Bruce Arnold

Melodic Modulation

Melodic Modulation Fixing Frequent Modulation Issues

Melodic Modulation Fixing Frequent Modulation Issues is a course of study to help a student control modulation tendencies when doing melodic dictation. This course works both on maintaining a key center as well as learning how to follow or control when one modulates within a melodic line.

Get Melodic Modulation Today!

When to Start Working on Melodic Modulation

It is recommended that you start working on both “Melodic Modulation” and Ear Training Two Note Melodic Series once you are getting 50% correct notes on the Ear Training One Note Series

Melodic Modulation Issues

“Melodic Modulation” looks at the tendencies of a melodic line to modulate to other key centers. Modulation can be a good and a bad thing when it comes to ear training. If a student modulates too much they run the risk of having difficulty processing single line melodies. Many beginning students of ear training have this exact problem wherein they modulate too much. This can caused by a number of factors some of which are; over training with intervals and inexperience with various styles of music, to name a few. As a general observation ear training students tend to modulate less; as their ear improves, stability improves. So you may find that examples found in this book may modulate today, but six months from now might not. Don’t be surprised if this happens. Another common mistake that students make is to use their understanding of music theory to decide which key an interval or melody is from. Always let your ear decide how it is hearing something, not your intellectual knowledge of music theory.

Aural Knowledge of Melodic Techniques

Working with the melodic modulation examples will help you figure out how are you are hearing certain intervals and melodies. But keep in mind that your aural knowledge of melodic techniques will greatly influence your success with hearing melodic ideas. Melodic techniques such as:

• Scales
• Modal Sequencing
• Approach Notes
• Intervallics
• Pitch Class Set Groupings
• Superimposition of Harmony

Understanding Melodic Modulation

It is often assumed by a student of ear training that if they just complete a certain type of exercise all their problems will be solved and they will be able to hear music in all situations. Nothing could be further from the truth. Developing a high level of ear training skills where you can identify any type of music is a multi-year process and it involves using a variety of methods to reach that goal. This is one of the reasons that the Muse-Eek Publishing, Inc has so many different kinds of ear training products. But again, a student must listen to, and if possible play, many various styles of music, so that they understand it on a visceral level.

Types of Melodies

The “Melodic Modulation” course contain multiple types of melodies. This is important because the construction of a melody will great determine your ability to hear it and whether it has a tendency to modulation.

Currently there are melodies based on interval content and common tone movement

• Two Note Melodic Movement contains 150 pages of singing material
• Three Note Melodic Movement contains 1020 pages of singing material
• Four Note Melodic Movement contains 2868 pages of singing material

What people are saying about this Course:

• Obviously as you develop Muse Eek’s ear training method you want to apply it to melodies. The first problem I encountered when working with the melodic series was I started to modulate to other keys as the melody was played. This obviously made it very hard to follow the melody. Mr. Arnold recommend singing through melodies in many ways as outlined in this course. That and developing my understanding of different ways to create melodies really helped me to minimize the times that I modulation. T. Idis
• I highly recommend the Melodic Modulation as a way to correct the tendency to modulate within a melodic line. This course really helps you understand the ins and outs of melodic dictation. R. Smith
• I use this course both for developing my ear training skills but also for the common tone improvisation knowledge gained by playing through the common tone exercises. This is the only course I know of that gives you these common tone melodies organized by pitch class set. Really awesome sounds when used in the right improvisational situation. S. Roder
• Hey Muse Eek these common tone melodies are the bomb. Especially the 013 examples. Really reminds me of late John Coltrane improvisation. This is the first time I’ve seen a method that includes these types of melodies! H. Franks

Have a story or a review you want to submit. We would love to hear from you please send us an email.