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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE Essential Ear Training Exercises Copyright © 2013 Ear Train Anywhere All Rights Reserved

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

PREFACE This .PDF book provides you with a collection of essential ear training exercises that develop the skill sets required for obtaining musical fluency. These ear training exercises were hand picked, based on skill sets that have been continuously demanded from me as a professional bass player, studio musician, producer, and composer. Some of these ear training exercises tackle skill sets required for improvisational music. Other ear training exercises develop your ear for hearing those “sweet notes” that enhance the melodies and chord progressions of your compositions. Each ear training exercise focuses on a specific skill set. Included with each ear training exercise are descriptions of basic real-world musical situations where a mastery of that specific skill set is necessary. The ultimate goal of this .PDF book, is to teach you how to equip your ear with the necessary skill sets required for developing musical fluency, so that you can play what you hear, and hear it before you play it!

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUAL INTERVALS Goal(s): Be able to recognize and name intervals when you hear it. Be able to play those intervals on your instrument when you hear it. Be able to sing intervals before playing it on your instrument. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are at a gig and are asked to play the melody of a song. You’ve heard it before, but you never played it before with your instrument. Knowing your intervals will allow you to figure out each note of the melody in real-time.

EXERCISE 1: PRACTICE HEARING, NAMING, AND THEN PLAYING THOSE INTERVALS ON YOUR INSTRUMENT MELODICALLY (ASCENDING AND DESCENDING) Ways to approach this exercise: If you can, have someone play an interval. Name that interval. Next, have that person play the same interval. Then, play the same notes of that interval on your instrument. Do this daily for a few minutes, until this skill is mastered. If you are not able to get someone to play intervals for you, ear training interval mp3’s can help. Create a playlist to focus on a set of melodic intervals. Set your playlist for random playback. When each interval is played, name that interval out loud, then immediately play the notes of that interval on your instrument melodically.

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Ear Training Intervals - Complete can be found here: http://www.eartrainanywhere.com/store/products/ear-training-intervals-complete/ Another option is to use ear training software, such as EarMaster. This ear training software has the ability to quiz you on melodic intervals and keep track of your progress. EarMaster can be found here: http://www.earmaster.com/welcome/137-250 Another method of learning your melodic intervals uses the technique of memorizing the beginning intervals of a familiar melody. I am not a strong supporter of this method, because in a real-world (un-isolated) musical situation, it is not very effective to relate each interval that you are hearing, to pre-existing memorized melodies. In the course of one measure, you could be hearing several different intervals. It just doesn’t make sense to be relating each of those intervals to a pre-existing melody that is unrelated to the music that you are hearing. This method, however does work well in isolated situations. ie: You might hear a doorbell ring, and you want to figure out which interval you just heard. A great reference guide that associates pre-existing (and hopefully familiar to you) melodies to intervals can be found here: http://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tool/interval-song-chart-generator.html

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

EXERCISE 2: PRACTICE HEARING, NAMING, AND THEN PLAYING THOSE INTERVALS ON YOUR INSTRUMENT HARMONICALLY (AT THE SAME TIME) Ways to approach this exercise: If you can, have someone play an interval harmonically on an instrument, such as a piano or a guitar. Listen to each note being played. When your ear is able to hear each note, sing each note that you are hearing. Then, have that person play each note individually to make sure you are singing the correct note. Have this person play those intervals again harmonically. Then, name those intervals and play those notes on your instrument harmonically. If you are not able to get someone to play harmonic intervals for you, ear training interval mp3’s can help. Create a playlist to focus on a set of harmonic intervals. Set your playlist for random playback. When each interval is played, name that interval out loud, then immediately play the notes of that interval on your instrument harmonically. Ear Training Intervals - Complete can be found here: http://www.eartrainanywhere.com/store/products/ear-training-intervals-complete/ Another option is to use ear training software, such as EarMaster. This ear training software has the ability to quiz you on harmonic intervals and

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

keep track of your progress. EarMaster can be found here: http://www.earmaster.com/welcome/137-250

EXERCISE 3: PRACTICE SINGING AN INTERVAL, THEN PLAYING THAT INTERVAL ON YOUR INSTRUMENT MELODICALLY Play a note on your instrument. Name an interval out loud. Sing that interval. Then play that interval on your instrument to make sure you heard and sang the interval correctly. Explore the entire range of your instrument. Be sure to practice naming and playing notes melodically for both ascending and descending intervals. At first, descending intervals may be more of a challenge. A great deal of time should be spent mastering Exercises 1, 2, and 3. You want to get to a point where recognizing your intervals is as simple as recognizing an object that you are seeing (ie: I am seeing a dog. I am seeing a cat. I am seeing a bird). Mastering exercises 1, 2, and 3 will make mastering the next skill set less frustrating.

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SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE A STRING OF INTERVALS Goal(s): Be able to recognize and name a string of intervals when you hear it. Be able to play each note in a string of intervals on your instrument when you hear it. Be able to sing each note in a string of intervals before playing it on your instrument. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are at jam session and the soloist plays a cool melody. You want to respond to that soloist by repeating the same melody they just played. Being able to recognize a string of intervals will allow you to quickly react and respond melodically on your instrument.

EXERCISE 4: PRACTICE NAMING AND SINGING A STRING OF NOTES IN A MAJOR SCALE, THEN PLAYING THAT STRING OF NOTES ON YOUR INSTRUMENT Play a note on your instrument. Then, name 2 other notes within a major scale. Say and sing each interval (use the previous note to determine the next interval). ie: Play the note C on your instrument. Then, say, “Perfect Fourth - F”. Sing an F. Then, say, “Major Third - A”. Sing an A. Then, play C, F, A on your instrument to check to see if you sang the correct string of notes. As you become better at this exercise, increase the number of intervals in your string of notes and also include notes outside of a major scale.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

An excellent iPhone/iPad application that can train your ears to hear a string of notes is Right Note - Ear Trainer by Orange Qube. This application can quiz you on a string of melodic notes. You also have the ability to customize your ear training session with this. You can find Right Note - Ear Trainer here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/ app/right-note-ear-trainer/id427276222?mt=8 Quick Tip: Start out this exercise only focusing on a small string of notes within a major scale. Increase the string of notes as you improve your ability in this skill set. Explore adding notes outside of a major scale as you improve your ability in this skill set. Work on this skill set until you are at a point where you can accurately name, sing, and play a random string of notes from the chromatic scale. Mastering this skill set will help you be able to hear and recognize large fragments of melodies, which is helpful in improvisational music situations.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE MAJOR, MINOR, AUGMENTED, AND DIMINISHED TRIADS Goal(s): Be able to hear major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads. Be able to sing major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads. Be able to play major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are asked to play a solo over a set of basic chord changes. Being able to hear and play melodies derived from basic triads for each chord in a chord progression will establish a strong melodic foundation for your solo. As you improve your ability to hear basic triads, you will then be able to combine triads for other melodic options (this will be explored in a later exercise).

EXERCISE 5: PRACTICE HEARING, NAMING, THEN PLAYING MAJOR, MINOR, AUGMENTED, AND DIMINISHED TRIADS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note on your instrument. Sing a major triad in root position. Name the notes in that major triad in root position. Play those notes on your instrument in root position. Play the same first note on your instrument. Sing a minor triad in root position. Name the notes in that minor triad in root position. Play those notes on your instrument in root position. Play the same first note on your instrument. Sing an augmented triad in root position. Name the notes in that augmented triad in root position.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

Play those notes on your instrument in root position. Play the same first note on your instrument. Sing a diminished triad in root position. Name the notes in that diminished triad in root position. Play those notes on your instrument in root position.

EXERCISE 6: PRACTICE HEARING, NAMING, THEN PLAYING MAJOR, MINOR, AUGMENTED, AND DIMINISHED TRIADS IN FIRST INVERSION Repeat exercise 5, instead using first inversion.

EXERCISE 7: PRACTICE HEARING, NAMING, THEN PLAYING MAJOR, MINOR, AUGMENTED, AND DIMINISHED TRIADS IN SECOND INVERSION Repeat exercise 5, instead using second inversion.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE CHORD SCALE DEGREES Goal(s): Be able to hear, recognize, and name chord scale degrees. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are at a jam session and the pianist is playing a set of chord changes that never heard or played before. Being able to hear chord scale degrees will allow you to quickly figure out the chord progression being played. This exercise teaches you how to hear the function of a chord. Basic Explanation of Chord Scale Degrees: The label for chord scale degrees are derived from a major scale. If you replace the letter names of a major scale with numbers, you get 1, 2 ,3, 4, 5, 6, 7. In the key of C major, when a Dmin chord is played, that is recognized as a 2 chord. The chord scale degree is 2. In the key of C major, when a Dbmin chord is played, that is recognized as a b2 chord. The chord scale degree is b2.

EXERCISE 8: PRACTICE HEARING, RECOGNIZING, AND NAMING THE CORRECT CHORD SCALE DEGREE Using Chord Scale Degree Ear Training MP3’s, create a playlist focusing on a set of chord scale degrees in a key. Set your playlist for random playback. Practice hearing and feeling how each chord scale degree feels in relation

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

to the 1 chord of a key. Noticing, recognizing, and correctly naming that feeling is your aim in this exercise. Chord Scale Degree Ear Training MP3’s can be found here: http://www. eartrainanywhere.com/store/products/chord-scale-degrees-ear-trainingmp3s/

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE SCALE DEGREES Goal(s): Similar to the previous skill set, only that you are learning to be able to hear, recognize, and name scale degrees. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are asked to play the melody of a song in a different key than its original. Being able to hear scale degrees allows you to quickly know what note the melody should start on, no matter the key.

EXERCISE 9: PRACTICE HEARING, RECOGNIZING, AND NAMING THE CORRECT SCALE DEGREE Ways to approach this exercise: If you can, have someone play a major chord on the piano. Then, have that person immediately play a note in the major scale that belongs to that major chord that was just played. Learn to notice the distance of that note from the original tonic major chord. Name the correct scale degree. If you are unable to have someone assist you with this exercise, a good ear training software that accomplishes this exercise is Functional Ear Trainer. This ear training software can establish the key center, then play a random note. You can practice quizzing your ability to recognize and label the correct scale degree with this ear training software. You can find Functional Ear Trainer here: http://www.miles.be/software

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

MILESTONE 1 If you are at a point where exercises 1 - 9 have been mastered, that is great! Mastering intervals, basic triads, chord scale degrees, and scale degrees is a huge milestone in your ear’s development. Having these skill sets under your belt will get you very far in most mainstream musical situations. The next exercises will focus on more advanced ear training, providing you with the skill sets to prepare you for more improvisational musical situations.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE 7TH CHORDS Goal(s): Hear, recognize, and sing the arpeggios of 7th chords. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You need to write out a chord chart for your band mates. Being able to hear and recognize 7th chords will allow you to correctly label the chord qualities of each chord on the chord progression. This skill set will also help you tremendously when it comes to soloing over jazz chords and voice-leading.

EXERCISE 10: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MAJOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note. Sing a major 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, 3, 5, 7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, E, G, B.

EXERCISE 11: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MAJOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN FIRST INVERSION Play a note. Sing a major 7th arpeggio in first inversion based on that note (3, 5, 7, 1). ie: Play the note C. Sing E, G, B, C.

EXERCISE 12: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MAJOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN SECOND INVERSION Play a note. Sing a major 7th arpeggio in second inversion based on that note (5, 7, 1, 3). ie: Play the note C. Sing G, B, C, E.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

EXERCISE 13: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MAJOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN THIRD INVERSION Play a note. Sing a major 7th arpeggio in third inversion based on that note (7, 1, 3, 5). ie: Play the note C. Sing B, C, E, G.

EXERCISE 14: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note. Sing a minor 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, b3, 5, b7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, Eb, G, Bb.

EXERCISE 15: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN FIRST INVERSION Play a note. Sing a minor 7th arpeggio in first inversion based on that note (b3, 5, b7, 1). ie: Play the note C. Sing Eb, G, Bb, C.

EXERCISE 16: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN SECOND INVERSION Play a note. Sing a minor 7th arpeggio in second inversion based on that note (5, b7, 1, b3). ie: Play the note C. Sing G, Bb, C, Eb.

EXERCISE 17: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN THIRD INVERSION Play a note. Sing a minor 7th arpeggio in third inversion based on that

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note (b7, 1, b3, 5). ie: Play the note C. Sing bB, C, bE, G.

EXERCISE 18: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note. Sing a dominant 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, 3, 5, b7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, E, G, Bb.

EXERCISE 19: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN FIRST INVERSION Play a note. Sing a dominant 7th arpeggio in first inversion based on that note (3, 5, b7, 1). ie: Play the note C. Sing E, G, Bb, C.

EXERCISE 20: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN SECOND INVERSION Play a note. Sing a dominant 7th arpeggio in second inversion based on that note (5, b7, 1, 3). ie: Play the note C. Sing G, Bb, C, E.

EXERCISE 21: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN THIRD INVERSION Play a note. Sing a minor 7th arpeggio in third inversion based on that note (b7, 1, 3, 5). ie: Play the note C. Sing bB, C, E, G.

EXERCISE 22: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING AUGMENTED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

Play a note. Sing an augmented 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, 3, #5, b7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, E, G#, Bb.

EXERCISE 23: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING AUGMENTED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN FIRST INVERSION Play a note. Sing an augmented 7th arpeggio in first inversion based on that note (3, #5, b7, 1). ie: Play the note C. Sing E, G#, Bb, C.

EXERCISE 24: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING AUGMENTED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN SECOND INVERSION Play a note. Sing an augmented 7th arpeggio in second inversion based on that note (#5, b7, 1, 3). ie: Play the note C. Sing G#, Bb, C, E.

EXERCISE 25: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING AUGMENTED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN THIRD INVERSION Play a note. Sing an augmented 7th arpeggio in third inversion based on that note (b7, 1, 3, #5). ie: Play the note C. Sing bB, C, E, G#.

EXERCISE 26: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING DIMINISHED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note. Sing a diminished 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, b3, b5, bb7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, Eb, Gb, Bbb. *Note: Due

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to the symmetrical nature of diminished 7th arpeggios, their inversions share the same sound.

EXERCISE 27: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING HALF-DIMINISHED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN ROOT POSITION Play a note. Sing a half-diminished 7th arpeggio in root position based on that note (1, b3, b5, b7). ie: Play the note C. Sing C, Eb, Gb, Bb.

EXERCISE 28: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING HALF-DIMINISHED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN FIRST INVERSION Play a note. Sing a half-diminished 7th arpeggio in first inversion based on that note (b3, b5, b7, 1). ie: Play the note C. Sing Eb, Gb, Bb, C.

EXERCISE 29: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING HALF-DIMINISHED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN SECOND INVERSION Play a note. Sing a half-diminished 7th arpeggio in second inversion based on that note (b5, b7, 1, b3). ie: Play the note C. Sing Gb, Bb, C, Eb.

EXERCISE 30: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING HALF-DIMINISHED 7TH ARPEGGIOS IN THIRD INVERSION

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

Play a note. Sing a half-diminished 7th arpeggio in third inversion based on that note (b7, 1, b3, b5). ie: Play the note C. Sing bB, C, Eb, Gb.

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THE EAR TRAINING GUIDE - ESSENTIAL EAR TRAINING EXERCISES

SKILL SET: RECOGNIZE SCALES Goal(s): Be able to hear and sing major scales, harmonic minor scales, melodic minor scales, whole tone scales, diminished scales, major pentatonic scales and minor pentatonic scales. Real-World Musical Situation(s): The band is jamming on a static chord. It’s your turn to take a solo. Being able to hear scales and the mood that each kind of scale creates, will open up your ear to hearing new melodic possibilities.

EXERCISE 31: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE MAJOR SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE MAJOR SCALE Sustain a major chord on a piano. Sing the major scale that belongs to that chord. Play the major scale on the piano to make sure you are singing the correct notes. Sing a melody based on the notes of the major scale. Name those notes. Play those notes on the piano to make sure you sang the correct notes. ie: Sustain a C major chord. Sing the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Play the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Sing the melody C, F, E, F, G, B, G, A. Say “C, F, E, F, G, B, G, A.” Play the notes C, F, E, F, G, B, G, A.

EXERCISE 32: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE

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Repeat exercise 31, instead using the harmonic minor scale.

EXERCISE 33: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE MELODIC MINOR SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE MELODIC MINOR SCALE Repeat exercise 31, instead using the melodic minor scale.

EXERCISE 34: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE WHOLE TONE SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE WHOLE TONE SCALE Repeat exercise 31, instead using the whole tone scale.

EXERCISE 35: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE DIMINISHED SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE DIMINISHED SCALE Repeat exercise 31, instead using the diminished scale.

EXERCISE 36: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE Repeat exercise 31, instead using the major pentatonic scale.

EXERCISE 37: PRACTICE HEARING AND SINGING THE

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MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE AND MELODIES FROM THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE Repeat exercise 31, instead using the minor pentatonic scale.

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SKILL SET: HEAR NOTES IN CHORDS Goal(s): Be able to hear and sing all notes sounded in a chord. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You are transcribing music.

EXERCISE 38: PRACTICE ISOLATING AND HEARING ALL NOTES BEING SOUNDED IN A CHORD You will need a harmonic instrument for this exercise. Play 2 notes harmonically. Listen and try to hear and isolate each note. Sing each note that you are hearing, starting from the lowest note to the highest note. Play those 2 notes melodically to check if you heard and sang the correct notes. Continue working on this exercise, each time increasing the amount of notes that you are listening to harmonically. A good online ear training resource that describes this method is The “110” Ear Training Test. You can find The “1-10” Ear Training Test here: http://www.hearchords. com/ear-training-test/ If you do not have a harmonic instrument in hand, Hear Notes In Chords - Ear Training MP3’s can help you. Set your mp3 player for random playback. Chords will be played, allowing you time to listen and sing each note in the chord. The chord is then played as an arpeggio to check if your heard and sang the correct notes.

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You can download Hear Notes In Chords - Ear Training MP3’s here: http://www.eartrainanywhere.com/store/products/hear-notes-in-chordsear-training-mp3s/

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SKILL SET: SING THE BASS LINE TO A SONG Goal(s): Be able to sing the bass line to any song. Real-World Musical Situation(s): The bass player decides to take a solo and you wish to play the bass line for harmonic support. Mastering this skill set will also help you know your chord progressions.

EXERCISE 38: PRACTICE SINGING THE BASS LINES TO SONGS IN THE RADIO Turn on the radio, or play music on your computer. Sing along to the music, focusing on the bass line of the song. If you developed the previous skill set of hearing notes in chords, being able to isolate and hear the bass line of a song will not be to difficult.

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SKILL SET: SING THE ARPEGGIOS FOR EACH CHORD Goal(s): Be able to sing the arpeggios for each chord in a song. Real-World Musical Situation(s): You want to play a solo, using just your ears (no music theory). The arpeggios of chords hold the “sweet notes” for your melodies. Being able to hear these notes, will make your solos sound very melodic.

EXERCISE 38: PRACTICE SINGING THE ARPEGGIOS TO EACH CHORD IN A SONG Turn on the radio, or play music on your computer. Sing each arpeggio for each chord of the song, while the song is playing. This will put your ears to the test and teach you to hear in-time. Start out simple, by singing along to songs with only 3 chords. Then move onto songs with more involved chord progressions.

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MILESTONE 2 If you’ve mastered exercises 10 - 38, that is awesome! You should be at a point now, where you can hear melodies and even chords, before you play it on your instrument. You should be at a point where you can repeat a melody that you just heard. You should be at a point where you can transcribe music with relative ease. When you breakthrough this huge milestone, I recommend that you continue to spend a lot of time listening to different kinds of music and transcribing that music. Transcribing music is the best way to apply all these exercises to a musical context. Thank you for downloading The Ear Training Guide: Essential Ear Training Exercises. For more information on ear training tips, please visit: http://www.eartrainanywhere.com

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