Relative Pitch Ear Training

If you want a truly GREAT ear for music, then check out the Relative Pitch Ear Training SuperCourse, by David Lucas Burge. I've found it to be the most effective way ever to develop Relative Pitch. You'll learn to recognize intervals and chords at lightning speed.

Ear training is required in every college music program. It's essential. But in college courses, the instructor must teach you a certain amount of material over a given span of time. It's too easy to fall behind and become lost. Students often refer to it anxiously as FEAR training, not EAR training.

Ear Training is a lot like math. You have to know your basic addition and subtraction before you try algebra. The great thing about Burge's course is he starts you out from scratch and then moves you through it step by step. You go at your own pace. And you move to the next lesson only when you've passed the lesson you're on. He'll drill you up and down, left and right, backwards and forwards on all your chords and intervals, so that by the end of the 41 lessons, you'll know what you hear -- which is the goal of ear training.

I wish I would have had this before my ear training classes in college. I would've sailed through instead of having nightmares over them.

Burge is now THE ear training coach, also known for his classic Perfect Pitch Ear Training course.

Go here for more information on his Relative Pitch Ear Training SuperCourse.

-- Vasili Kulikov

Absolute pitch - absolutely necessary?

Does it help a musician to have absolute pitch? Some argue that it does whereas others say you don't need it.

What is absolute pitch? Simply put, it is the ability to recognize a pitch, like C or C# without any relation to any other pitch.

Some say you need to be born with such a skill. I wasn't and I have developed it fairly well. In my opinion, it's not absolutely necessary but it does add a layer of hearing perception and enjoyment to the music I listen to and play.

I would highly recommend developing this skill. How do you do it? I will be talking about this in a future blog. Stay tuned!!

Along with absolute pitch or "perfect pitch" you do need to understand the fundamentals of music and basic theory. A great course which I highly recommend is found here:

Click here for course!

Hope you enjoy it!!

Master your hearing, master your instrument

Music theory vs music technique, which is more important?

It depends. Are you a composer or a performer? What genre are you pursuing?

Both elements are essential to any musician regardless of musical preference. But developing one without the other is detrimental. Both must be mastered to have any fluency as a musician.

Want to learn how? Click here for a good starting point!!

How to develop good sight reading skills

Any musician will tell you that one of the most valuable skills they have is the ability to read music quickly by sight.

How do you develop this skill? Most begin by memorizing the musical staff and note locations. But this method will only yield limited results. It's like trying to read one letter at a time with words.

You have to read musical thoughts and ideas more than just the individual notes and then group them in a way that makes sense to you.

Would you like to learn how to do this? Click here!!

Musical education, when does it end?

When you were first learning about music, perhaps how to read music or play an instrument, there were a lot of new things to learn. Notes, scales, chords, technique, and many musical terms and symbols.

There are a basic amount which every musician should know, and then there is a specific knowledge which relates to the genre of music you want to play and study.

When does the learning end? Quite simply put, never. A musician's musical education and progression is ongoing and expansive. After a while mastery of an instrument and a musical form may take place, but this only leads to new and exciting paths.

In the beginning it may seem boring and monotonous but if you can make it past this stage, the rewards for your effort are well worth it.

Where do you begin? Click here for your start!!

Classically trained - does it make a difference?

Many musicians today in a variety of genres have a classical background, that is, they studied classical music as a foundation for their musical education. While some might say that this is not needed depending on the genre of music you want to perform or study, in my opinion it does help and makes a huge difference. Allow me to elaborate.

I studied classical music when I was learning the piano. The music was very complex and yet so beautiful that it motivated me to want to understand it and music in general in a more deeper way. This in turn has helped me in playing a variety of genres, rock, jazz, and others with greater ease. I also appreciate the history of music and the progression as a whole thanks to my classical training.

At present, I am immersed in trying to learn the works of the great masters and enjoy studying the musical scores of chamber music and orchestral works. My goal is to broaden my knowledge and understanding and have greater influences on my own compositions.

Would you like to learn how to compose music? The first step is to have a solid understanding of music and how it works. Click here to start today!

Health and musicianship - are they related?

Being a good musician and health, are they related?

Consider being a musician to being an athlete. Do athletes stay in good physical shape? Of course they do! Is it likewise important for musicians to stay in shape? Absolutely! Their performances will reflect this. Especially is this the case for singers.

Good health is essential and is too broad of a subject to discuss in this blog post. However, in addition to being healthy, there are exercises every musician does in order to stay musically in shape. Chord progressions, scales, and other exercises to name a few.

Do you have a good workout routine? How about one for ear training?

Stay tuned for my new ear training course which will help you stay in shape!