Bad days when you can't hear sh*t

Discuss EarMaster, ear training, theory or music in general, ask questions and share your experience.

Moderator: Quentin

Post Reply
User avatar
Trevor_800
Ear training rookie
Posts: 2
Joined: Jan 18, 2013 6:06 am
Location: KY

Bad days when you can't hear sh*t

Post by Trevor_800 » Jan 18, 2013 6:15 am

I'm sure some of you share my problem of having -- for some reason -- days when the most basic exercises (hear the notes in a major scale) are very hard, or they throw you - it's frustrating.

Do any of you have these bad days?

If so, do you know anything that helps? So far I've just said screw it and went on to the next day, when things are usually better. Any thoughts or comments?

Trev

User avatar
KostaC
Ear training master
Posts: 79
Joined: Oct 18, 2009 10:45 am

Post by KostaC » Jan 19, 2013 5:22 pm

Hello,

What do you mean by hearing the notes in a major scale? - taking a melodic dictation in a major scale?

User avatar
Trevor_800
Ear training rookie
Posts: 2
Joined: Jan 18, 2013 6:06 am
Location: KY

Post by Trevor_800 » Jan 19, 2013 7:31 pm

KostaC wrote:Hello,

What do you mean by hearing the notes in a major scale? - taking a melodic dictation in a major scale?
Yes. This is probably a bad example, as most of us can at least tell which degree of a major scale is which - it seldom gets that bad. But there are these "bad days" when I have trouble telling harmonic intervals apart: 4ths from 5ths, for example. On a bad day, these two can sound a lot alike. I'm not as advanced as some of you, though. : ) Most days, however, I can hear perfect 4ths and perfect 5ths just fine.

User avatar
KostaC
Ear training master
Posts: 79
Joined: Oct 18, 2009 10:45 am

Post by KostaC » Jan 19, 2013 8:00 pm

I have mastered the intervals maybe a year ago and i must say i don't have any bad days with them. I tested myself right now and i guess them with no mistake. In the begining, when i was starting with ear training, all i was focused on were these intervals intervals and only intervals. I wanted to make sure that i'm extremly stable with them before i go to the next exercise area because everything that comes after (chords, inversions, dictations...etc) is built with intervals. I suggest you do that too. If you have any bad days with them it means that they're not fully mastered. To make sure that you're making a progress always correct your mistake when you make it by taking some time listening the correct answer and comparing it with your (wrong) answer, understand the mistake by listening for a minute. If you don't correct your mistakes, you're not making a progress and EarMaster becomes more like a test program. That's my suggestion.

User avatar
briesmith
Ear training enthusiast
Posts: 8
Joined: Apr 19, 2014 7:37 am

Re: Bad days when you can't hear sh*t

Post by briesmith » Apr 20, 2014 4:04 am

@ Trevor

I know exactly what you mean; my ear is so dependent on my mood. Some days I'm like a machine, straight onto the pitch accurately and able to hear even when I'm only a little bit out.

Other days I play the note repeatedly and can't even get close. I think it's a mixture of mood and tiredness thing. And because we are human and not machines.

On those days it's probably best to work on something else, tidy up your music, sort out your MP3s - or go down the pub. :D

Brian

User avatar
Quentin
EarMaster.com
Posts: 2321
Joined: Apr 27, 2007 1:25 am
Location: Denmark
Contact:

Re: Bad days when you can't hear sh*t

Post by Quentin » Apr 22, 2014 5:10 am

I also agree with Brian. It's completely normal to have "off" days. If that happens, try to focus on something else :)
- Because in Music, We're All Ears... -

User avatar
jatin807
Ear training rookie
Posts: 3
Joined: May 24, 2014 12:24 am

Re: Bad days when you can't hear sh*t

Post by jatin807 » May 24, 2014 12:34 am

Yes. This is probably a bad example, as most of us can at least tell which degree of a major scale is which - it seldom gets that bad. But there are these "bad days" when I have trouble telling harmonic intervals apart: 4ths from 5ths, for example. On a bad day, these two can sound a lot alike. I'm not as advanced as some of you, though. : ) Most days, however, I can hear perfect 4ths and perfect 5ths just fine.

Post Reply