Perfect Pitch Training Links

Ok no lesson today but I have been doing some searching around to see what's out there on perfect pitch training.

I can across this website which has a ton of links to lots of different ezine articles discussing anything and everything to do with perfect pitch and relative pitch. I checked out some of the articles and they seem to me to be pretty good. There's a recommended course section which might be a bit spammy(?) plus a few other sites.

The site is called perfect pitch links and seems like quite a good resource.

Go check it out

http://www.perfectpitchpeople.com/Links/

:)

Perfect Pitch Training : Learning Intervals

Today's blog is all about giving you some free tips for learning music intervals. Using the exercises previously blogged practice these easy quick perfect pitch tips to help develop your music ear training further.

Tip 1

Learn each interval intimately, the sound and it's personality. Think of the different personality of the perfect 5th compared to the minor 2nd.

Tip 2

Focus on one interval at a time making sure the span and sound of the interval is locked in your mind before you move on.

Tip 3

Develop a physical connection with the interval. For example where you place your fingers on the piano or the stretch on the guitar.

Tip 4

Give your self time to hear the interval in you inner ear. Internalize the sound your are listening too.

Tip 5

What is the tone/timbre of your instrument when playing intervals? e.g The sound of a power chord on a distorted guitar is very different to the tone of to flutes playing a power chord or 5ths.

Tip 6

Your goal is immediate recognition of the different intervals so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to learn them. Patience is absolutely essential as learning each one will take time but the reward is truly worth it.

It is worth remembering Haydn's famous words "I listened more than I studied". From these few words it is clear that in the mind of a genius perfect pitch training will be one of the best decisions you ever will make.

Perfect Pitch Training: Interval Recognition

Become intimate with Intervals

Recognizing intervals is absolutely key to developing good perfect pitch. Why? Because when you can identify the different intervals of a musical phrase, you can notate and transcribe without interruption, or put another way you won't have take the hit and miss approach of randomly pressing keys on your keyboard.



Solfage is brilliant!

Diatonic scales is the best place to start learning your intervals. Solfage is a great way to learn and understand scale degrees and how they relate to each other. Solfage was developed in the 11th century by Guido d' Arezzo and is still commonly used today. It takes time to get used to singing solfege but even just minimum effort can benefit you greatly. It will free you to practice interval recognition even when you aren't at your instrument. You can literally practice perfect pitch training 24/7 where ever you are. How cool is that!

Solfage Scale Names

Sing a scale (best to start with C major) vocalizing the following syllables e.g pitch the note C but vocalize the syllable Doh etc etc.


C - Do (pronoucened Doh no Homer Simpson impressions please!)
D - Re (pronounce Ray)
E - Mi (pro' Mee
F - Fa (Pro' Far)
G - So (Sol)
A - La (Lah)
B - Ti (Tee)
C - Do

Solfage Interval Identification Technique

Now once you can sing up and down the scale comfortably try singing from memory just a few intervals. Limit yourself to just a few intervals so that you can focus your mind on learning the important and most dominant intervals.

C (Doh) up to C (Doh) - Learn the interval of the Octave.
C (Doh) up to G (Sol) - Learn the interval of the 5th.
C (Doh) up to F (Fa) - The interval of a 4th

This may seem simple, that's because it is. It may seem like there isn't much to do, just learning 3 different intervals - The octave, 5th and 4th. However these three intervals are the bedrock to your learning interval recognition and developing perfect pitch.

I give you my word that if you practice this and become intimate with those three intervals you will be well on your way to unlocking the secret of many great composers' genius.

Until next time keep PERFECT PITCH TRAINING

Absolute Pitch or Relative Pitch The Pros and Cons

By definition the two are slightly different.

Absolute Pitch is the ability to hear a note and identify it's tone.

Relative Pitch is being able to distinguish and recognize intervals.

So, which is better?

Absolute Pros:

Those that have it naturally can spot notes and identify them from memory (remember this can be taught and learnt). Studies have also revealed that those who have had absolute pitch from an early age can switch it on and off like a radio.

Absolute Cons:

Pitch is variable; take the guitar for instance. When a guitar is tuned with a tuner the tuner needle can be seen to flicker up and down in pitch slightly, demonstrating how pitch is not static. Imagine a pianist reciting a piece on a piano half a tone out, for someone with absolute pitch it could be a nightmare, because of this those with absolute benefit from learning relative pitch.

Relative Pros:

One advantage with relative is we can be comfortable with tones sounding at any pitch across the sound spectrum. If you your ear isn't absolute you are able perceive intervals freely. One good example is transcribing orchestrated music. Through the various record methods the pitch of the recording can change giving someone with absolute pitch a head ache but those with relative an opportunity to open there mind and transcribe freely.

Rock bands often detune slightly from A440 (for whatever reason) again transcribing with relative allows you to easily hear the intervals without distraction.

As an example of this check out Sigur Ros' Hippipolla. This wonderful song is not in standard A440. See if you can transcribe this track using relative pitch and interval recognition (don't worry about not having a full understanding I will give you some transcribing tips in coming blogs :)) you will soon see that if you play along with the piano at A440 it won't be in tune, it will be very slightly out. With absolute pitch this song would present many challenges. Have fun and enjoy...let me know how you get on?



So to sum up Relative vs Absolute are both essential to your music ear training. You are at a definite advantage learning relative pitch, however absolute is a skill that will naturally develop and in the long term the two will go had in hand together. You will utilize both techniques.

Until next time......

Hearing what you see....

Hello perfect pitchers,

Have to say that isn't me above but I'm sure my head a very much more hollow and resonant than his is!

Today I am going to continue with that crazy tutorial that I recorded yesterday. This blog is all about tonal memory and using note matching and resonance to develop you music ear training.

So try out the following to enhance your perfect pitch:

Find an object that has a pitch to it. An empty glass, glass half full of water, metal bar that vibrates or um.....someones head that you think might resonant to a pitch, make sure your gentle though! Next sing in unison with that object, perhaps even sing an octave up a down from the source pitch.

Once you have done this and you can feel the resonance stop the object and internalize the sound, listen to the pitch in your head. Then using tonal memory sing the note aloud. Checking with the object that you have it spot on!

This is practicing HEARING WHAT YOU SEE!

UNTIL NEXT TIME......

Perfect your pitch resonance!

OK here is a short video tutorial I created that will help you to develop your ability to pitch notes more accurately than you ever thought possible!

Singing in unison is the first step in developing your ear. Why? Well the simple answer is if you can sing in unison and control the resonance of a note your inner ear will become 100% more accurate.

This is my first video tutorial so let me know what you think. Is it helpful? Confusing? Boring? etc etc.

Enjoy and look out for the next step soon.

So here are the simple steps to follow to develop your perfect pitch training:

1. Find a single tone to sing along to.
2. Sing in unison
3. Bend the note slightly to feel the resonance of the notes in unison
4. Move your voice up/down an octave, sing in unison to feel the resonance
5. Finally sing different intervals and possibly even start to create melodies against the single tone.

Perfect Pitch? You need to be ACTIVELY AWARE...

The basics of music ear training is something supremely simple yet always overlooked......AWARENESS.

J. Krishnamurti said "there is an art to listening....when you are in a receptive state of mind, things can easily be understood".

To take the first step in developing your perfect pitch training you must first learn to actively listen. This is the best training and probably the most important lesson you will learn. You must become consciously aware of all that is around you.

Try these exercises to help you begin to develop you awareness in music and nature (sorry getting heavy here!).

Ex 1:

Where ever you are, outside, in a mall, at home watching TV? Take the time to sit quietly by yourself and allow all the sounds around you to flood in to your mind. Become consciously aware of where those sounds are close by, far away, high, low etc etc??

Next focus on one sound only really zoom in on that sound and focus on it for as long as possible. Then move to another sound and focus on that one. Move from one sound to the next localizing it's position.

Do the above in a Super Market I guarantee when you really lock into the sounds and open your inner ear you'll feel like your tripping!!

Ex 2:

Listen to the natural world focus on the sounds you can hear. Pick one sound that you feel could well be musical? What is the register of that sound? How might you create a musical line from the sound(s)? How might you go about orchestrating that sound? Try to see the music on the page and hear it in your mind.

The above is a very common technique and has been used by many great composers. Try it out and you will soon begin to develop ACTIVE LISTENING.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you try it out where and how you get on.

IF SHE CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU!!

This is one hell of an inspiring video! But look closely and you'll notice that she is doing something very interesting but nothing unique. When she hears or sings a note she doesn't think she does just does. In other words her mind is open and not questioning, she accepts and trusts that her mind recognizes the pitch she must guess or sing.

When you learn to trust your ear you will gain the ability to notate anything, at any time and where ever you are.

Still, is bloody impressive! Enjoy.........

Perfect Pitch Training: You were born with it!

I came across this article by Daniel Tennenbaum and thought I would share it with you. Not exactly comprehensive but definitely will give you food for thought and encouragement that music ear training and perfect pitch is an ability we all posses.

As a musician, you have probably heard all of the amazing things people with absolute (perfect) pitch can do.

* Name random notes instantly without any additional reference.
* Learn entire song parts just by hearing them once.
* Tune an instrument perfectly with no tuner and no reference note.
* Compose entire songs, with multiple parts, in your head.


To be able to do these things would be truly amazing, right? But is it possible for you and me? Doesn't everyone say that only people who are born with perfect pitch can do these things? Can you learn perfect pitch?

The answer, unequivocally, is YES!

It is entirely possible to learn perfect pitch, and it won't take years and years either. The past few years have yielded some fantastic research into the subject of perfect absolute pitch. For instance, consider the following:

* German professor Otto Abraham argues that we are all born with perfect pitch; we just "unlearn" it as we grow older.
* Perfect pitch is actually an act of cognition, similar to our recognizing colors and the sounds of speech.
* The sense of hearing of a person with perfect pitch is no keener than someone without; they just have the ability to categorize tones into predefined pitch areas.

The above information clearly shows that perfect absolute pitch is not some mystical ability, but an actual technique that can be learned. This is an extremely exciting idea, and has led to the proliferation of many "courses" designed to teach musicians perfect pitch.

I know what you're thinking now: How do I learn perfect pitch?

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Perfect-Absolute-Pitch---Is-it-Right-For-You?&id=1570523

Good question and over the coming weeks I will give you some great ideas that will help you to achieve what the above article has been discussing.

Lesson One will be coming soon......

Music Ear Training: Relative vs Absolute Pitch

Music Ear Training begins with an understanding of a few simple terms: The description below sourced from Ezine Articles gives a clear description of the basic terms you need to be familiar with. However they are very general descriptions and therefore will be expored in more detail in coming blogs......

Source Johnny Moon

Absolute Pitch Is Also Known As Perfect Pitch

First I think it's important to get this out of the way. Absolute pitch and perfect pitch are exactly the same thing! They are just two words for the same concept. Don't get confused by this.

What Is Absolute Pitch?

It's the ability to discern what a note or chord is simply by hearing it (without any reference guide such a pitch pipe being used!) A good singer with absolute pitch can sing any note from memory exactly on pitch. Even if she's got no music to sing along with.

What Is Relative Pitch?

You may have also heard of something called "relative pitch." For years it was thought that relative pitch was actually the only kind of pitch recognition that could be trained. Of course now we know that absolute pitch recognition can be developed through ear training as well.

Relative pitch is the ability to hear how two or more notes relate to each other. For example someone with relative pitch can tell you what kind of chord he is hearing (whether it's a minor or a major chord) and he can tell you what the interval is between two notes (ie a pefect pitch or a minor second.) But he cannot tell you exactly what the chord is or what the notes are. Only what they are in relation to something else!

Developing perfect and relative pitch go hand in hand as you will discover in my coming blogs. I will provide you with super cool techniques and tools that will develop both your ability to spot intervals and individual notes as well as learning to hear and play back whole phrases. With practice you will aquire both relative and perfect pitch.

Music Ear Training

Hello and welcome to anyone on that elusive quest for perfect pitch. I will not lie to you perfect pitch is something that is incredibly difficult to achieve. That isn't to say the ability to train your inner ear to hear those notes and allow you to write or play great music is impossible. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE.

Training your ear takes time and hard work no matter what anyone says......fact! However once you have it the reward is a lifetime of feeling smug and superior to all those other mere mortals struggling to to find the right note. Your ability to recognize pitches and musical phrases will be admired by others and inspire those that wish to achieve what you have achieved. You can can join the club of the PERFECT PITCH JERK!

The above thou is really the reward of your hard efforts. How will music ear training help you? There are many reasons? As a composer for TV I find it helps me to work quickly; to translate my idea into a cohesive reality in a fraction of the time. I can day dream when not at the piano or computer and formulate my ideas without the need to record anything into my sequencer. I can grasp the concept and tone of a commission without having to scroll through endless virtual instruments to find a sound that inspires me to write. I JUST SIMPLY START IN MY HEAD........NO CLUTTER, I HAVE PERFECT PITCH AND SO CAN YOU.

Over the coming months I will be posting invaluable techniques that have helped me to develop my 'inner ear' which in turn has allowed me to write better more powerful music. Developing my ear has not only saved me hours of time but has also help me to better understand the whole composition process. The benefits are endless and you will soon see them.

Look out for my hot tips coming soon.........