Aural Comprehension Classes at NYU and Muse-eek Textbooks

Aural Comprehension Classes at NYU and Muse-eek Textbooks

Aural Comprehension Classes at NYU and Muse-eek Textbooks

Muse-Eek-Publishing_Company_Frequently-Asked_Questions about Ear Training, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Rhythm, Time, Sight Reading, Technique, Scales, Harmony, Reharmonization, Practicing, Music, Music Practice Schedule, Ear Training 2 Note Melodic Piano Muse Eek Publishing Company, Aural Comprehension Classes at NYU and Muse-eek Textbooks

Aural Comprehension Classes at NYU and Muse-eek Textbooks

Q: A few questions.

  • 1. I noticed at the Muse-Eek website that several of your books are required texts at NYU. I will be attending NYU next year at the CAS, not Steinhardt, but am strongly looking into doing a music minor at Steinhardt. Are your books the ones that they use in the Aural Comprehension classes? How does this work in a classroom setting? Do the classes start with Ear Training One Note Complete CD’s or Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing, and gradually, throughout a period of a few years move on throughout the Two Note Ear Training series?
  • 2. With Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing, I am still working on the first one note exercises, but am still REALLY slow on my pre-hearing. What I am doing is, listening to the cadence, trying to pre-hear whatever note I am working on, and if I cannot hear it, play the note on an instrument, and repeat this several times until I start to hear an image of the note in my head. Does this seem like a good method for tackling my problem? Or is there something different I should be doing? Although this is the method described in the book, I feel that I am doing something wrong. I am at about 100% accuracy on the Ear Training One Note Complete advanced level, and working on Key Note Recognition, but it took me a few months to even be able to pre-hear the root note of the key in Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing! Now, of course I have moved on to other notes.
  • 3. At Arnoldjazz.com, the CD cover for Spooky Actions is a different one than the one on Muse-Eek (which by the way is awesome!) Is this a different CD? If so, can I get it through Muse-eek?

A: The music department in the Steinhardt school at NYU would best be described as fluid. The Theory Department, which is where the ear training courses are offered, has used my ear training books. Many times each teacher will decide on what books they want to use for their course so you will find teachers at NYU still using the interval method in their classes. Teachers that are using, or have used, my method work through it the same way as I recommend.

Your method for pre-hearing sounds fine except I would at least try to sing a note before checking the correct pitch on an instrument. You will find by using repetition that you will pre-hear the note. In other words:

  • 1. Play progression.
  • 2. Try to pre-hear note.
  • 3. Try to sing note even if you don’t pre-hear it.
  • 4. Repeat the same note and exercise over and over until you are able to pre-hear the note. Sometimes this will take multiple attempts in a row before you start to pre-hear the note.

There were actually two Spooky Action CDs with two different bands. The first one with sort of a geometric shapes on the cover was a CDR release and was never commercially pressed. A great recording and great playing but it was different than the commercial release currently available.

It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.

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