Eartraining software anyone?

[aniss1001]

I've been using some software for eartraining. With great succes I'd say. I can now recognize all intervals almost instinctively. Even when they are played inverted and with several octaves between them (for some reason that was hard for me).

But I find the software I've seen very limited. For instance you can't choose to hear both notes in the intervals at the same time nor is there a way to learn recognizing CHORDS which is very much what I need now.

So if anyone knows of eartraining software with those options I'd love to hear about it?

And also.... When I'm not struggeling with Jazz I'm struggeling with computer science. So I am thinking about creating the ultimate eartraining software. Therefore I would like to hear from you guys what you would consider cool features in such software?

I did a brain storm recently and have lots of ideas myself. When I have time I'll try to structure it and write it here. But for now I'd like some input from others...

[metalmike31216]

EarMaster is a solid program worth purchasing.

[ah.clem]

Originally Posted by metalmike31216

EarMaster is a solid program worth purchasing.

+1 for EarMaster. Much better than MacGAMUT which a lot of colleges make you use. I've had much better success with it than any other program I've tried.

[swampguide]

This is free web-based one that's pretty good.You can download it (see at it the bottom of the page for instructions) or run it from the web site:

IWasDoingAllRight - Jazz Blog, Ear Training, Jazz Trumpet, Atlanta Jazz

You need Java installed in your browser to use it.

[metalmike31216]

Originally Posted by ah.clem

+1 for EarMaster. Much better than MacGAMUT which a lot of colleges make you use. I've had much better success with it than any other program I've tried.

I have to use MacGAMUT for college. Horrible horrible program! I get angry thinking about it......

[JakeAcci]

Originally Posted by swampguide

This is free web-based one that's pretty good.You can download it (see at it the bottom of the page for instructions) or run it from the web site:

IWasDoingAllRight - Jazz Blog, Ear Training, Jazz Trumpet, Atlanta Jazz

You need Java installed in your browser to use it.

Yes I was going to suggest this - I like it much more than Ear Master (more customizable) and it's free! The associated mobile/tablet app is 'Play By Ear' which is also great...I do ear training everywhere now.

[michael_bxl]

Hello,

I address my question to the Earmaster software owners. I find it very tough sometimes, especially for the exercises where 2 chords are played and we have to recognise them, the harmony, etc.

How should I proceed? Should I do it by ear, or am I "allowed" to do the exercise with my guitar? I find the other types of exercices hard too :s
What do you think about this software ?

Thanks

PS : for those who want some illustration of the software exercices, I can try to provide it.

[ah.clem]

Originally Posted by michael_bxl

...
How should I proceed? Should I do it by ear, or am I "allowed" to do the exercise with my guitar? I find the other types of exercices hard too :s
...

I suppose it would be OK to use your guitar if you are starting out (not sure how you would, exactly) but the goal is to be able to hear the differences in chord quality, so I am not sure what you gain by not just digging in and using your ears. Maybe better to just keep plugging away with EarMaster playing basic chords until you can identify the quality consistently. It is hard at first but with practice it gets easier. That is true of all the exercises in EarMaster.

I believe that the only way to get better at ear training is constant practice. I think you will learn the differences in chord quality after listening to 100's (1,000's?) of chords played at you and listening carefully and making your decision, then reviewing that decision based on being right or wrong.

Unfortunately, I have found no shortcuts in music. Spend 20-30 minutes a day on the ear training exercise and in few weeks you will most likely have it and be ready to move on. At university, AP is a 4 semester course, so don't expect to get it in a month. Just my opinion.

[michael_bxl]

Originally Posted by ah.clem

I suppose it would be OK to use your guitar if you are starting out (not sure how you would, exactly) but the goal is to be able to hear the differences in chord quality, so I am not sure what you gain by not just digging in and using your ears. Maybe better to just keep plugging away with EarMaster playing basic chords until you can identify the quality consistently. It is hard at first but with practice it gets easier. That is true of all the exercises in EarMaster.

...

Thanks for your answer!

You are right. Eventhough it was hard for me, had the same feeling about it. Kind of useless to do it with the guitar... Of course, as I have already some years of playing, I managed successfully the first ones e.g. by choosing the major/minor modality thanks to my feeling.

It is maybe the way it is done that made me asking myself. I mean, when we “play a game/make fun exercises” on the computer, we want to pass the levels quickly. I didn't see myself putting it away for 2 mounts and coming back after on it.

I will keep on practicing, and be patient I can nevertheless feel a kind of teacher/student/examination impression than a self-educated method. Anyway, it still a very complete software.

[Kojo27]

Originally Posted by aniss1001

So I am thinking about creating the ultimate eartraining software. Therefore I would like to hear from you guys what you would consider cool features in such software?

Yes. One of the most beneficial ear-training exercises I've done is missing from all the software/website apps that I've seen (maybe I haven't looked closely enough) ... "In person," the only way I know to do this is for one musician to play (improvise even) a phrase, to a metronome's click maybe, one bar long, or two bars, or eight bars -- and then the other player must play it back exactly. Nothing I'm aware of can top the improvement this simple thing will make in your brain-ear-fingers connection to the guitar.

The rules can start simple and can become extremely advanced:

• Only chord tones and only quarter notes.
• Only chord tones, but now triplets and eighth notes allowed.
• Pentatonic melodies, as above regarding rhythms.
• Pentatonic, syncopation allowed.
• Chromatic scale, all octaves, any rhythms, no restrictions.

A big jump there for the last item, but you get the idea, I hope. Not sure how a software program could check for accuracy, but I know it's possible right now - you probably understand how to do it. This type of exercise comes close to "playing what you hear." Only difference is that you didn't create the melody; someone else did. Chances are good, though, if you can play stuff thrown at you by a good improviser, you can play a lot of what your own brain throws at you.

So yeah, that would be cool.

kj

[jsepguitar]

Originally Posted by Kojo27

Yes. One of the most beneficial ear-training exercises I've done is missing from all the software/website apps that I've seen (maybe I haven't looked closely enough) ... "In person," the only way I know to do this is for one musician to play (improvise even) a phrase, to a metronome's click maybe, one bar long, or two bars, or eight bars -- and then the other player must play it back exactly. Nothing I'm aware of can top the improvement this simple thing will make in your brain-ear-fingers connection to the guitar.

I've been using this iPad app to do something similar. You set the notes you want it to use and the number of notes you want it to play, and it will play some random notes. Then you play them back on your guitar and it uses pitch recognition to determine whether or not you played the right notes. It is just for notes, doesn't do it for rhythm. Obviously not as sophisticated as doing it with another human, but it still is helpful.

Play By Ear - iPhone ear training with intervals, chords, melodies, and jazz licks

[Kojo27]

Originally Posted by jsepguitar

I've been using this iPad app to do something similar. You set the notes you want it to use and the number of notes you want it to play, and it will play some random notes. Then you play them back on your guitar and it uses pitch recognition to determine whether or not you played the right notes. It is just for notes, doesn't do it for rhythm. Obviously not as sophisticated as doing it with another human, but it still is helpful.

Play By Ear - iPhone ear training with intervals, chords, melodies, and jazz licks

Hey, cool.

[michael_bxl]

Originally Posted by jsepguitar

I've been using this iPad app to do something similar. You set the notes you want it to use and the number of notes you want it to play, and it will play some random notes. Then you play them back on your guitar and it uses pitch recognition to determine whether or not you played the right notes. It is just for notes, doesn't do it for rhythm. Obviously not as sophisticated as doing it with another human, but it still is helpful.

Play By Ear - iPhone ear training with intervals, chords, melodies, and jazz licks

Great indeed !
Same app for computers : IWasDoingAllRight - Jazz Blog, Ear Training, Jazz Trumpet, Atlanta Jazz
Check out also the "links page" from the website of the author of the app... IWasDoingAllRight - Jazz Blog, Ear Training, Jazz Trumpet, Atlanta Jazz I found great stuff...

[Kojo27]

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention here a resource that every musician should own and use, and that's Matt Glaser's 6-hour ear-training CD package at Homespun Tapes. He's been the head of Berklee's jazz violin dept. forever, and his CDs are almost nothing but six hours of his playing increasingly more difficult phrases on violin or piano, and giving you the same # of bars for playing the phrase back. It was *very* challenging to me, as a beginner, just to SING back the convoluted shit he plays. Playing it back on guitar forces you to learn which scale degree of every key is where, and he uses solfege for learning the pitches.

He doesn't get into chord/harmony on these tapes. I think that was slated for Volume 2, which didn't happen, maybe. Still, this is about playing what's in your head.

I think the course is about $69.95 now, but holy smoke, think of the payoff. If you've never done any ear training, expect to work yer arse off. Have patience.

WHOA! I just checked - you can DOWNLOAD this thing now as .mp3s! And the download is only $39.95... that's a deal.

Matt Glaser

[JazzHifi]

thx, where can i find the download link?

[Kojo27]

http://www.homespuntapes.com/Instruc...strumentalists

Originally Posted by JazzHifi

thx, where can i find the download link?

Just above: takes you right there.

[JazzHifi]

We are Sorry, this page address is no longer valid.

We could not find the Web Page you requested. This is either because:

There's an error in the address or link.
Or you have entered the address or link incorrectly.

[Kojo27]

Got to Homespun Music Instruction - Guitar, Keyboards, Fiddle, Banjo, Dobro, Slide, Steel, and more!

At the top, there's search box.

Type in the box: Ear Training Matt Glaser

Hit enter.

Are you in either America or Western Europe?

[markf]

this one is very good and free.

Exercises - teoria.com

[smokinguit]

Thanks for the link Markf. Very useful ear training resource.

[Kojo27]

Originally Posted by markf

this one is very good and free.

Exercises - teoria.com

HOLY MOLY - YEAH!!!

This one beats all the others I've seen, hands down. Why? Look under "HELP" at the top. Study guides and tutorials for every aspect of ear training and for using the site. This is BIG, y'all.

This is gonna be my #2 homepage....practice guitar 10 minutes, ear train for 5. Rinse, lather....

Thanks Mark!

[markf]

you are welcome.

[fireman12engine]

i just got the Matt Glaser "ear training for instrumentalists" course...
can someone give me tips on using it?
for instance: how long should i go over a particular exercise? after awhile
i'll already know what note is being played from memory..
thanks...

[Kojo27]

Originally Posted by fireman12engine

i just got the Matt Glaser "ear training for instrumentalists" course...
can someone give me tips on using it?
for instance: how long should i go over a particular exercise? after awhile
i'll already know what note is being played from memory..
thanks...

It's been a long time since I went through this -- they were actually "tapes" then....

But it seems that I used a dual-cassette deck and recorded only the exercises, once I'd heard his instructions. This let me repeat things, back up, etc., without having to sit through all that talk.

As for how long to go over each exercise - I'd say not many of the same one in a day. Three times? Then go on to another. I made my own, too - put them on the tape with his, for extended sessions. I'll try to find the things (gosh, where are they?) and jog my memory of how I did it. I know I kept my homemade tape in the car, so I was listening a lot.

You can drop an email to Homespun and ask them. They're very quick and willing to answer any sort of questions like this.

kj

[Clamps]

Originally Posted by ah.clem

+1 for EarMaster. Much better than MacGAMUT which a lot of colleges make you use. I've had much better success with it than any other program I've tried.

I agree! Macgamut had some quirky sounds, I thought. It seems like I was hearing too many overtones with the terrible MIDI with that program!

[fireman12engine]

Originally Posted by Kojo27

It's been a long time since I went through this -- they were actually "tapes" then....

But it seems that I used a dual-cassette deck and recorded only the exercises, once I'd heard his instructions. This let me repeat things, back up, etc., without having to sit through all that talk.

As for how long to go over each exercise - I'd say not many of the same one in a day. Three times? Then go on to another. I made my own, too - put them on the tape with his, for extended sessions. I'll try to find the things (gosh, where are they?) and jog my memory of how I did it. I know I kept my homemade tape in the car, so I was listening a lot.

You can drop an email to Homespun and ask them. They're very quick and willing to answer any sort of questions like this.

kj

thanks