Ear Training V - Echoing One Randomly Generated Note

Over the last four months my ear training exercises have focused on triads. This month begins a series of exercises devoted to recognizing single notes. The task of this particular exercise is simply to echo one randomly generated note. Once comfortable with this exercise, a good challenge is to increase the tempo. This helps keep me on my toes and hone my focus.

Unlike previous exercises, there is really only one way to execute this one: by echoing each note. You can see me do both here and download the code for this exercise here. To use the code, simply open the code in Supercollider, select the Language tab, and click ‘evaluate file’.

Ear Training IV - Major, Minor, and Diminished Triads; All Inversions; Closed and Open Voicings

Last month I introduced the diminished triad into my ear training and found I needed to revert to practicing with only root position chords. This latest exercise maintains the three triad qualities but plays them in all positions and inversions and in either closed or open voicings. This is certainly the most difficult exercise I have tried so far. I still find determining the position of diminished triads tricky, perhaps because of the chords relatively symmetrical structure, but I do feel that I have made meaningful progress.

Once again, you can work with this exercise by either improvising along with the randomly generated chords or echoing them. You can see me do both here and download the code for the exercise here. To use the code, simply open the code in Supercollider, select the Language tab, and click ‘evaluate file’

Ear Training III - Major, Minor, and Diminished Triads in Root Position

So far my ear training exercises have focused exclusively on major and minor triads. This month I have decided to work on recognizing diminished triads as well. Initially, I jumped right in with triads played in all positions and inversions. I found it too difficult, however, to recognize the position of the diminished triads played this way. So this month’s exercise is back to triads in root position but now including diminished triads.

As always there are two ways to approach this exercise, by improvising along with the chords or echoing them. You can see me do both here and find the code for this exercise here. To use the code, simply open the code in Supercollider, select the Language tab, and click ‘evaluate file’.

Ear Training II - Major and Minor Triads; All Inversions; Closed and Open Voicings

Last months ear training exercise was to identify major and minor triads in root position only. This meant that the root of each chord was relatively easy to track as it was always the lowest note. This month’s exercise involves major and minor triads in root position, first, and second inversion. This means that the root will not necessarily be the lowest sounding note. Additionally, the triads will be played in either a closed (within an octave) or open (greater than an octave) voicing.

I approach this exercise in three steps:

1. Identify the root of the chord knowing that it may not be the lowest sounding note

2. Identify the lowest sounding note to identify the position/inversion of the chord

3. Identify the character of the chord or its highest note to access its voicing

As usual, this exercise can be approached in two ways: improvising along with the chords or echoing them. You can find the code, now contained in a Supercollider file (.scd), here. To use the code, simply open the code in Supercollider, select the Language tab, and click ‘evaluate file’.