Play Mode controls what happens when you click play. Auto-mode, puts the player on a loop, delaying each loop for as long as desired.
Check this box to immediately show the first note of the sequence as it plays. In Rhythm Section mode, the "first note" displayed is the key without the progression/chord type.
Check this box to delay the complete results of what was just played.
Set the key center to the key center of your instrument so you can play along. You can also change the octave range of melody line used in each exercise by selecting an octave up/down option.
Use this dropdown to specify a cadence to play before each exercise. Cadences provide a reference key/tonality from which you can compare other tones.
Check this box to activate Interval exercises. The ear training tool will randomly select an exercise from any of the active/checked tabs.
The ear training tool will randomly generate intervals based upon your selected intervals. You can preview an interval's sound by clicking on the interval name.
Ascending plays the lowest note first. Descending plays the highest note first.
Melodic sequences play each note separately, one after another. Harmonic sequences play all of the notes at the same time.
If you specify a root note, it will be the lower note of each interval.
Select this box to add the compound interval for each selected simple interval. A simple interval is less than an octave (e.g. Major 2nd) while a compound interval (e.g. Major 9th) is an octave farther apart.
Check this box to activate Chord exercises. The ear training tool will randomly select an exercise from any of the active/checked tabs.
The ear training tool will randomly generate chords based upon your selected chord types. You can preview a chord's sound by clicking on the chord name.
These chords aren't as common as those shown to the left, but they do appear occasionally in jazz music. I would suggest focusing more on the chords shown to the left, adding these ones if you have the time/interest.
"Root Position" puts the chord's root note at the bottom, whereas each inversion puts a different chord tone in the root.
Ascending plays the lowest note first. Descending plays the highest note first.
Melodic sequences play each note separately, one after another. Harmonic sequences play all of the notes at the same time.
If you specify a root note, it will be the lower note of each chord.
Check this box to activate Random Melody exercises. The ear training tool will randomly select an exercise from any of the active/checked tabs.
The ear training tool will randomly generate melodies using the notes/scales you select.
If you select C and D in SINGLE NOTE mode, your random melody will only use those two notes. If you select C and D in MAJOR SCALE mode, the random melody will use any note from either the C or D major scales. In JAZZ LICK and SIMPLE SONG mode, you'd end up with licks in the key of C or D.
Note length specifies how many notes will comprise the random melody.
This specifies the length for the random jazz lick. A short jazz lick is about 4-6 notes, while a long jazz lick is 8-10 notes in length.
To make the random melody easier to hear and play, you can restrict all notes to a single octave.
You can use any of the following instruments for the main exercise and piano sound.
Change the duration that each note is played. Shortening the sustain results in more of a staccatto attack. This does not apply to rythmically sequenced notes such like simple songs and the rhythm section's call and response exercises.
If desired, you can repeat each exercise when you're in auto play mode.
The duration of each interval or chord when played harmonically (at the same time).
The duration of each note when played melodically (one after another).
Modulation repeats an exercise moving the pitch up or down. Basic modulation repeats notes/melodies immediately while cycle-based modulation repeats each exercise after a full resting period as it moves through the circle of 4th's or 5'ths. Modulation will not affect rhythm section exercises.
Modulation intervals set the distance for each modulation.
Choose whether or not you want a short pause to occur between each modulation.
Check this box to activate Rhythm Section exercises. The ear training tool will randomly select an exercise from any of the active/checked tabs.
Select one or more keys for the rhythm section exercise. Only one key will play per exercise and changes made to this option will not go into effect until the NEXT sequence is played..
Select a chord/progression type to play throughout the entire exercise. Changes made to this option will not go into effect until the NEXT sequence is played.
Choose the rhythm section instruments that will play.
The number of measures for which the rhythm section will play. Changes made to this option will not go into effect until the NEXT sequence is played. Rhythm changes will use about 3x as many measures as you select.
Call and response generates melodies using the number of notes you select (the melody starts after a 2-measure intro). If you have "Show First Note" selected, the notes are shown in the staff. Listen to the melody and try to play it back on your instrument, matching both pitches and rhythms. You can change the Midi Instrument under the Advanced tab.
This specifies the length for the call and response phrase. A short phrase is 1 measure long, while a long phrase is 2 measures in length. Each phrase ends with a sustained note about 2 or 3 beats in length (extending the phrase for another measure). Wait for the note to stop before repeating the phrase.
When activated, you can use your computer keyboard to play notes on the piano (one at a time). The corresponding keys will appear on the piano image shown above.
Yes, just like that!
Changes made to any of the rhythm section options will not go into effect until the NEXT sequence is played. So, if a rhythm section exercise is currently playing and you add a new key to the mix, that key won't be used until the current rhythm section exercise ends and a new one begins.
Loading and initializing the ear training applet...
Failed to load. You may need to install the Java JRE Plugin. If so,
a similar message probably appears in your browser. Read below for more
information about the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
Controls
Intervals
Chords
Melodies
RSection
Advanced
Tempo
Play Mode
Show First Note
Delay Results
Key Center
Starting Cadence
Intervals will not play unless you check the box in the tab above
This ear training tool has exercises for intervals, chords,
melodic call and response, and a rhythm section feature for jazz improvisation (the RSection tab).
Explanations for each ear training option are visible by hovering
over the images.
Let me know
if you run into any problems. Last updated: January 2, 2009.
Chords will not play unless you check the box in the tab above
Melodies will not play unless you check the box in the tab above
Note/Scale Options
C
C#
D
Eb
E
F
F#
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
All
Each box is a...
Melody Length
Jazz Lick Length
Restrict to Single Octave
Random Melody Introduction
This feature generates random melodies that you can use
for sight-singing and call-and-response ear training. These exercises
will probably be easier if you've already mastered interval identification.
I also recommend that you begin with "Single Note" mode and short 2- or 3-note
melodies.
The Rhythm Section will not play unless you check the box in the tab above
Keys To Play
C
C#
D
Eb
E
F
F#
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
All
# of Measures
Randomization
Progressions
All
NOTE: For now, call & response only works with the chord types shown above. To restore all options, set call and response to 'None'.
NOTE: For now, call & response in jazz lick mode only works with the chord types shown above. I'll add more options in the near future. To restore all options, set call and response to 'None'.
Call & Response
Call & Resp. Length
Accompaniment
All
RSection Info
Modulation
Rest Between Modulations
Modulation Intervals
Minor 2nd
Major 2nd
Minor 3rd
Major 3rd
Perfect 4th
Tritone
All
AutoPlay Repeat Count
Midi Output
Midi Instrument
Note Sustain
Melodic Note Size
Harmonic Note Size
Activate Keyboard
DEMONSTRATION - MY EAR TRAINING ROUTINE
Ear training with this ear training tool is one of the most important
parts of my overall practice routine. Each day I warm up with melodic intervals, then move on to harmonic
intervals and chords, and finally I end my ear training practice with
call-and-response exercises using random melodies, simple songs, and jazz licks. In total, I probably
spend 20-30 minutes on ear training each day (including playing songs by ear), but I'd definitely do more if I had the time.
To help you understand how I use this ear training tool in my daily practice
routine, I recorded clips of myself actually using it. Next to each
clip you'll see a [CONFIGURE TRAINER] link. If you click on that link,
the ear training tool will auto-configure itself so all you need to
do is click the ear trainer's PLAY button and it will
use the same settings that you hear in the clip.
EXAMPLE EAR TRAINING AUDIO CLIPS: RECORDED ON NOVEMBER 18, 2006
- Random melodies, 4 notes with modulation
[CONFIGURE TRAINER]
- This exercise is new to my routine and it's very challenging for me right now.
BTW, if you configure your ear trainer to use this clip's settings, you can turn off modulation
under the Advanced tab. Also, clicking any of the above CONFIGURE TRAINER links will turn off modulation.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
As you'll notice, each of these clips demonstrate call-and-response ear training. In other
words, the ear trainer plays some notes and then I try to play them back on my instrument, by ear.
I believe that this is the best ear training method
because it simultaneously improves our aural skills and ear-hand coordination
(the ability to play something by ear on our instruments). Both of these skills
are necessary for jazz improvisation. If you try call-and-response ear training
and end up making a bunch of mistakes, make sure you've mastered interval
identification first (see GETTING STARTED for more info).
Also, remember to start with slow tempos and just a few notes/options.
While recording these clips, I didn't look at the ear trainer's staff for starting notes.
Instead, I relied solely on my ears to find each note.
Yes, there are some mistakes in these clips and yes I hesitated before playing several of the
notes, but with each passing month/year my accuracy improves.
You should have heard how many mistakes I made two years ago!
GETTING STARTED WITH EAR TRAINING - LEARNING INTERVALS
Intervals (distances between 2 notes) are the building blocks for all chords and melodies.
Learning every interval, in both ascending and descending order, will greatly improve your
ability to play music entirely by ear.
SINGING INTERVALS
The first step toward interval mastery is the ability to sing each interval sound. I
suggest you start with a few intervals (3 or 4). Master them in ascending order. Then
add more intervals. Once you can sing all of them in ascending order, learn to sing
them in descending order.
Using the ear training tool to sing intervals:
Select the "Intervals" tab of the ear trainer and make sure the tab's checkbox is checked
Select one or more intervals you'd like to work on from the "Intervals to Play" options
Select the "Note Direction" you want to work on (I suggest starting with ascending)
Set the Play Mode to "Sing: No Play"
Click the "Next >" button to generate the intervals
When an interval appears in the staff, click the bottom note to establish its sound.
Sing that pitch aloud. Now try to sing the second note. Click the second
note to check your accuracy. If you've missed, try finding the note you sang on
the keyboard and then listen to the difference between the correct sound and the
sound you sang.
TIP: It might help to associate each interval (or at least some of them) with sounds
from popular tunes. A perfect fourth (ascending), for example, is the sound heard in the first
two notes from "Hear Comes The Bride". Further down on this page, you'll find a list
of intervals and song associations.
IDENTIFYING INTERVALS
As you learn to sing intervals, you should begin to test your ability to identify intervals
by sound. These tests will help reinforce the your mastery of each interval. Additionally,
the tests will start you on your way to identifying and playing intervals (by ear) in real music.
Using the ear training tool to identify intervals:
Select the "Intervals" tab of the ear trainer and make sure the tab's checkbox is checked
Select one or more intervals you'd like to work on from the "Intervals to Play" options
Select the "Note Direction" you want to work on (I suggest starting with ascending)
Select the "Sequence Type" you want to work on. It's probably best to begin
with melodic sequences (notes are played one after another). Once you master
melodic sequences, try harmonic sequences (notes are played together).
Set the Play Mode to "Play: Manual"
Check the "Delay Results" checkbox. This will allow you to hear the interval before the results are shown.
Of course, you can always look away from the screen to avoid seeing the results.
Click the "Play >" button to generate and play the intervals.
When the interval sounds, sing both notes of the interval, listening closely to
the each tone. Try to identify the interval distance and note name before the results are
displayed. If you guess the wrong interval, use the keyboard to compare the sound of
the guessed interval and the correct interval.
PLAYING INTERVALS
Once you've gotten good at singing and identifying intervals, you should try to play
the notes on your instrument as you hear them. You will basically want to follow
the instructions shown in the IDENTIFYING INTERVALS section, however there is one
import option. Beneath the "Play Mode" box, you'll see an option to "Show First Note".
Checking this box will always display the first note, so you'll have a pitch reference
to use when playing the next note in the interval. As you gain more experience with
these exercises, try un-checking the "Show First Note" box.
If your ear is having trouble locking in on the notes, slow down the tempo and/or reduce the number
of intervals you're trying to play. When my ear is struggling to find the notes, I'll set the tool
to a simple interval (e.g. seconds) and play along with that for a while. After a few minutes, my
ear is re-tuned and ready for harder/farther intervals.
Suggestion: Once you get good at melodic intervals, be sure to try harmonic intervals. When listening
to harmonic intervals, try to pick out each note from the bottom up. Listening from the bottom up
is useful because chords are often played with the root note as the lowest pitch. Consequently
learning to identify harmonic intervals and chords from the bottom up can help you to identify
chords/keys.
RANDOM MELODIES
Playing random melodies by ear is similar to playing simple
songs (or any other music) by ear, however the ear training tool provides a controlled environment
that helps you to gradually improve and challenge yourself.
As with intervals, you should practice both singing
and playing random melodies by ear.
Using the ear training tool to generate random melodies:
Select the "Melodies" tab of the ear trainer and make sure the tab's checkbox is checked
Select which notes or keys you want to use in the random sequences. When starting out,
I'd suggest picking 3 or 4 notes. Be sure to select "Single Note" where it says "Each
box is a...". If that option is set to major scale, then each checkbox will pull-in
every note in the major scale(s) identified by your selected "Note/Scale Options".
Select the number of notes you want in your random sequence. Once again, 3 or 4 is
probably a good place to start.
To prevent large interval jumps, check "Restrict to Single Octave"
The play settings should be familiar at this point, so make your selections (Sing vs. Play,
Delay, etc) and click the "Play" button to begin.
ADDITIONAL EAR TRAINING SUGGESTIONS
When playing along, be sure to set the "Key center" to your instrument's key (Bb: trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax,
Eb: alto sax, F: french horn, C: you know who you are)
so the notes and pitches will match your
instrument... unless, of course, you'd also like to work on transposing.
As you become more familiar with how the ear training tool works, you'll probably want to
use the automatic looping function for many of the exercises. This is done
simply by selecting one of the "Auto" Play Modes.
Looking for more material to play by ear? If so, be sure to check out my
simple song randomizer.
Suzuki Method & Music Education:
This article discusses some of the principles behind the Suzuki Method and
how those principles help students learn to play by ear.
John Murphy - Musical Fluency: This is a short article by a University of North Texas
Professor which compares fluency in a language to having strong aural skills.
INTERVAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR EAR TRAINING
You may find it helpful to associate each interval with the beginning of a popular tune.
Below are some associations that I use.
MINOR 2ND
Ascending: Nice Work If You Can Get It Descending: Joy To The World, Solar, Descending Major Scale
MAJOR 2ND
Ascending: Happy Birthday, Ascending Major Scale Descending: Mary Had A Little Lamb, Freddie Freeloader
MINOR 3RD
Ascending: Georgia On My Mind Descending: Hey Jude, Frosty The Snowman
MAJOR 3RD
Ascending: Major Triad, Oh When The Saints (Go Marching In) Descending: Summertime, Giant Steps
PERFECT 4TH
Ascending: Here Comes The Bride, All The Things You Are, Auld Lang Syne Descending: Oh Come All Ye Faithful
DIMINISHED 5TH (TRITONE)
Ascending: Maria (from West Side Story) Descending: Blue Seven
PERFECT 5TH
Ascending: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Descending: Feelings, Seven Steps To Heaven
MINOR 6TH
Ascending: Love Story (Theme), Manha de Carnaval Descending: Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)
MAJOR 6TH
Ascending: My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean, Take The 'A' Train Descending: Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
MINOR 7TH
Ascending: Star Trek Theme Descending: Watermelon Man
MAJOR 7TH
Ascending: Ceora Descending: I Love You
OCTAVE
Ascending: Somewhere Over The Rainbow Descending: Willow Weep For Me
DOWNLOADING THIS EAR TRAINER
If you'd like to use this ear training tool offline, you can download all of the files
and run them on your local computer. This is particularly useful for students
who want to run the ear trainer on their laptops while in a practice room.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS EAR TRAINER
- After downloading, unzip the files and open "home.htm". The "home.htm" file should launch the ear trainer in your default web browser.
- Random intervals played melodically
[CONFIGURE TRAINER]