Focusing on Hearing the Major Key before the Minor Key

Focusing on Hearing the Major Key before the Minor Key

Focusing on hearing the Major Key before the Minor Key

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Focusing on hearing the Major Key before the Minor Key

Q: I have a few questions:
I got the Contextual Ear Training course to supplement the Ear Training One Note Complete course I’m working on. You say the following in a blog post.
For the Contextual Ear Training singing exercise make a play list and load all MP3s onto an ipod. Make another playlist and only load the root, i.e. the 1st degree of every major and minor key. For example

  • CMajor1.mp3
  • CMinor1.mp3
  • FMajor1.mp3
  • etc….

When you get 80% correct with the “1″ degree, add in notes in the following order:

1,3,5,7,2,4,6,b2,b6,b3,b5,b7

Please note that you should put in the Major 3rd for the Major Keys and the Minor 3rd for the Minor Keys when you work with the “3rd.”

The Ear Training One Note Complete exercises are exclusively in a major key. Should I proceed with the Contextual Ear Training as you say here or maybe omit the minor exercises since my foremost goal is to assist the One Note tasks, and only add the minor exercises after I’m proficient in a major key?

Would you advise against following such a gradual note pool expansion regime with the One Note course as well? Should I always work with all the notes?

On a related point, what is the applicability of the One Note exercises to minor key situations?

A: Nice to hear from you. I usually find that when you start Contextual Ear Training and you are just singing the root of each key a student doesn’t have that much difficulty with whether the key is Major or Minor so I would suggest doing book. As you progress to the 3rd obviously you want the minor 3rd for the minor key. Again usually isn’t a problem for students to do both Major and Minor Keys.

In general if you want to gradually add in notes that is OK but I would advise to at least listen to all notes once a day so that you get the bigger picture.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have further questions.

Best Regards,

Bruce

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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