Hi gang,
welcome back to another lesson with the Ear trainer. I'm glad you've joined me. In this lesson there's lots of cool crazy stuff going all over the place... I introduce the diminished scales, in all of their dimorphic wonder. There's a melody that I think is pretty nice, and a few other things that I am sure you will learn from. If you've come this far you likely know to, but I wil remind you anyways... check out the lesson guide which can be found in the preceeding link.
If you've any questions or comments, send them off to my inbox and you will be sure to recieve a reply.
Until next time!
Teaching music theory, and getting those ears into shape! Tune in every week for lessons that include intervals, melodic dictations, chords, triads, rhythms and more.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Hello folks, if you're in Toronto this week there's a show you don't want to miss. I'll be at the door taking your money, but I can assure you that it's going to a better place. Here's more information:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
TRANZAC (292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto)
22nd of April, 8pm
$10/$20 with CD
featuring
Kevin Turcotte -trumpet
William Carn - trombone
Peter Lutek - bassoon
Tania Gill - piano, harmonium, glockenspiel
Joseph Phillips - double bass
Andrew Downing - cello
Kathleen Kajioka - violin
The CD SILENTS was recorded in 2009 and features original chamber suites from the scores to the films The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Impossible Voyage.
www.andrewdowning.com
www.tranzac.org
www.blackhenmusic.com
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
TRANZAC (292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto)
22nd of April, 8pm
$10/$20 with CD
featuring
Kevin Turcotte -trumpet
William Carn - trombone
Peter Lutek - bassoon
Tania Gill - piano, harmonium, glockenspiel
Joseph Phillips - double bass
Andrew Downing - cello
Kathleen Kajioka - violin
The CD SILENTS was recorded in 2009 and features original chamber suites from the scores to the films The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Impossible Voyage.
www.andrewdowning.com
www.tranzac.org
www.blackhenmusic.com
Friday, April 16, 2010
Singing the Next Note
There's a great trick you can use to both learn music and improve your ears, and as far as I know it doesn't have a formal name to sport, so I'll just call this trick by a name that describes it, thus Singing the Next Note.
It's quite simple really; take a peice of music you are learning or working on and sit down with your instrument or a piano (if you're a singer) and play yourself a triad based upon the key that the piece of music is in. Now that's you've got the key in your ears, try to predict in your mind what the first note will sound like, then sing the first note of the piece, and then strike the note on your instrument.
At this point something very interesting happens, you're likely to get three differnet pitches, the note you sang, the note you played on your insturment, and the note that you have in your head that tells you what the song is actually supposed to sound like.Which one is right? Any of them could be, or none of them really, but at any rate it should be fairly clear which one is which. You'll know it when the piano is out of tune and you're sure you sang the right pitch, and you'll know it when you sang a minor third above the root of what is supposed to be a major triad. It's a strange interaction of your abilities, even though it's not a piece you know, unless it is much more difficult than anything you're used to you'll always know which of those three sounds is wrong. You have the ability to predict pitches that can correct your ability to sing them, and you have an ear that will help you tune, and you have a intelectual ability that will put pitches in their correct place even if you don't know what they're supposed to sound like ahead of time.
The goal of this exercise is to not over use any one of your assests but rather to come to an understanding of when you're using one to compinsate for the other. The result you're looking for is the ability reproduce the piece correctly by any of the three means, to be able to sing the piece accurately and in tune, to be able to hear the piece in all it's detail in your head, and (unless you're playing an instrument like the guitar or piano) to be able to play the piece accrurately and in tune on your own instrument.
It's a slow process, moving through a selection of music note for note, but you have my word that you'll never forget music that you learn in this way.
It's quite simple really; take a peice of music you are learning or working on and sit down with your instrument or a piano (if you're a singer) and play yourself a triad based upon the key that the piece of music is in. Now that's you've got the key in your ears, try to predict in your mind what the first note will sound like, then sing the first note of the piece, and then strike the note on your instrument.
At this point something very interesting happens, you're likely to get three differnet pitches, the note you sang, the note you played on your insturment, and the note that you have in your head that tells you what the song is actually supposed to sound like.Which one is right? Any of them could be, or none of them really, but at any rate it should be fairly clear which one is which. You'll know it when the piano is out of tune and you're sure you sang the right pitch, and you'll know it when you sang a minor third above the root of what is supposed to be a major triad. It's a strange interaction of your abilities, even though it's not a piece you know, unless it is much more difficult than anything you're used to you'll always know which of those three sounds is wrong. You have the ability to predict pitches that can correct your ability to sing them, and you have an ear that will help you tune, and you have a intelectual ability that will put pitches in their correct place even if you don't know what they're supposed to sound like ahead of time.
The goal of this exercise is to not over use any one of your assests but rather to come to an understanding of when you're using one to compinsate for the other. The result you're looking for is the ability reproduce the piece correctly by any of the three means, to be able to sing the piece accurately and in tune, to be able to hear the piece in all it's detail in your head, and (unless you're playing an instrument like the guitar or piano) to be able to play the piece accrurately and in tune on your own instrument.
It's a slow process, moving through a selection of music note for note, but you have my word that you'll never forget music that you learn in this way.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Lesson #21 - Collatin’ with the Ear Trainer
Hello ear training deputies,
it's nice to have you back! In this episode we've got modes, melodies and lots more. Look forward to next week's lesson though, when some new exercises are going to be added into the mix. I refuse to tell you what they are now though, so you'll have to wait. Make sure you check out the lesson guide and learn well from it. I put some time into these things so don't break my heart.
Until next time,
Liam Gallagher
it's nice to have you back! In this episode we've got modes, melodies and lots more. Look forward to next week's lesson though, when some new exercises are going to be added into the mix. I refuse to tell you what they are now though, so you'll have to wait. Make sure you check out the lesson guide and learn well from it. I put some time into these things so don't break my heart.
Until next time,
Liam Gallagher
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lesson #20 - Waitin' with the Ear Trainer
Hello and welcome back to the Ear Trainer,
this lessons is the most 20th lesson of them all. Fantastic! This lesson is pretty straight forward, but that doesn't make it any less educational. We've got seventh chords and intervals and melodies and more. Make sure you check out the lesson guide so you can follow along and check your work. No peaking at the answers though! You'll only be cheating yourself.
Cheers,
Liam Gallagher
this lessons is the most 20th lesson of them all. Fantastic! This lesson is pretty straight forward, but that doesn't make it any less educational. We've got seventh chords and intervals and melodies and more. Make sure you check out the lesson guide so you can follow along and check your work. No peaking at the answers though! You'll only be cheating yourself.
Cheers,
Liam Gallagher
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