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Something to Help With Hearing Intervals

Icculus

Icculus

Jul 29, 2010
606
264
South Jersey
#1
So I'm trying to train my ear, and i accidentally stumbled upon a little idea that's helping me name intervals when I hear them. Equate each interval with a familiar theme that you know (yea, I realize this isn't exactly breaking news or anything).

My ear has always been terrible, but in doing this exercise (link posted below) that someone posted in another thread, I heard the beginning 2 notes to Auld Lang Syne. Knowing how to play that song, it made it way easier to identify the perfect 4th in the exercise. Try to find a simple piece of music that represents each interval. It may be tough to find one for all, so if any of you can think of any, please post them below in this thread.

Anyway, most of you probably already have this exercise down. If there's anyone that's struggled with it like I have, I hope this might help you get over that hump.

http://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-interval
 
#3
here's some I used

minor 2nd :theme form Jaws
maj 2nd: a riff from the middle of Pearl Jam's "Even flow"
Min 3rd: Brahm's Lullabye ("lullabye, and goodnight..."
Maj 3rd: twinkle Twinkle Little star
P4: Aul LangSyne or 'here Comes the bride"
Dim5th: no specific tune...just thought of a P5th and heard the difference
P5: Star Wars
min 6th: no specific tune..
Maj 6th: "My bonnie lies over the ocean..."
Min 7th: no specific tune..thought of a blues riff
Maj 7th: First two notes of the classic Start Trek theme

That said, isolated interval recognition was ONLY useful for my theory test.
I the context of learning songs or bass lines by ear,
I am far more likely to recognize chord progressions or riffs I already know, rather than the individual intervals...
 
#6
Yes. The familiar tune method is a good initial approach, but eventually you want to start hearing the interval without having to reference the tune. Just like anything else, it requires repetition through consistent practice. Sing them, too. Here is a great free site that will help:

http://www.good-ear.com/

d
 
#7
mambo4 said:
here's some I used

minor 2nd :theme form Jaws
maj 2nd: a riff from the middle of Pearl Jam's "Even flow"
Min 3rd: Brahm's Lullabye ("lullabye, and goodnight..."
Maj 3rd: twinkle Twinkle Little star
P4: Aul LangSyne or 'here Comes the bride"
Dim5th: no specific tune...just thought of a P5th and heard the difference
P5: Star Wars
min 6th: no specific tune..
Maj 6th: "My bonnie lies over the ocean..."
Min 7th: no specific tune..thought of a blues riff
Maj 7th: First two notes of the classic Start Trek theme

That said, isolated interval recognition was ONLY useful for my theory test.
I the context of learning songs or bass lines by ear,
I am far more likely to recognize chord progressions or riffs I already know, rather than the individual intervals...
Click to expand...

Are you serious? The most epic riff of all time---Black Sabbath!
 
#8
dtiii said:
...The familiar tune method is a good initial approach, but eventually you'll want to start hearing the interval without having to reference the tune. ....
d
Click to expand...

X 2. But the familiar tunes are a good way to get your foot in the door.

I remember when I was starting out, whenever I had idle time in transit or waiting in line, I'd hum various intervals softly (or imaginarily).

I recall starting with the notes of a major scale -- comparing the first note (bass/tonic/root) to the notes higher in the scale -- just humming the various intervals.

It was actually a fun and diverting exercise, cuz I was determined to be in control of it, and I knew I could do it with practice.

E.g.: You can probably already sing a major scale to yourself (the white notes on a piano, starting from C up to the next C). Your teacher or theory book will tell you what the various intervals are called.

With that firmly in your head, start skipping notes -- like, instead of singing C, D, E, F, G (do re mi fa sol), leave out the D (re) and F (fa) and just sing C, E, G (do mi sol). (Btw, C to G -- or do to sol -- is like a guitar power chord. That's a perfect 5th.)

Then progress to leaving other notes out -- trying all the possibilities. Eventually you'll be able to imagine going from any scale note to any other.

It was only when I had the intervals in simple scales fully mastered that I started working on the notes in between (the chromatic/"black notes").

Just take it slow and enjoy the challenge, with the knowledge that you _can_ do this. :^)

Oh: unless you have perfect pitch, it doesn't matter what actual pitch you're singing or imagining in; you can imagine any note to be the start of a C scale -- it's all relative.
 
#9
dtiii said:
Yes. The familiar tune method is a good initial approach, but eventually you want to start hearing the interval without having to reference the tune. Just like anything else, it requires repetition through consistent practice. Sing them, too. Here is a great free site that will help:

http://www.good-ear.com/

d
Click to expand...

Just worked on a couple of hundred examples, really helped my intervals.
Thanks
 
#10
Twinkle Twinkle is actually a Perfect 5th (not Maj 3rd).

Here comes the bride = 4th (the one I learned)


Harder to think of familiar tunes for DOWNWARD intervals, I think:

Minor 2nd = Joy to the world (Christmas carol)
OR
First notes of the first flute part in the flute trio from Nutcracker Suite.

Major 2nd = First notes of Sunshine of Your Love (Cream)

Minor 3rd = AIR BALL! ... AIR BALL! :D

P 4th = Merrily Merrily (from Row Row Row your Boat)
OR
Born Free

Perfect 5th = Feelings .... :hiding:

6th = Over There... Over There...

Apparently it's even harder to think of non-corny songs with downward intervals...
 

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