Relative pitch | ear training exercises

In this page I propose some exercises and programs in order to develop the relative pitch, the ability to recognize sounds thanks to the relation between them. For relation I mean the distance or interval between a sound and another. Developing and acquiring the relative pitch is much simpler than achieving absolute or perfect pitch. Moreover this ability (relative pitch) is much useful in order to develop the absolute pitch. I divide the exercises in several types:

• Song of the intervals
• Acknowledgment of the interval
• Ric. of notes
• Ric. of the type of the agreements
• Acknowledgment of the type of scale

Exercise of ear training: to sing the intervals

The song is a great instrument in order to improve just the ear. Here in detail the exercises:

• To sing of every continuation type of ascending interval and descendant, with the name of notes. As an example all the intervals of fifth: Give, Money, King, The-King, etc… Then the quarter intervals, of third, of sixth, of seventh, of eighth. Subsequently also the smaller intervals, increase to you and diminished: as an example, Give-MIB, MIB-Give. In this way the ear begins to know which is the intervals and above all the characteristic or sonorous quality of every interval, begins therefore to know the distances between the sounds and therefore to recognize them thanks to this relationship.
• To sing all the intervals from a famous fundamental base or. As an example, Give, Give-King, Give, Tame, Give….and then to come down Doses, Give, Give… So that beginnings to relazionare every note of eighth (12 notes) to a fundamental sound of reference, than with going of the time remain impresso in unconscious way.

Acknowledgment of the interval: exercises relative ear

This type of exercise consists in feeling two notes and to recognize the interval or the distance between they. As an example you must recognize if the two notes form one third greater one, or one sixth minor, or one seventh greater one and therefore via…

For this and other exercises of acknowledgment of notes council to unload of the simple programs, many of which are free. Eccone some that I find interesting:

• Functional Ear Trainer 1.1
• Personal Ear Trainer (PET) 1.10
• EarMaster Pro 5.0

You of they are also the others, and unfortunately least in Italian. These programs allow of being able to work without the need of an other person that you play the exercises.

To recognize notes with the relative ear

When padroneggi the acknowledgment of the intervals you can easy gain the name of the notes, reporting them but to a famous one that already you know. The relative ear needs, however, of one member of the absolute ear, in the sense that however it demands of the references.

The exercises of acknowledgment of notes go organize to you in the better way. I suggest these outlines:

• To begin to recognize between I give and King, then to add Me, Ago, Sol, Do#, Re#, Fa#, Sol# and Sib.
• To begin with the acknowledgment of notes between Mib and Fa#, then you add, I give, Do#, Me, Sol, Sib, King, Ago, Lab and at last

A lot important is that you must only add one new note when padroneggi nearly to the 100% (that is without errors) previous level.

Relative ear: to recognize the agreement

A lot important is the exercise of acknowledgment of the type of agreement. A greater agreement from one smaller, one of seventh of dominant or diminished, one of quarter, etc consists in distinguishing. Every agreement has its characteristic sound, that it transmits one particular emotion or state of mind. The greater agreement, as an example, transmits one solar, glad sonorità, while that sad, dramatic minor a feeling. The agreement of seventh, moreover, creates a sense of movement and tension, while that one diminished an ambiguity sense.

It begins to recognize simpler agreements, like the triadi greater and smaller. The first objective is to know to simply distinguish a greater agreement from one smaller, without knowing that agreement (famous exactly) is. Then to add that one of seventh dominant, then that one semidiminished, then that one diminished and therefore via.

When you have exceeded this level passes the acknowledgment also of that agreement draft (name). Always beginning with little notes, cioé to recognize as an example the agreements of notes I give, King and Me. To know as an example if the felt agreement is smaller King or I give to greater or Mi7 or diminished Re or Give minor…

Flat Pian to add to others notes.

Ear training: the scales

Other exercise parallel to the previous ones consists in practicing to recognize the type of scale. To distinguish that is between greater scale, smaller natural, smaller harmonica, pentatonic, blues, diminished…

E' similar to that one of the acknowledgment of the agreements. Therefore you follow the same indications. USA the software indicates to you over.

Situated of reference on the ear training

• Ear training Super Course of D. L. Burge
• Prolobe.com - in restructure