What are some ear training exercises?

[thebbconspiracy]

I've been playing for about 5 years now, and I did something that I regret doing when I started... I learned using tab. I've taught myself notation and can read well, but my ear still sucks, so what are some exercises besides playing along with the radio or a CD that I can do?

 

[bassinplace]

Playing with a recording really is the best way to go, imo. Start at the start, learn a chunk. Learn the next chunk and play it through with the first chunk. Repeat chunk by chunk until song is learned. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Your ears are your bread and butter so it's worth it to put the time and effort into makin' 'em strong.

 

[thebbconspiracy]

Thank you!

 

[cloverkeys]

Learning to hear the intervals of a melody has helped me a lot!

 

[Already In Use]

You can sing the intervals as a voice/ear exercise...5...3...4...2...1 and 5...4...3...2...1

Go thru it both ways using your vocal range moving up an interval each time...up to he top and back down...after a bit you will "hear" the intervals..Play along..You will soon hear right and wrong notes...Not too tough if I can do it at 53. Play on! Peace!

 

[Duckwater]

Good-ear.com

 

[nashvillebill]

I use a program called Transcribe. It has many features: you can slow a song down (or up) without changing pitch,loop sections to learn that section, and-perhaps most importantly--change the pitch or the song.

Years ago I would change the tuning of my guitar or bass to match a recorded song, before pitch-shifting was available. This makes it very hard for the ear to "learn" notes, IMHO. I believe it is much better to keep one's bass or guitar tuned to standard pitch, and shift the pitch of the song down or up slighlty if necessary to match standard tuning. It also lets you shift the song up an octave and even isolate bass (helpful to iso and shift up).

And many times I do work on bass notes on a regular acoustic six-string, it's easier to match IMO.

 

[bassinplace]

I use a program called Transcribe. It has many features: you can slow a song down (or up) without changing pitch,loop sections to learn that section, and-perhaps most importantly--change the pitch or the song.

Years ago I would change the tuning of my guitar or bass to match a recorded song, before pitch-shifting was available. This makes it very hard for the ear to "learn" notes, IMHO. I believe it is much better to keep one's bass or guitar tuned to standard pitch, and shift the pitch of the song down or up slighlty if necessary to match standard tuning. It also lets you shift the song up an octave and even isolate bass (helpful to iso and shift up).

And many times I do work on bass notes on a regular acoustic six-string, it's easier to match IMO.

I was thinking about getting a program like this. How well does it work with isolating the bass?

 

[funk generator]

Go to musictheory.net and do interval training exercises.

Go to exercises, then interval ear training (not interval identification)

 

[fdeck]

Listen and sing. It doesn't have to be bass music.