Too heavy exercises

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Robin_MD
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Too heavy exercises

Post by Robin_MD » Aug 12, 2017 2:21 am

Hi!
Do not live in an English-speaking country. I warn you in advance my English is bad. Sorry, waiting for understanding!
There was a following problem when using the EarMaster. I worked with such exercises as "Interval Comparison" & "Interval Identification". The exercise "Interval Comparison'' I was doing three months. In all that time I have not managed to go further than the fifth module "Minor 3rd & Major 3rd''. The difficulties began with the tasks where nearby common tone and no common tone. All this time, that is, three months, I was able to collect more than fifty percent of these tasks. Three months! Of course, the next module I don't moved. I trained daily.
The next problem is in training with "Interval Identification". The same thing. Reached thirds and stopped. Can't remember how they sound, to distinguish them from each other. I showed a lot of patience to do it every day for 20 minutes. But there are no results, no progress.
By the way, I tried his hand even recently in the exercise called "Scale Identification". I couldn't even start. It is hard for me. How I hadn't listened to scales, I can't manage to remember them and to determine.
Friends, don't you think that's too long - three months? Can you please tell me what to do next. Continue to train? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? What if the complexity of the exercises immediately and the maximum increases? No matter how many attempts I do, nothing changes. I have so bad an ear for music? I've reached my limit?
Thanks!

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Quentin
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Quentin » Aug 14, 2017 1:37 am

Hello,

Don't worry about your English, it's easy to understand. We're not native speakers either, we're in Denmark :) .

If you keep failing at an exercise, then I think it would be a good idea to try a different approach in order not to get frustated. There are things that will help you internalize the sound of m3 and M3.

For example, you can link each of these intervals to the beggining of a famous song. FOr example, if the interval sounds like the beginning of the Canadian anthem (O Canada...), Greensleeves or the Cop of Beverly Hills, then it's a minor 3rd. It it sound like the beginning of Oh when the Saints, Michael Row the Boat Ashore or Morning has Broken, then it's a Major 3rd. You can make your own list and print it on this page: https://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tools/interval-song-chart-generator.html

Another good technique, is to sit by a piano or with another instrument of your choice while making the exercises, and play the intervals played by the software before answering. Of course, the goal is that you can recognize them by ear without help, but it's a very good technique to help you get there.

The most important thing here, is that you don't just keep on taking an exercise without doing any change to your approach. As for scales, ifyou don't know at all how they are constructed, then that's where you should start before doing scale ear training. You will find a free music theory course on the EarMaster website. It includes information about how scales work. When you have understood how scales are built, it will then be easier to idenfitfy them by ear, because you will know what to listen for.
- Because in Music, We're All Ears... -

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Robin_MD
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Robin_MD » Aug 14, 2017 3:03 am

Thanks for the quick and competent answer, Quentin!

Turns out I was wrong, thinking that all takes more time? I thought I just need to continue and wait until the ears adjust. That was my mistake? Didn't think you should change the approach, and the result may appear immediately. If you just continue to listen to the intervals in the tasks, nothing will change, progress will not be?

In the user guide for the program, by the way, I've seen advice that you wrote to me. I did not attach importance to the method, which consists in listening to songs. But I tried to play the right intervals on the piano. Took a long time, while I was looking for the right notes. Unfortunately, for me too hard. If the exercise "Interval Comparison" would be given tonics. In the exercise "Interval Identification" they are given. I just moved in piano keyboard and find the notes by comparing with the given example. I thought it was wrong, considering that it is necessary to remember the sound of the two thirds - m3 & M3. Whether I did? As I go about these tasks without playing intervals on an instrument? Then how will I determine the intervals when they will full list and choose them all possible? Need to develop auditory memory?
Are there any other methods? Or more importantly, as I understand it, I listen to more examples of the sound of certain intervals? The approach should definitely change, you just can't continue to listen? It is important for me to have a better understanding.

Thank you again, Quentin!

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Quentin
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Quentin » Aug 15, 2017 12:43 am

If you keep doing guesses in the dark instead of having a rational approach to the exercise, then yes repetition will be useless. I think it will be much more beneficial for you to find a technique that will help you identify intervals correctly.

There are many ways to bind your auditory perception of the intervals to other senses so that they can help you identify them. Besides song associations and playing intervals on the piano before answering, there is also another technique which is linking intervals with feelings, moods, or colors. For example, 4th is dignified/solemn, 5th is heroic, etc. It is important that you assign your own terms to the intervals (i.e. that you find your own descriptions of each interval), so you can recognize them more naturally.

Also, try to start the "Interval singing" exercise in parallel to what you are training. Singing is one of the best way to internalize sounds. SInging and hearing are linked together very closely, so it's important to sing as much as possible during your ear training.
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Robin_MD
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Robin_MD » Aug 22, 2017 3:02 pm

What I need to do to get exercise "Melody Imitation''? Manage to pass only the first three lessons of the first module. Since I was known for the three notes in advance. Otherwise, I just can't hear which note is which key should press. This exercise requires perfect pitch? This is perhaps the most difficult exercise of all. How to prepare for it, don't know.

I would also like to learn about the way of completing the exercises "Chord Identification''. I don't remember the name of a particular chord, I just try to take it on the instrument. Therefore making it one semitone in EarMaster and press "Evaluate Answer". Should I memorize the chord and relate it with the name? Me with ease given only identify the major and the minor chords. Sound other can be hard to remember. Too many of them. And where I can find sufficient theoretical information on their structure and more sound examples in different keys. In the program given only one example. Transpose in my head, and then try to discern the chords difficult

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Quentin
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Quentin » Aug 23, 2017 3:04 am

The melody imitation exercises were made to be answered with your voice. They are indeed very difficult to answer without knowing the first note, even if you hear the tonic beforehand. We have plans to make a variation of that exercise for instruments as well in the future, but for now, you should sing the notes. It's the easiest way to develop pitch memory and internalize melodic patterns.

As for Chord theory, you will find soe very useful information inthe free music theory course available on our website: https://www.earmaster.com/music-theory-online/ch05/chapter-5-1.html
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Robin_MD
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Robin_MD » Aug 24, 2017 1:27 am

The problem is that I instrumentalist but not the singer. I understand that it is not necessary to do the vocals to complete this exercise, but I don't know how pure intone. I don't know how to sing notes and intervals, what sounds we need to make to get in tune. Probably need to do it according to the rules of solmization. But I am with her technique, not familiar, yet I get only humming "Na-Na-Na-Ta-Ta-Ta" and other syllables :D. In notes, I do not get. Here's how to fix - attempts?

To sing I do not like and do not know how, sorry that the ear training is largely based only on singing :|.

In General, I'm a sound producer. I would like to learn how to embody invented in my head melodies and chord progressions in the notes in my sequencer, I would like to learn how to make melodies and harmonies by ear, transcribing music, but I play keyboards badly. Look at hearing the notes, I don't know how to play what I want, what I have in mind. Tell me what exercises I should do, the emphasis to develop these skills? Сan EarMaster do to help me with this ;)? If I can learn how to transcribing melodies and harmoies, to determine key & tonic of song after the full course in EarMaster? Is it possible to do without singing?

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Quentin
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Re: Too heavy exercises

Post by Quentin » Aug 28, 2017 2:34 am

Singing is the easiest and fastest way to make real progress with your ear training, os it's a good idea to sig your answers, also in exercises where you are not asked to sing into a microphone. Just sing the tones to click and then sing the correct and wrong answers after the correct answer has been given. This is a sure way to better skills.

You don't need relative solmization to train your aural skills. It's a great system that makes things easier in many respects, but a large part of the world don't use it. So if you are not familiar with it, that shouldn't hold you back from making progress. Sing any sounds, or just hum, that will do it :). If you do want to learn solfege, then several of the exercises of EarMaster are a sort of introduction to relative-do solfege, like the "Interval Singing" activity. If you follow the lessons of that activity and read the instructions carefully, you shoudl get all the tools to get acquainted with relative solmization.
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