Learn to play
beautifully

Question: How can you learn to recognize intervals by ear?

Albert’s reply: There are several methods of interval ear training. The most common is to associate common melodies to each interval. For example, “Happy Birthday” may be used to recognize an ascending major second,...

Question: Hi Albert, I have for a while now trained to develop relative pitch and now I can recognize every interval when I hear them but I have reached a dead end. Even though my interval recognition is good all of that is just smashed when I try to write down a melody I hear. It is very...

Question: How is it possible to hear two or more voices at the same time, e.g. each voice in a fugue, with the so-called inner ear? I was once told that one can internally hear everything one can sing. Since I can’t sing many voices at the same time (I don’t think many people...

Question: I play the guitar which is a string instrument just like the piano, and I play in a little church band. Before I started going to this church I just played by myself, and now I have to play with other musicians and have to play in the same key. I struggle to hear the the right key and...

Question: I am hard of hearing… not really bad… but enough that I cannot hear very high soft sounds. I really want to learn to play but everyone keeps telling me that it is impossible. Wasn’t Beethoven deaf? Besides leaning his ear on the piano, how did he bring out the...

Easy Ear Training is one of the web’s finest resources dedicated to ear training. They recently asked to interview me for their wonderful site. They asked detailed questions about the ear training and general musicianship topics that will be most helpful to students and I did my best to...

Question: For singing I do breathing exercises before bed. I believe in practising breathing and listening together because the listening helps to open the right spaces and even adjusts posture. To do this I just listen to the radio or a CD. Like the breathing I would like to know some specifics...

Question: Hello! What are your suggestions for how I could ear train during my daily piano regimen? Currently, I am simply memorizing the c4-c5 C major range on the piano, but as you could imagine, it is very boring. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance and your work is excellent.

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Question: Actually I am a dance student, but I know my inner ear could use training – just to be a better listener.

What kind of inner ear training exercises might I practice to start? (Those few times that I’ve heard that inner ear communication with myself, it was awesome!)

P.S....

Question: Good day Albert,

I am currently practicing for my Grade 8 UNISA examination. I am not struggling with all the ear training exercises. As a matter of fact, I can easily distinguish between major, minor, recognizing the key, the rhythms, etc. I do however struggle when my teacher plays...

Question: An atonal dictation question is part of the exam I’m preparing for. Do you have any advice on how to prepare for it?

I really don’t know how I’m supposed to write down an almost random series of notes… Thanks for your help in advance.

Albert’s reply:...

Question: Any fingering suggestions for Exercise 1a and 1b?

– Mike (Dallas, Texas, USA)

Albert’s reply: This exercise is designed to be played with a consistent fingering, even though it breaks the rule of avoiding the thumb on black keys.

The reason is that it’s not a finger...