Nice Ear Training Tool

[WBC]

Here's a link to a very good ear training tool. It's free and covers a lot of territory, intervals, chords, melodies etc. It's on the left hand side of the page. It can be run when you're offline if you download the program.
http://www.iwasdoingallright.com/jaz...isation/108/1/

There's also a lot of interesting thoughts about improvisation, it's well worth checking out.

[Axis29]

Having just read through the first section I will make an observation...

I play almost completely by ear and feel the limitation in that direction. I wish I had learned to sight read for guitar when I began. It has made learning the theory behind what I play or want to learn to play SOOOOOOO much harder.

While I agree that as musicians if we can't hear the music, we will be limited, I think I am more limited by the lack of true basic musical skills. I have denied myself many opportunities to play out simply because I am so retareded in those skills. Now, as an older (relatively) player I realize my limitation... when I was younger and lazier, it didn't seem to be such a problem as long as I could get copies of tablature for the songs I wanted to learn. That and a bit of natural ability to hear notes, intervals, etc. ANd a desire to play.

However, I feel I have made myself work so much harder over the years.

Now, if anyone can give me the super easy, lazy-man's way to learn to sight read in two hours... pass it on baby! Do they make a sight reading guitar music for dummies book?

[Anson Willis]

Reading/Writing music on paper is a great (if limited) shorthand tool. Learning to sight read is good too. However, keep in mind that people played instruments for thousands of years without having any dots on paper. They learned their instruments by sitting at the feet of older players, listening. (Music notation has only been around for 1,000 years or so.)

Not everyone is able to learn how to read notated music well. It has to do with the type of learner you are. Some dyslexic people have a hell of a time learning to translate the dots on paper into actual sounds. Some people pick it up rather quickly, though.

[Axis29]

Interesting. I like this discussion.

I guess the part that really bugs me is that I used to sight read for piano when I was very young and then for flute when I was in middle school (don't ask, it was a bad decision, but there were a couple of cute girls in my section). And, no, I can't read either now... nor do I know any of those girls either. Go Figure?

So, I get down on myself for not being able to do it on guitar.

I read a bit more on the page in the link and found it quite interesting. The thought that so many guitarists over the years couldn't read music. I guess I never thought about it that way.

I do hear music better than many I've played with over the years. After some re-focusing in my playing and actually getting back into it full throttle, I have begun to be able to hear what I play fully before I play it... if that makes sense. I know where I'm going with my solos and improv stuff. I'm certainly no Miles Davis!

One of the things I've been doing lately is sitting with the guitar watching TV (usually noodling and practicing scales, much to my wife's dismay!) and I end up picking out advertisement jingles. I can usually pull a few during every show. Never right away, sometimes it takes a little trial and error. And of course I forget them quickly, but it's been a fun exercise.

[trevarty]

Does tab reading count as sight reading? I've learned to read notes before but it was really only for lessons or classes. I haven't seen a guitar book yet that doesn't have tabs.

[klasaine]

I would add to the guys list of "what you need to know for jazz theory" - the melodic minor scale. An absolute must! If it Parker knew, we need to know it.

[Chris S.]

Very cool, thanks for the link. Here's another one that I've posted here before – but it still works: ;-)

http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer

Also completely FREE. (Always my favorite price.) I use it almost every day – it's right below the TDPRI on my "Bookmarks" list. ;-) Check it out, see what you think. Hope it helps, CS :-)

[weelie]

Originally Posted by trevarty

Does tab reading count as sight reading? I've learned to read notes before but it was really only for lessons or classes. I haven't seen a guitar book yet that doesn't have tabs.

I guess you aren't into jazz or classical, then. :)

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by trevarty

Does tab reading count as sight reading?

Ever try reading the TAB for a piece of music you've never heard before? (I'm talking TAB only, by itself, not TAB + standard notation.) How did it sound?

(Strictly IMO, of course.) :-) CS

[trevarty]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

Ever try reading the TAB for a piece of music you've never heard before? (I'm talking TAB only, by itself, not TAB + standard notation.) How did it sound?

That's true. Most books have standard notation along with the tabs. That helps cause I know the difference between quarter, half, sixteenth notes, etc.

So jazz and classical books are usually "real" notes? Think I'll stick with country and blues.

[neocaster]

I've tried that, and it only sounded wrong after I heard what it was supposed to sound like. Still early in my learning, I think string instruments may be a bit different from other instruments because there's the extra questions of "where" that doesn't come up when your instrument is a strictly linear representation of varying frequencies.