Do This ONE Thing To Help Connect Your Ears To Your Instrument! Ear Training
Вставка
- Опубліковано 17 тра 2023
- NEW BOOK! 2
Patreon: bit.ly/LCPatreon
Pianote Trial: lp.musora.com/levi-clay?oid=1...
Sweetwater: Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/15Mdk9
Books: bit.ly/LeviClay
Albums: bit.ly/LCAlbums
“Discipline is money in the bank.”-HenryRollins
Great video and advice! I’ve been training my ears for several years and it’s really paying off. Have a degree in classical guitar instrumental performance and could play Bach, etc., but if somebody asked me to play happy birthday, I’d be fishing around for notes back then. I think if you ask a lot of shredders or guitar players in general to play the melody to a Christmas Carol or a simple well known children’s melody, they would have trouble. Had to work to remedy that situation for myself. Still working on it every day! The harder you work, the better you get!
What worked for my ears is something I’ve heard described as tonal gravity. I noticed long ago that I could hear the sound of 4 wanting to resolve down to 1…end of phrase on Let it Be for example. I noticed I could hear 5 wanting to resolve in either direction towards 1. Over time, really focusing on listening to bass lines, I noticed this tendency in all diatonic notes. The more bass lines I listened to the more I noticed different tendencies of resolution towards the tonic and other places that roots like to move and hang out on. That changed, and continues to develop in more detail over time, to hearing a melody note against whatever the bass note is at the moment. I still have a long way to go in terms of middle voices but the point is…it all started with hearing tendencies of resolution in the bass voice. My two cents. Take it for what it’s worth. Thanks as always Levi.
Great method. Does the fact that the bass isn’t always playing the chord’s tonic ever present obstacles?
@@jordanj9069 For sure, but as with all things ear training, those nebulous sounds have improved with simply noticing them; focusing on them and categorizing bass moves in my mind. Like 1,3, 4, #4, 5…I know that 5 is often 1 in second inversion and it’s fairly obvious now what it is. (Edit to add: A more common one; 1,7,6,5,4…that 7 is usually 5 in first inversion. Knowing the theory stuff definitely helps with categorizing, remembering and eventually just knowing at first listen what is a slash chord vs a root position voicing.) Over time, inverted secondary dominants become obvious too.
But I can remember years back though, hearing these strange voicings that a piano friend liked to write into his Disney style compositions. It was just 4 in second inversion it turns out. Noticing these little things, gradually over time, has made my ear more in tune with the pianists right hand as a distinct thing from the bass side so hearing slash chords or any unusual sounds gets easier and easier. It all snowballs once you start paying attention and compartmentalizing these sounds.
You've got it! I sing along to my instruments constantly. Also, sing along to everything else e.g. background music while shopping, birds, machines. Music is everywhere, and it has rhythm too. Also, tap your foot while practicing, even if you use a metronome. That's just as important as singing. I hear many guitar gurus on UA-cam fumbling the rhythm, especially on the one. Don't do that!
This connection to the instrument is something I've not been able to do even after 35 years of playing, but have always wished I could. I KNOW what it feels like to be able to do it, as I can whistle anything I want at any time. I could whistle any song I hear, or improvise over anything regardless of genre. THAT is what I wish I could do on guitar. Best I can do is hear guitar in my head, whistle it, then try to figure it out on guitar. Not exactly improvisational material there hahaha.
Yes Levi - good reinforcement of the need to "hear" in your head first. I often hear first and simultaneously visualize what I play without even looking at the fretboard because, as I think you suggest, always looking at the fretboard can actually create an obstacle to making that connection b/t the brain and what you play (i.e. less creativity, more patterned).
I couldn’t agree with you more!!! I have found that singing what you are playing is the best way to keep your mind FOCUSED on what you are playing and in connecting your brain to the SOUND you are making.
one thing that helped me with this is to start with some licks I know really well... that showed me that I can do this, not 100% of the time, but definitely some of the time.. To me after that it's just been about getting more sounds into my hands and ears. Like for example.. I think a lot of people could sing an E and then play the high E string, because it's been so ingrained in you from tuning your guitar. After that, can you sing E G E and play it on the high or low E? Just that little phrase from E minor pentatonic. Probably easy.. once you know you can do this, then it's not so daunting to continue on with more ideas.
How about recognising chords Levi? Any chance of you doing a video on that? Thanks
I'm really liking this little ear training series you've got going on. I've been working on my ear training. There are a million "right ways" to do it, but thus far I don't know if any of them have worked (yet?). I've seen you transcribe so I definitely trust your ear training regiment, so thanks again!
Levi, thanks for the videos man this is stuff I really need to work on. Richie Kotzen does something similar to what you’re talking about, he has a lot of solos in his solo career and his stuff with the Winery Dogs where he hums or scats the notes as he’s playing them. (One notable one is his solo on the Winery Dogs Hot Streak) The guy is an amazing guitarist. Maybe you could transcribe some of his stuff sometime? Thanks again for the great videos. Keep it up.
This is the best guitar channel on YT. 🤘
you're the best commenter on youtube
Blow that Read Lou😊
What do you charge to transcribe rock songs chords dyaids and solos
I also generally hum the notes as I play them. Most guitarists fingers forget that there’s actually a brain attached…
A ha! Got ya! How can you sing the notes before you play on a wind instrument? #lawyered
Easy… song the note then play the note #lawyered
What you can’t do is sing the note WHILE you’re playing it 😉
Is this different than relative pitch. It sounds like your talking about memorizing tones , or do you start off with a key you already know we'll. Sorry but I'm a bit dense 💯
I’d say it’s an offshoot of relative pitch. When people are developing relative pitch they’re connecting the ears to the mind. You hear a note, then another, and you can say “that was a 6th”. That’s a nice party trick, but it’s not the same as hearing two notes and being able to just play them. Or playing a note, then putting your finger somewhere else and being able to sing what it will sound like before you play it.
@@LeviClay thank you 🙏🏽 for taking the time to explain it.
Just think about the next note. What is the interval? Is it a minor 6th or major 6th? It is an effort at first, but after a while you can do it without thinking about it consciously. Just like speaking a new language. It is helpful to think about examples, e.g. minor 6th in the melody of "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, or major 6th in the intro on "Take The A Train". The goal is to be sure that you are going to play the right note instead of using scales or muscle memory. Scales are important, but don't use them as a crutch.
Thank you Levi - such great and helpful advice - I won't listen to evil Tom! 🤣
It's a hard pill to swallow, but most of us will never be on your level Levi
That's not true dude! Nothing special with me, just a lot of work and trying to only show my best side :P