Ear Training 1

Week 1

Course Overview

• Course Outline• Weekly Schedule• Homework and Assignments• Attendance

• megan.berry2@wintec.ac.nz

Conducting

• Conducting is a method of timekeeping commonly used in ear training

• Conducting patterns consist of distinct points in which beats are placed

• That way, each beat of the bar belongs to its own point in the pattern

• Conducting is to be performed with the right hand

• When practicing, try and maintain a sense of flow

• Bounce the hand off each beat• Avoid angular movements• Try to keep the size of the pattern

relatively small and off to the right side

Conducting Patterns

• Please examine page 2 of your Ear Training 1 workbook book

• Practice each pattern until comfortable

Performance Method

• Tah and Conduct• Rely on the conducting patterns in

the right hand for timekeeping• Rhythmic subdivisions are

performed vocally by saying ‘tah’ in the appropriate places

Exercise

• Please examine page 4 of your ear training workbook

• As a class, work through exercises 1-4

• Good, now try exercises 6 through 9

Origins of Solfege

• Howard Goodall’s Big Bangs

Solfege and Sol-Fa

• Solfege syllables are used to train the musical ear

• Solfege syllables for a diatonic major scale:

• Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do

Moveable-Do

• Wintec uses the “moveable-do” system of solfege

• Whatever key you are in, the One or Tonic is Do

• That means once you have learned a melody in one key, you’ll be able to hear it in any key.

E.G.

Sol-Fa

• Sol-Fa is solfege without the notes:

• Do Re Mi Re Do

• Practice methods

Sol-Fa Exercise

• Examine the exercises on page 10 of your Ear Training 1 workbook

• As a class, sing exercise 1• Now try exercise 2

Putting it all together:

• Please examine page 12, exercise 1 of your Ear Training 1 workbook

• Now apply the following method of performing the exercise:

1. Rhythm: Practice just the rhythm with Tah and Conduct

2. Dry Solfege (Out of Time): Identify each new note in the melody by saying its corresponding syllable out of time

3. Dry Solfege (In Time): While conducting, practice saying the syllables in their notated rhythm, without pitch.

4. Melodic Contour Singing: Sing each pitch of the melody with solfege, but out-of-time

5. Sing the Melody: Put all the elements together - solfege, rhythm, pitch in time while conducting

Congratulations!

• You can begin to use solfege as an ear training tool.

• Now examine exercises 2-5 on pages 12&13 of your Ear Training 1 workbook.

• These are your homework exercises.