Ear Training: Two Note Volume Two

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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QWhen I study your Two Note vol 2 eartraining, I do 2 or 3 sessions of 28 tracks almost every day.

I sing the root C as high as I quietly can (in falsetto) while I listen to the two notes being played. Depending on the two notes being played, the sound/function of the C note I am singing may change. For example, if I hear C#E# in the lower octaves, my C clearly takes on a major 7 or "Ti" sound and so I know that the notes being played are C#E# because C is the major seventh of C#. I know the two notes are a major third apart because all the note pairs on the CD are major thirds. If the note pairs are in the high or highest octave, then the change in the C I am singing is less or none, but somehow I still know the notes are C#E#. Maybe that is because I resolve the sounds to CE or because it just sounds like a common ending to songs. If the two notes played are D#G then my C sounds like "la" . C is the major 6th of D#. But I also recognise that general sound from Hendrix songs like song Purple Haze and Vodoo Child. Again, the octave of the two notes seems to effect how clearly my C note changes to a new function. As a final example, if I hear AC# then I recognise the major minor quality of the three notes, my C taking on a "me" function. Track 62 on the CD somehow sounds different to me than the other AC# combinations and I never get that one right.

When I refered to not being sure if I could differentiate a major 3rd interval from a perfect 5th interval I am refering to the interval of the two notes being played while I sing C. When I sing root C and either the note combination D#A# or D#G is played, my root C changes function to "la". But if both note pairs were in exercises on the same CD, I am not sure I could tell you which note pair was the perfect 5th(i.e.D#A#) and which was the major 3rd (D#G). Maybe it's not relevant.

In my singing exercises I am almost done with the first page of the 4 note series. I always use the CD key drones. I do the following for each note group:
1. sing retrograde, transposing through 12 keys
2. sing as written, transposing through 12 keys
3. sing as written without transposing, through 12 keys
4. transpose by half steps in the key of C
I do at least 2 of the steps each day, one step in each session. So, on average I do two singing sessions a day. (Steps 3 and 4 can be mentally taxing. I don't read music fluently in all twelve keys. I memorize the sequence as a series of intervals and then convert it to the solfege functions before singing. For example, the sequence C,C#,D#,A# is a half step, whole step, and a perfect 5th. If C is the root, then the functions are Do, Di, Me(Ri) and Te(Li). If F is the root then the functions are So, Si, Te(Li), Fa. etc. ) When I sing each sequence I go slowly at first, pausing to hear each note before I sing it. If I make mistakes I repeat it unitl I get it right. Most of my mistakes occur because I do not transpose the phrase properly as opposed to not singing the note properly. Then I sing the phrase so that the notes are more or less connected so that it sounds more musical. I guess I just want to know what the phrase sounds like and some of the phrases turn out to be very pleasing. I no longer check my singing with the guitar because I always seem to know if I've made a mistake.

Every week or so I listen to One Note Advanced and Two Note Vol 1 for review.

My retention of Two Note Vol 1 isn't as good as I hoped. With a little review, it comes back. On the otherhand, my retention of the One note materials is excellent probably because I use it daily in my Fanatic's Guide practice and with my study of Ted Green's guitar phrases. Also, I listened to most of the midi downloads from the "Lines vol 1" eartraining book and they sounded very good. I would like to know how to create/reproduce those kinds of sounds. I hope the Two Note series will help me in that direction.
AFirst let me say that it is very common for people to have problems with a few 2 note combinations. You should continue through all the 2 note books you don't have to be perfect with one before moving to the other.

I think your practice schedule and understanding of the method is right on target. Once you get through the 2 note books I'll have some other listening projects for you. Once you complete Fanatic's Guide I want to start you on LINES and Single String Studies for Guitar. Both these books make great singing material.

The harmonic information presented in the LINES book is explained in the back of Chord Workbook for Guitar Volume One. 12 of the 36 progression in the back of this book were used for the LINES book. You will also be using the Chord Workbook for singing exercises in the future.
 
I recently started Fanatic's Two Note Vol 3 and was surprised that I was able to identify about 60% right away. The skill I gained on Vol 1&2 transferred immediately. I was very pleased! For example when I heard a two note pair played and heard it as 5 and 3 of the key. This was a eureka moment! Right now I hear (correct answers) them about 60% 5,3 and a 40% 1,6. There are problems with some of the pairs but the accuracy is getting better because I have just kept up the fanatic's singing exercises like you advised. One major side benefit is that I'm now listening to a wider variety of music than ever before and enjoying it more. I was listening to something on the classical music station today that sounded like some kind of atonal thing and was hearing scale degrees in the areas of the piece that seemed to have a root. Just wanted to let you know that your books have been a great blessing to me. I have always wanted to have good ears and have had great success so far for with your method.