Avoiding Resolving to the Tonic During Ear Training
Avoiding Resolving to the Tonic During Ear Training
Avoiding Resolving to the Tonic During Ear Training
Q: I have a question regarding the Functional Ear Trainer program. You answered a question on this program previously:
There’s a free software called ‘Functional Ear Trainer’ and it is taught this way: Hear the chord progression and resolve the note to the tonic whether up or down. For the diatonic notes, the bottom 4 notes resolve downward and for the top 4, the notes resolve upward. After a period of time your mind is supposed to be able to eliminate these steps and hear the note instantaneously. The software even has a random key selection and works in all octaves. Is it possible to learn the notes in this order?
A: I wouldn’t recommend resolving notes to the tonic up or down even as a intial step. Hopefully you have my Ear Training One Note Complete and Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing books so you can understand exactly what you are supposed to be doing and how. These books and the www.muse-eek.com website will also contain information on common problems and misunderstandings people have. Once you understand this information you could use the Functional Ear Trainer if it gives you similiar types of exercises. Since ear training is probably the single most important thing you can do as a musician, I suggest that you make sure you are investing your time and/or money with something that will be worth your time and effort. If you find an ear training program that just says “do this” with no indepth explanation I would be very wary that you are being directed in the proper way.
Q: My question is: Why should I be avoiding the resolution of notes (like scale degree 7) to the tonic? You just said you ‘wouldn’t recommend it’ and didn’t offer any proof to why.
A: The short explanation for avoiding the ‘resolution to tonic method’ is it takes too much time to resolve a note to the tonic as music is going by in real time. I give a long explanation of why it isn’t good to resolve to the tonic in any of my ear training books. If you are still unsure of my method I might suggest you purchase Ear Training One Note Beginning which is the least expensive of my books. Certainly not the best deal though. Ear Training One Note Complete gives you three books in one.
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.