How can you train your ear?
Ear training is a necessary skill for musicians of all levels. So whether you are a music student, vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, or sound engineer, regularly practicing ear training and developing this fundamental skill will improve your ability to identify notes, chord progressions, and other musical elements and practically change the course of your musical journey.
There are many different ways to approach ear training and developing relative pitch. Many musicians who know the importance of ear training wonder how to get better at ear training but they get stuck with practicing traditional intervals ear training. It is important to note that intervals ear training has significant downsides that are neglected by most musicians.
In this blog post, we will discuss the common approaches to ear training for beginners and see what works and what doesn't. This knowledge will put you on the right path to unlocking your true potential as a musician. Let's jump in.
Method 1: Solfege with a teacher
Solfege is a musical notation system that uses syllables to represent the notes of a scale. In solfege, pitches are represented by letters, which are assigned to the notes of the major scale. The first note of the major scale is assigned the letter "Do", and subsequent notes are named "Re", "Mi", "Fa", "So", "La", and "Ti". Alternatively, each degree of the scale can be named 1, 2, 3… down to 7
This means that “solfege” is a nomenclature, a way of naming notes. And although this method has been erroneously used as an ear training method, it is not.
Practicing a few solfege based exercises with a teacher can be helpful in some cases but it’s not enough to fully develop your relative pitch skills. This is because it doesn't address the fundamental problems students encounter which are what to practice, when to practice and how to train your ear for music.
Also, a huge downside of the solfege approach is that it doesn't take into account chords and chord progressions. Chord progressions are important for the overall development of our relative pitch skills because they take our melodic thinking skills to the next level. So solfege should be considered a nomenclature system but not as a method to develop relative pitch.
Method 2: Self-study
Self-study is a common way to get into ear training. You can probably find free stuff online and start your ear training journey. However, self-study isn’t the best approach when learning to develop relative pitch. While trying to learn themselves, many students encounter ineffective methods online and offline like the intervals ear training method. They use the intervals ear training method that instills negative habits that even make their musical ear training journey arduous. They start practicing these intervals ear training exercises that get them nowhere. They are left unmotivated and sometimes abandon their dreams of musical proficiency.
In such a complex matter as ear training, self-study could do more harm than good. If you want to effectively develop relative pitch the best way to go would be a well-structured online course or an expert ear training teacher who truly understands how great musicians develop their ears and know how to inculcate this in learners… not a course or teacher that emphasizes intervals ear training.
Method 3: A lesson with a computer program
Nowadays, with the power of the internet, we have access to a variety of online tools that can help us with our ear training. These tools come in the form of websites, apps, and software, and they often use a combination of sound files, visuals, and games to help us learn.
Most people take this route because it is affordable and easy to use. You can access them from anywhere, at any time, and you can usually tailor your training program to your own needs and goals.
However, most of these programs are built by programmers who are not professional ear training teachers. They usually center their apps around the traditional intervals ear training method that isn’t effective and they have no idea how to improve your musical ear. You can check out this video to understand why methods like intervals ear training only waste students' time.
Another disadvantage of using online ear training software is that some of the skills you develop are not easily transferable to the instruments. Moreso it doesn’t provide the same level of personalization and support that you would get from a private teacher. This is particularly true if you're a beginner, as it can be difficult to know where to start and what to focus on.
So if you want to learn ear training online, ensure the teaching method is tonal, just like what the Use Your Ear method offer, and that it includes multiple ear training exercises dedicated to fully developing each ear training sub-skill (i.e. melodic retention, melodic analysis, chord progressions recognition, tonic recognition, tonic retention, short-term musical memory, etc.) that make up an efficient relative pitch system. You will be surprised at how many ear training courses lack in this very important aspect.
Method 4: Video on YouTube
YouTube just like self-study is a common way to get started with ear training. There are many videos on Youtube that introduce you to basic ear training and general music concepts. However, the problem with YouTube is that anyone can post anything they want, regardless of whether or not it's accurate or helpful.
This means that there is a lot of misinformation out there, from intervals ear training to trial and error methods and it can be very difficult to find reliable and accurate information. The other problem is that most videos are too short to be really helpful, and they often don't go into enough detail to be really beneficial.
So if you're going to use YouTube to learn about relative pitch, make sure that you find a video that is created by a professional ear training teacher who really knows what they're talking about. Again, the intervals ear training method will not get you anywhere in your ear training journey, check out this video to understand why.
When will you see results?
Learning music by ear is like learning a new language. They are many sub-skills to develop like short-term musical memory, tonic recognition skill, tonic retention skill, scale ear training, melodic retention, etc, and these skills build on each other. So no one expects to go from zero to proficiency in one month. But if you practice effectively using the proper step-by-step method, focusing on the right ear training exercises for your current level, you will see noticeable results weekly or fortnightly. This is the core idea behind the Use Your Ear method: We lay out a clear roadmap that allows you to develop relative pitch in the fastest and easiest way possible, no matter your current level. If you’re interested in that, don't forget to check out the use your ear workshop. This is a free 3-hour workshop packed with actionable content and proven exercises that you won’t get anywhere else! This free workshop includes a science-based model to developing a pro-caliber musical ear. You will Preview our step-by-step method to develop relative pitch faster and easier than you ever imagined - no more tedious mental math on intervals. Not only that, you will also practice multiple exercises during the workshop and you will learn which exercises to avoid at all costs. So that you will know how to improve, instead of just guessing. Last but not least, you will get TWO BIG GIFTS from us.
