Aural Training (or ear training) is a very important part of musical development. You will learn to recognise the intervals by transcribing but aural training will teach you the names of the intervals. This is useful for communicating ideas with other musicians and also for understanding the music you listen to.

There are two types of interval listening, harmonic and melodic. In harmonic intervals the notes are played at the same time and in melodic the notes are played one after the other.

The other part of aural training that is very useful is rhythmic dictation. This is best done by writing the rhythms when you transcribe. Don't need me for that! But if you want a tip...check out the book called Louis Belsons Modern Reading Text In 4:4 it is a drum book full of rhythms, no tuition, just pages and pages of rhythms to read. If you go through it you will really know all your rhythms very well indeed. It is like the Reading Rhythms - Lesson 1 only a load more intense. You might find it helpful to check out my lesson first!

Hope you find this stuff helpful and that it all makes sense. The most important thing though is that you do it. There is no substitute so go check out good-ear right now and get stuck in. Start simple and then keep pushing it.

Good luck!

LessonsAU-001 • Aural Training Basics
How to start, what to do and why!

AU-002 • Song References For Interval Training
Both ascending and descending intervals with song references

AU-003 • Singing Exercises For Aural Development
Get the sounds in your head by singing them :)

AU-004 • Intervals On The Guitar
Find all the intervals on the neck with 5th and 6th string roots

AU-010 • Aural Tests
some examples and how to make your own

 

Useful Ear Training Web Sites

I will be putting and automated tester here soon but it is still in development. For now please use the tester at www.musictheory.net. It is excellent and used in conjunction with the information presented here will get you well on your way.