Ear Training Milestones - The different stages in the development of ear training skills

[@jadeothen6057]

This is so true, intervals are a disaster. Your course is great, really enjoying it and seeing the benefits.

[@UseYourEar]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy our course and you're seeing the benefits. That makes us proud!

[@detomastah]

I would not say they are disaster. Very useful for validating melodic line recognition, if you can sing intervals etc.

[@stacywilde9040]

Very true, intervals are just one aspect of ear training but without the foundation there is nothing to hang them on or insert them into the structure.

[@UseYourEar]

Thank you!

[@yoshischookee7115]

Such a huge relief to hear this kind of smart common sense stuff on ear training..thanks so much..wanna apply to the course ASAP!!

[@UseYourEar]

Hi Yoshi, thank you very much! 😉

[@bobifin-gn3kw]

Hello Leonardo, Thank you so much for shedding light on the stages of ear training . I recall viewing a similar video earlier and, at that time, it seemed rather abstract . However, after enrolling in your course and progressing through it (currently on step 4 out of 6), the efficacy of your method is undeniably evident. I want to emphasize to everyone that it’s not about passively watching videos and expecting your ears to magically develop. It's about the consistent and disciplined practice that you engage in daily. It’s crucial to adhere to the instructions and avoid skipping any material. If you find a particular chapter challenging, don't rush ahead. Take the time to master it before progressing. This is similar to learning a language; you begin with the alphabet and build from there. You don’t become fluent overnight. It’s important to recognize that learning is hierarchical. Solidify the fundamentals before advancing to more complex concepts. Leonardo, your pedagogical approach resonates with me, especially as someone who is self-taught. Beginning with the fundamentals and gradually advancing to more intricate material is invaluable. While some may find the cost of the course steep, I firmly believe that the investment is justifiable for anyone sincerely committed to honing their musical abilities. But it's essential to recognize that the course is just the commencement of a prolonged journey. It paves the way, but the duty is on us to continually evolve. Lastly, I have a question that's been nagging at me. If conventional methods (not referring to online apps, but the curriculum in music schools) are deemed ineffective, how is it that numerous musicians cultivate proficient ears? Presumably, if music schools and universities churn out musicians with well-developed ears, their approach must have some merit, right? Thank you once again for this enriching content!

[@UseYourEar]

Hi there, thank you for reaching out and for your kind words. I really appreciate your enthusiasm for our course and I'm thrilled to hear that you're finding it helpful. In response to your questions, I wanted to share my observations based on extensive experience working with numerous music students. While there are a select few top-tier music colleges that prioritize ear training as a significant part of their curriculum, the unfortunate reality is that the majority of music colleges and conservatories around the world do not place much emphasis on it. Their approaches often differ greatly from the comprehensive 'stages' outlined in this video, neglecting vital principles of our perception of musical pitch. Instead, they tend to rely solely on intervallic approaches, which, as you now know, are flawed and should not be the main method for note and chord recognition. So, how do these conservatories and colleges produce musicians with well-developed ears? Based on my experience, the answer lies in their selection process. They typically admit musicians who already possess exceptional ear training skills. In other words, auditions and similar assessments are designed to choose individuals who have independently developed their ear training abilities. Most of these musicians have acquired their skills unconsciously over time, often through activities like singing along with songs, which helps them internalize the sensations of notes and chords. Consequently, these institutions do not feel compelled to focus on teaching ear training to students starting from scratch. This is a stark reality not only here in Italy but also in many other European countries, and I believe it holds true in various parts of the world, barring a few '1st class' music colleges that only a privileged few can afford. I hope this clarifies the situation, though I must emphasize that my perspective is based on pure observation, there isn't anything scientific about this. Thank you once again for your support!

[@bobifin-gn3kw]

@@UseYourEar Thank you so much for your comprehensive response. Your observations, based on your extensive experience, certainly clarify the matter for me. It’s intriguing to learn about the selective process music schools undertake, focusing on individuals who already exhibit advanced ear training skills. This perspective was a revelation to me, but it does make sense upon reflection. I cannot thank you enough for your dedication to teaching us the real essence of music and how to internalize it. Your methods have unlocked a whole new world for me, where I’m starting to recognize patterns in music intuitively. It feels as if I have been given a new language, one that I’m slowly but surely becoming fluent in. The conventional methods of learning intervals felt like random pieces of a puzzle, but your course is helping me see the complete picture. Each note, each chord, and each progression is now part of a coherent musical language that I am beginning to comprehend. I'm immensely grateful to have found your course. It's like learning music all over again, but this time with a deeper understanding. It’s an incredible journey that I am excited to continue. Thank you again for paving the way.

[@UseYourEar]

@@bobifin-gn3kw thank you. I really appreciate your comment, everything you are saying means a lot to me!

[@beci1994]

Great video for beginners! Thank you!

[@UseYourEar]

Thank you!

[@samuelrogel4575]

Great video, How would you go about knowing if you've mastered pitch matching?

[@UseYourEar]

Hi Samuel, Pitch matching could be divided in 2 main categories: 1) Basic melodic pitch matching (which corresponds to stage 1 as outlined in this video), which is the ability to listen to a note played melodically and match it with your voice. You know that you have mastered this skill when you can easily match any given note, and you are confident at singing back short melodies (2 or 3 notes long). 2) Harmonic pitch matching (which is more advanced than Stage 1 pitch matching), which is the ability to listen to a group of notes played harmonically (a chord) and match each individual note included in it. Again this is more advanced so definitely not a skill to focus on at the very beginning. You know that you have mastered this skills when you can hear chords and sing every single note included in them easily and confidently. Just to clarify, when I say pitch matching I usually refer to the one described in point 1. Hope everything is clearer, thanks.

[@augustinechinnappanmuthria7042]

Super super super lovely Augustine violinist from Malaysia

[@UseYourEar]

Thanks

[@jiong-tyx]

I can do the most thing you mentioned in the video, except to sing the pitches I heard 😢 I have a imperfect absolute pitch, which works for most music except the melody sung by my self😅🤯. But I can play the pitches I heard on a keyboard 🎹 or on a music sheet. I keen on tonality analysis from 15 years ago, when I was in elementary school 😂 But I can't get the pitches I sung even now 😅😅😅

[@led-gamu7352]

To analyze a song of A minor, should I use tonality of C major scale? or Should I learn Minor key's tonality?

[@UseYourEar]

You can absolutely analyze a song in A minor (natural minor) by interpreting it from its relative C major key point of view. There is nothing wrong about that, indeed a lot of our students find it very helpful to recognize songs in minor by referring to the relative major key. There are several advantages in doing that it's hard to explain them in detail in a comment.

[@claudiodk8234]

I 've watched your videos and my experience matches your theory. Pitch matching was not obvious for me years ago, even the octave was not. But now I'm using notes and chords colors all the time and it's a nice sensation. I live the music that way. But what is 'representation of the tonality' ? I don't get it. May be being able to sing the scale ? Thanks for these insight.

[@UseYourEar]

Hi Claudio, sounds like you have made progress! The mental representation of the tonality is the ability of the mind to abstract an entire tonality. Meaning to imagine a set of notes structured in a way that makes up a key (a scale). Of course this is a pre-requisite of being able to sing the scale, but not only that. This ability of the mind is also essential to be able to recognize the tonic (thus the entire tonality) of a given musical piece and also to perform other basic ear training tasks that are building blocks for more complex skills. I hope that makes more sense now. Let me know. Thanks

[@claudiodk8234]

@@UseYourEar I see now. It's an important part of the whole process and, as for the rest of the learning, I did it unconsciously, but also painfully. This points out an important thing: knowing what steps I had to take to succeed would have saved me a LOT of time and work and frustration. I could even have drop it and quit music. The process you offer here surely works and it's so rewarding when you reach the point where the notes are 'talking' to you! I think a person that has always had a good ear don't have to understand all that process to succeed and can't explain it to a 'deaf' guy. I hope you'll teach to a lot of people. Thanks for answering me.

[@UseYourEar]

@@claudiodk8234 I agree with everything you wrote! It's definitely important for people to understand that those who have a great ear developed these skills without doing it consciously, as you say! Everyone who has great relative pitch skills went through this process somehow, at some moment in his life. Great point! Thanks for the encouragement!

[@LennyYoutubeMusic]

Great video !

[@UseYourEar]

Thanks