on some level, however I think you need to recognize chords and intervals on the bass.

I can’t get past thinking about chords or intervals on the keyboard and then transferring that to the bass. I need to see chords, intervals and scales on the bass fretboard like I do on the piano.

You need to see or feel it on the bass.

I came from piano though, maybe just on a superficial level for ear training it would be helpful. I don’t have a great ear because I played the piano, but I never worked on ear training.