How should I start doing ear training?

Question:Well I imagine that you play an instrument of some type. And if you are a vocalists, then just consider your voice an instrument. Ok. There are two ways. Well Three. 1) get a program that will slow the music down, and try to transcribe it. 2) Get a book of transcribed solos, and play along with them. 3) And this is the best way. Try to play (trascribe) everything you hear. When I say everything, I mean everything from the McDonalds Thems song, to the pitches your granny speaks with. Then when you do that, learn what you have transcribed in all keys. This is a very boring and long process. It will eventually pay off. But you have to do the work. This is the only way to truly get it done. DO THE WORK> LISTEN +PLAY+TRANSPOSE TO ALL KEYS= A Good Ear. Almost perfect pitch. Good Luck. Oh yeah. I mastered my ear, by trying to play along with movies and comercials.
www.summithorn.com
www.wind-player.com
www.brass-player.com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Well I imagine that you play an instrument of some type. And if you are a vocalists, then just consider your voice an instrument. Ok. There are two ways. Well Three. 1) get a program that will slow the music down, and try to transcribe it. 2) Get a book of transcribed solos, and play along with them. 3) And this is the best way. Try to play (trascribe) everything you hear. When I say everything, I mean everything from the McDonalds Thems song, to the pitches your granny speaks with. Then when you do that, learn what you have transcribed in all keys. This is a very boring and long process. It will eventually pay off. But you have to do the work. This is the only way to truly get it done. DO THE WORK> LISTEN +PLAY+TRANSPOSE TO ALL KEYS= A Good Ear. Almost perfect pitch. Good Luck. Oh yeah. I mastered my ear, by trying to play along with movies and comercials.
www.summithorn.com
www.wind-player.com
www.brass-player.com

If you play a musical instrument, you should try listening to a tune and playing it with your instrument. If you sing, you can do this as well. Good luck!

If you can afford a good computer program, that's the way to go. Lower-tech options:

1. sight-sing as much as possible. Join a choir if you can. when alone, sing lines phrase by phrase, checking your pitch with a piano at the end of each phrase. If you're off, repeat the phrase, and check pitch in the middle if you're still not getting it.

2. Find a collection of familiar tunes. Notate them from memory, then compare your notation to what's in the book.

Invest in the MacGamut book and aural training CD. The CD is your best resource, the book is just exercises from the CD. It teaches you fundamentals--rhythmic dictation, scale recognition, chord progression recognition, melodic dictation, intervals, and the like.

Another great resource is www.musictheory.net. It contains virtual ear training lessons for you to practice hearing intervals and scales.