Ear Training: Two Note Volume Three
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| Q | I am studying vol. 3 of your Two Note series and having difficulty. As far as I can tell my "C" is sounding like FA for two of the two note groups which are F-D and D-B. So, I cannot use the modulation to tell which is which. The modulation was enough in Volumes 1 and 2. Is this normal? (There are 3 other cases where the modulation is the same.) |
| A | If C is sounding like fa then you are in the key of G. F and D therefore will sound like the b7 and the 5th. D and B will sound like the 5th and the 3rd. Remember that the "root" of the new key doesn't have to be present within the two notes. |
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| Q | I have been studying your eartraining materials, both the single note and two note series. I am a bit more than half done with the 4 note groups and I finished disc 3 of the 2 note series. (Disc 3 was difficult.) I am starting to reliably hear/sing/read melodies with the drone.
I am having difficulty singing/imagining the following chord progression: 4 bars of each of the following chords: l: C-7, E-7, Ab-7, B-7, Eb-7, G-7, Bb-7, D-7, F#--7, A-7, C#--7, and F-7 :l The progression is a practice exercise for pentatonic scales. Each chord is treated as a II-7 in the exercise. I think the progression modulates key with each change. When I am trying to memorize the sound of a progression I usually sing the roots and the chord arpeggio (esp. 3,7) to help my mind create a chord image. In this case, the only thing I can figure out is to imagine C with some dorian arpeggio notes and as I approach the change sing(imagine) the melodic phrase "me", "te", "do", "me", "mi". The half step slide from "me" to "mi" is easy to imagine. The "mi" becomes my new "do" (just barely sometimes). In the case where the modulation is a b3, I might use the melodic phrase "me" "te" "do" "re" "me". At the repeat, the "so" becomes my new "do". Can you make any suggestions that might help? |
| A | I don't think your idea of singing pentatonic scales over the given chord progression is a good thing for you to be doing at this point. I would prefer you get a fake book like the "real book" and begin singing some tunes. I would like you to start with Donna Lee by Charlie Parker. I want you to start by singing the the chord tones of each chord 1,3,5,7 so the first two chords are AbĀ7 to F7 you would sing Do, Me, So Ti to La, Di, Me, So. Continue singing all arpeggios throughout the song. There is a possibility you might modulate at some point this varies with each individual. There is also a possibility that you will hear the song differently from day to day. This is also normal and should be expected. Let me know when you can sing this at mm=100 for each note of the arpeggio. I also want you to get Single String Studies for Guitar Volume One and sing the first example with a drone in every key. The first example is in C so by the time you get to Gb you will be singing mostly notes that are out of the key. You also what to get this up to mm=100 for each quarter note. Let me know when you get that happening.
One thing that you need to realize is you shouldn't force your ear to hear a certain way. Remember you ear is going to hear something the way it wants so you need to develop the ability to follow it. Before you can make meaningful progress with the progression you are describing in your email you will need to develop the ability to sing though songs in various ways that I will teach you. You also need to develop some techniques that I will show you through the Single String Studies books. I would also say that you need to sing thought the LINES book as another prerequisite. |
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| Q | I've been using the key drone while working on Donna Lee. I wrote down each arpeggio using solfege syllables with Ab as "Do" throughout the song and have been practicing it. I feel a bit lost at times when it comes to the part where it vamps between Fmi and C7. I guess that I am modulating during the second measure of C7 leading into the vamp because the solfege syllables don't sound right during the vamp. The key drone keeps me somewhat oriented but it doesn't sound like the "Do" in the song. It occurred to me that I'm not accustomed to the dominant 7 sound replacing the III chord. When the song comes back to III, VIb7, II, V, I, it sounds right again. Should I sing the Solfege syllables for the Fmi, C7 part as if they were in the key of Fmi?
I have a second question. In my four-note-group exercises my last exercise was to sing between three and six four-note-groups in one sequence, transposing by a half step interval each time up to a major 7th. Mechanically, this meant transposing up a half step the first time, a whole step the second time, a step and a half the 3rd time and so on. Singing the notes was easier than the transposition problem. I was able to transpose haltingly by using the interval distance between the lines and spaces on the staff while adjusting for scale degree and #'s on the original note. For example, if my sequence had an F# in it, and on that pass I was singing up a #4th, I would look at the F space and move up two lines to get to the B line. The 4th of F is already sharp in the key of C, so my note was still B. But, because the F was sharp, the end result was B #, or "Do." If the transposition was up a 5th or higher I reversed direction and went down the reciprocal of the interval or a 4th in this case. Is this a good way to do it? |
| A | Don't use the drone on Donna Lee, but do use it on the Single String Studies exercises. Most people modulate on the F minor section of Donna Lee. So when you do just change the syllables, change back when you get to Ab major.
Your method for singing the 4 note groups is a little complex but if it works for you fine. |
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| 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. | |
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| Q | I'm working on Two Note Volume 3. How do I make the jump between singing the C after the cadence, and deciding what degree it sounds like relative to the two notes, to thinking the C and doing the same thing? I've tried it a few times and without any success. |
| A | I believe you are asking how long it takes before you don't have to sing C anymore but are able to sustain the key center in your head. There aren't tricks to doing this it usually just happens over time that you are able to sing less and less of the original tonic because it is just sustaining in your mind. It took me about 3 years before I could not sing but think the key center. |
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| Q | In working with Volume Three of the Two Note series some of the two note pairs are giving me trouble. My question concerns how to study the pairs that are troublesome. Is it of any advantage to listen to one pair numerous times to hear it correctly? If you get the two note pair wrong is it helpful to listen to the notes you guessed and then compare them with the correct answer. I find that I hear the major 6ths in a wider variety than the other note groups. I think that contributes to the confusion at times because by the time the example is finished I haven't determined what the two notes are. I am progressing with the two note well, however it is quite the learning curve, like you have stated. |
| A | Yes it's OK to listen to one pair numerous times to hear it correctly. With all students there is usually a few 2 note examples that give them a lot of trouble. I'm only expecting you to get around 90% on each CD before moving on. Many of these problem diads will get better over time as you complete the 2 note books and then move on to making your own 3 and more note tapes/CDs. |
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| Q | All of a sudden my two note ability has taken off nicely. I seemed to be stuck on Vol 3. When I got some problems cleared up there and tried 4-6 there didn't seem to be many problems with these. I was pleasantly surprised. What helped is going back a little and reviewing key note until I had it 100%, all the time any time. That in-depth knowing it took over a month. I thought I had it down before but now it's unbelievable how much that has helped. I also started to increase the speed at which I work on the exercises in Fanatics. Then I cleared up my problems with Vol 3 two note and things are falling into place for 4-6. My question is in what order should one study the rest of the two note pairs that aren't covered on your CDs? Are the intermediate and advanced level of two note just doing them faster? Is it also hearing them in wider spreads than intervals within an octave? |
| A | That's great news! You can do the rest of the two note pairs in any order it doesn't matter. You are correct that the intermediate and advanced level of two note method is just doing them faster. You also want to include wider spreads of the intervals.
This is all really fantastic it always makes my day when a student has a break through. Keep it up and soon you will off the 3 notes. |
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