Ever wonder how someone could play a complex instrument like a piano or guitar without getting your hair up? Or, perhaps you’ve marveled at the precision with which entire orchestras hit the right notes, whether slow or fast.
Not all ears are created equal. For a long time, a perfect pitch was considered a gift. It is the ability to correctly call out notes without reference. It is possible to learn perfect pitch, but it is not a gift.
As with all things, some people are born with more abilities than others.
While most people won’t be able to pitch perfectly, relative pitch, which allows you to identify notes according to their relationship with other notes, can be achieved by anyone with good ears.
It is not always easy. We’ll discuss a few techniques that can help you train your ears to hear pitch, rhythm, and timbre.
Ear Training Exercises
We’ll start with beginner-level exercises and then move on to more advanced techniques. Even for more experienced musicians, it may be worthwhile to go over the basics. These are useful for even advanced musicians. You don’t have to be a perfect pitch master for these techniques. It is always a good idea to start at the beginning.
Audition – It’s very easy. Turn on some music and try to hum along to it. This is the first step to rhythm and pitch training. It is a way to recreate a piece of sound in tune that is missing.
It will be obvious that the sound can not only be heard when you attempt to reproduce it internally but also felt. This will enable you to sense where frequencies are located in your body, such as your throat, nose, head, and so forth.
This is the foundation of your training, but you can go further.
If you aren’t a singer or have been practicing it, this will help you to pick the right tune for your instrument.
Active listening – Another exercise that crosses over into mindfulness territory. It can be used for ear training and clearing your mind. It’s quite simple. It’s easy. Close your eyes. Listen intently.
Please focus on the sounds closest to you and start by focusing on them. Is it fast or slow? Loud or quiet? Listen to the sound, and then focus on it. You can also listen for other sounds further away and repeat the process. This is a great exercise that has many benefits.
Interval Training – This will help you find a relative pitch. There are only 12 pitches per octave. Understanding how they sound together is crucial. If we can summon our audition skills, there are some easy ways to do this.
For example, a 1 – 6th interval signifies that the note has moved from a root to 6 levels up. This should sound like the opening notes of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”. A 12-step (8 note) octave interval sounds exactly like the opening chord to Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. This is a great tool for musicians as it can be used for any interval. You will eventually develop relative pitch, the ability to call out notes based on a reference.
Test your ears – Are you starting to grasp the pitch? The only way to find this out is by testing your ears. You can put your fears to the test. You can also ask a friend to help you play the piano and call your friends out.
Ask them to play the one note you know and another that they don’t. Then, try calling it out! It cannot be easy at first. It’s not easy at first, but with enough active listening and interval training, it will become easier. Audio engineering requires a great ear and the ability to hear frequencies and notes.