Developing Ear

VintageHorns · Regular Member Joined: 11 Feb 2018 Posts: 12

When tuning to my college's trumpet section, I find that I can definitely tell when I'm personally out of tune to the others, but as to whether it's sharp or flat is pretty much a guess on my part. I've been told to try singing to a piano to try and get pitches into my head. However do any of you have any techniques that you'd recommend?

Seymor B Fudd · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:06 am Post subject: Re: Developing Ear

jadickson · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:29 am Post subject:

There are pretty good mobile apps out there for ear training. Check out "Tone" by Crescendo Technologies, for example: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tone-perfect-pitch-training/id1139019670?mt=8
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JoseLindE4 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791

Practice and sing slow scales against a drone. You should be able to find some online if you look around. Make this a part of your daily routine.

If you can't figure out which way to go when you're out of tune, pick a direction. If it gets worse, go the other way. It isn't always about knowing the right answer, but rather finding the right answer quickly. There's a difference. You don't have to think so much, just go one way and see what happens, then quickly fix it.

It's often easier to hear out of tune from below, so tune like a string player. Bend the note below and back up until you hear it lock in.

When tuning as soloist with a piano, you play first. Play your most centered, beautiful note you can. Then have the piano play and adjust. If we let the piano player go first, we can match the pitch without finding the center of the horn. We'll either play centered and out of tune or uncentered and in tune.

Brad361 · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:13 am Post subject: Re: Developing Ear

cheiden · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:03 am Post subject:

I agree that carefully bending your pitch should be able to tell whether you're getting better or worse.

I've struggled with this myself and don't hesitate to break out the tuner (my phone) when in doubt.
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Irving · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 1887

It's not a trumpet issue so leave the trumpet in the case.

Get a tuner app on your phone. Go to a piano. Play a phrase from a simple tune. Notice that the tuner should show the notes as being in tune. Then sing the phrase slowly looking at the tuner. You will see how you are out of tune. Go back to the piano and play the phrase, but don't look at the tuner anymore. Just listen to the notes. Then sing the phrase looking at the tuner. Keep going back and forth. You should start improving.

pepperdean · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:15 am Post subject:

During one of my first lessons at Conservatory, my teacher asked if I heard the piano playing in the distance. The answer was 'no' and he said I should be aware of all sounds around me. He went on to say I was out of tune with that piano and the sound was annoying to him and should have been to me. That was the start of my learning to "hear."

Get used to listening for details and good hearing and adjusting will become a habit.

Alan

Brad361 · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:24 pm Post subject:

1jazzyalex · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:10 pm Post subject: Re: Developing Ear

[quote="Seymor B Fudd"]
Listening to the others, or to the piano man... /quote]

Solid advice; listen to the piano man

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Craig Swartz · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 5:06 pm Post subject:

I used to spend a couple minutes with my middle school band kids during warm up together with a long, sustained tone in unison/octaves, then move up a half step, back to original pitch, then down a half step, then back to original pitch. Then move in half notes around quarter=60. Up, back, down, back, etc to let it sink in and making sure no one needed to watch notes, just do it by ear/memory. I believe it taught and reinforced pitch and moving away either direction and resolving back to the center. The kids would then nearly compete to answer correctly when we'd stop somewhere in a selection to try to tune unison pitches between a couple kids. Most of them were spot on after a little work this way and they enjoyed being right. It's one thing to talk about flat/sharp/same, a different thing to put into practice. This was the best bet for us, although today I'd definitely add a drone as well along with it.