Interval Training: How to Avoid Reference Song Interference (Ep. 4 UreMusic Mentor)

[@carllundgren813]

Thank you for the videos! They've been very helpful for my ear, it's sped up my composing a lot. Question: I find completing all the interval videos pretty easy. However, when it comes to hearing intervals in chords, like in the Flawless Ear course (where the chords are always in root position) I struggle a bit to hear the interval of each note. By struggling I mean I kind of have to sing or really focus on audiating the note in question over the new chord in order to hear it. Any tips on how to isolate the note to achieve this more easily, or is it simply just to keep practicing the intervals? Thanks! (Also: I know you are not often supposed to listen for the interval in the Flawless Ear course. I am just saying that if I wanted to hear the interval, I still struggle. I figured having both abilities would be good.)

[@UreMusic]

What you are attempting is a more advanced technique and it’s valid, as long as you are also just trying to listen for the quality of the chord. You want to eventually just know immediately that it’s a major chord for example. If you’re struggling to hear inside the chord, that’s why it’s so important to complete the easier guided interval practices. They are simple, but that’s what trains your ear. It’s the easy repetition that is critical. I would say that if you’re trying to hear the thirds and identify them as major or minor, you should avoid that right now. You want to primarily focus on no more than two intervals at a time. This is a longer answer, so I think I’ll make a video and post it for you discussing this.

[@carllundgren813]

​@@UreMusic Thank you! Looking forward to the video!

[@UreMusic]

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[@carllundgren813]

@@UreMusic Thank you! Going to watch now.

[@carllundgren813]

@@UreMusic Thank you for the video. I believe there was a slight misunderstanding, I'm sorry for being unclear. I can hear the individual notes in a chord very well. For example: I can hear all 17 chords/extensions and all 3 inversions on the Toned Ear website. What I meant to say was that when I hear a chord and then another chord, I am struggling to hear the intervals from one chord to the next. By struggling I mean I can't do it really quickly yet; certainly not quickly enough to follow a chord progression. For example: if you play a C major triad and then play a F# major triad, I am having a hard time hearing the individual C root note and then the individual F# root note as a melodic interval. If I just hear the tritone by itself it's fine, but if it's the whole chord I am struggling to hear that unique interval quickly. It's like I forget the original note. Am I making sense? Thank you for taking all this time to respond to me Kevin, I really do appreciate it!