Musician Transformation Training “Ear Efficiency” · PDF fileMusician Transformation Training “Ear Efficiency” This training will provide essential concepts and insights that

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Musician Transformation Training

“Ear Efficiency”

This training will provide essential concepts and insights

that will ensure you get the most out of the “Ear

Elevator” program, which covers Ear Efficiency

strategies. From ear-training, chord quality and pattern

recognition to substitutions, passing chords, and cadences,

this resource will provide the “icing on the cake,”

equipping you with the information and knowledge to put

everything together!


Introduction

In this guide, we’ll start by discussing various ear-training strategies and tips that’ll shortcut your learning curve. Then we’ll turn to chordal variations, pattern recognition, and tone roles (which will ultimately give you “FREEDOM” by knowing the rules so you don’t always have to play songs the same way). Lastly, we’ll cover circular substitutions, cadences, and experimentation.

Common Problems

1. Trying to hear “letters” instead of “numbers”: I often hear from musicians who are frustrated trying to pick out songs in their mind before sitting down at the piano (which is a good idea, by the way). The problem is how they’re doing it --- by listening for letters. That’s very difficult and statistics say only 1 in 10,000 people have perfect pitch (which is the ability to hear tones and know exactly what they are without any musical reference or instrument). So if you’re sitting in your car wondering whether the song is going from a chord based on “C” to a chord on “G,” the odds are already stacked against you. Rather, you should aim to clearly hear a “1-chord” going to a “5-chord.” This is called “relative” pitch and is much more useful for ear-musicians. Of course, when you get to the piano, you’ll eventually employ our “key finding” strategies from the Song Station guide to figure out what key you’re in, WITH A MUSICAL REFERENCE (your piano). Once you know the key, your numbers will convert into letters (e.g. – If you


determine the key is C major, your 1-chord now becomes C major and your 5-chord becomes G major). But you don’t start this way when you’re listening to music in the car. “First comes numbers, then comes letters.” Don’t forget that! ☺

2. Not understanding how substitutions work and what chords can be interchanged:

A lot of musicians can play songs but they have no idea how to divert from the norm to come up with their own variations, substitutions, and alternative progressions. Having an understanding of ALL the chords that can be played on each tone of the scale (and even on non-scale tones) is essential to liberating yourself from predictable playing. Understanding how passing chords function and how you can stretch a two-chord progression into half a dozen chords will provide loads of variety and interest to your playing.

3. Not giving enough attention to systematic ear-training: I have an immediate

antidote for this one --- our ear-training software “PITCH.” You can download a trial version at www.hearandplay.com/downloadpitch (or log into the Gospel Music Training Center and get the full version for free). It will test you on both melodic intervals (notes played one after the other) and harmonic intervals (notes played simultaneously), from the smallest distances to huge, extended ones. Being able to hear and recognize chord qualities, distances and intervals, common and not-so-common progressions is critical. I’ve always said playing by ear is 50% knowledge and 50% ear-training. Having software to test you and keep up with your progress really aids in the process.

After completing the Musician Transformation process, these will be problems of the past! Let’s get to work!

Ear-Training

I believe playing by ear is 50% ear-training and 50% knowledge. There is danger in skewing too much to either side, forsaking the other. Those who have “good ears” and can pick up virtually anything but lack “knowledge” (i.e. - fundamentals fluency) eventually get stuck and can’t get passed a certain point. Those who have ALL knowledge but no “in the trenches” experience using their ear to pick stuff up --- well, they can’t play very well and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about (unless you want to be a professor of music theory or something). Ear-training is all about getting good at hearing distances. If you’ve ever been to a carnival and stopped by one of those $1 games that give you a shot at winning a prize for throwing an object into a hat or hoop or something similar... you’d agree the name of the game is to estimate the distance and throw the object with


just enough strength to match that distance. You’re estimating distance “VISUALLY” and then reacting accordingly. In music, you’re doing similarly, except your estimating distance by “HEARING” it. The good news is once you get good at hearing various distances in music, it’s not like the carnival game where you still have to throw the ball the right way to win. For example, once you know how major thirds sound, you’re good to go forever with that interval. You can start listening for major thirds in songs and you’ll know when you hear them. Likewise, with the number relationships (like the “1” going to the “4” or the “1” going to the “6”). I’ve found it’s usually an epiphany with each interval rather than a gradual process. In other words, something internally just “CLICKS” and you’re able to clearly hear major thirds or minor thirds or perfect fifths or the “1” going to the “4,” etc., etc.. What takes time is getting to all the intervals. This is what the PITCH software will do for you. It’ll help you systematically get through all the intervals.

A QUICK �OTE ABOUT I�TERVALS:

There are melodic and harmonic intervals. Melodic intervals

With melodic intervals, you’re hearing separate notes played one after the other --- melodies. “Melodic” = melodies. That’s on the high end. On the low end, melodic intervals can also be looked at as bass notes going from one to the other. And if you’ve already gone through Song Solidity, you know how important the bass is when it comes to learning songs. We’ll use the bass 80% of the time to learn songs. Getting good at hearing separate notes played one after the other is very important. This provides the road map for your songs. There are 2 ways I think you can think about hearing melodic intervals:

1) Intervallic approach

With the intervallic approach, you’re literally hearing INTEVALS in your head (i.e. – “major third,” “major second,” “perfect fifth,” etc.). So when you’re listening to a song, you might have a thought process like this:


“Ok, so we’re on the root. The song has just begun. Oh wow, the bass has just

gone up a major third. I hear it clear as day. Wait, it has quickly gone down a

major second (or whole step). Wow, that was quick... now it has gone up a perfect

fourth.”

I know this sounds funny but this is the conversation I’m really having in my head. I may not be as cognizant about it at this point (because of unconscious competence having kicked in many years ago), but the thought process is internally there nonetheless. In a real key like C major, this would be:

“Ok, so we’re on the root (C). The song has just begun. Oh wow, the bass has just

gone up a major third (E). I hear it clear as day. Wait, it has quickly gone down a

major second (or whole step) (D). Wow, that was quick... now it has gone up a

perfect fourth (G).”

Of course, after doing a few PITCH exercises, you, too will be able to clearly hear “thirds” and “seconds” and “fourths.” You just have to keep at it until it “clicks.” (REPTITION IS THE MOTHER OF SKILL). With all that said, I prefer to think using the number approach.

Don’t get me wrong, there are circumstances where using the intervallic approach is absolutely necessary (particularly when trying to pinpoint something the melody is doing). But when it comes to picking out bass notes and pattern recognition, thinking in terms of the number system rules.

2) �umber approach

Here’s my thought process under the number approach:

“Ok, so we’re on the 1. The song has just begun. Oh wow, the bass has just gone

up to the 3. I hear it clear as day. Wait, it has quickly gone down to the 2. Wow,

that was quick... now it has gone up to the 5.”

It is important to note the same movements are going on from my first example. I’m simply thinking in terms of what tone of the scale I’m on rather than the distance I’ve moved. The intervallic approach is more concerned with the distance taken --- “The song has just gone up a major third.” The number approach is more concerned with destinations --- “The song has just gone to the 3

rd tone of the key.”

I’m using the latter approach more often. I’m thinking �UMBERS.


Notice the “letters” are the same when I bring them in:

“Ok, so we’re on the 1 (C). The song has just begun. Oh wow, the bass has just

gone up to the 3 (E). I hear it clear as day. Wait, it has quickly gone down to the 2

(D). Wow, that was quick... now it has gone up to the 5 (G).”

Here are illustrations to make it plainer (combination of intervallic and number approach): “Ok, so we’re on the 1 (C). The song has just begun.”

“Oh wow, the bass has just gone up a major third to the 3 (E). I hear it clear as day.”

“Wait, it has quickly gone down a major second (or whole step) to the 2 (D).”

“Wow, that was quick... now it has gone up a perfect fourth to the 5 (G).”


TIPS O, HEARI,G THE “,UMBERS”

This won’t come overnight but there are strategies you can use to speed things up. 1) Being aware of the numbers as you’re playing songs and progressions you already

know.

I find a lot of musicians aren’t even thinking of numbers as they play. While eventually this strategy becomes automatic (to the point where you don’t have to make a conscious to think about numbers), in the beginning, it’s important to know what tone of the scale you’re on as you’re playing chords:

• Soon the brain starts linking up the numbers to certain sounds. You’ll clearly hear when you’re on the 6th tone of the scale, for example.

• You’ll be more aware of the chord progressions at work. Instead of playing random chords, you’ll know specifically whether you’re playing a “2-5-1” or a “1-4” turnaround. This will help you in relating songs and progressions to other keys. And more importantly, your brain will start linking up these progressions and one day you’ll wake up and just know that you’re listening to a “6-2-5-1” progression. It will be magical.

2) Try singing the numbers.

And if that suggestion comes from me, of all people (I struggling with my singing, to say the least), it must be important! Pick any key. The key of C major. And just sing the bass notes of a 1-6-2-5-1 while calling out the numbers ---- “1~~~~~,” “6~~~~,” “2~~~~~,” “5~~~~,” “1~~~~.”

Then pick another key and do the same thing. You’ll be training yourself to sing relatively. What does that mean? It means, you can sing a pattern in any key without really having to know the notes you’re singing. In fact, you don’t even have to know the key you’re singing it in. Just pick a new starting note and make sure you’re singing whatever would be the 1, 6, 2, and 5 tones of that starting note. If you want to later go to your piano and match your voice to the piano, you can do so to find the key you were in. The PITCH Ear-Training software has a section dedicated all to singing. You can connect your computer mic and go to town!


Here’s another exercise: Say you’re going to sing the bass notes of a “1-6-2-5-1” progression, you can start off by playing the first two notes on your piano (the “1” and the “6”) as you sing the numbers aloud. Then, you can stop playing and rely just on your voice to finish the progression. Once you’ve mastered one key, go to another random key. Our motto says: “If you can hear it, you can play it.” But I have an addition: “If you can sing it, you can hear it.”

3) Repetitive ear-training exercises

Screenshot of P.I.T.C.H. --- www.hearandplay.com/downloadpitch (free trial download. Log into GMTC under ‘my

account’ for the full version unlock code, free for gmtc members).

I,TERVALS

Here’s a list of all the intervals you’ll want to master. The software will take you through each one. Note: There’s a fine line between my “intervallic” and “number” approach. Going up a major third from the 1st tone of the scale is the same thing as going to the “3.” You can still study intervals but relate them to numbers as you’re playing real songs.


Intervals and the �umber System:

From the 1st tone of the scale to the 1

st tone of the scale (itself) is called U�ISO�.


nd tone of the scale is called a MAJOR 2�D.


rd tone of the scale is called a MAJOR 3RD.


th tone of the scale is called a PERFECT 4TH.


th tone of the scale is called a PERFECT 5TH.


th tone of the scale is called a MAJOR 6TH.


th tone of the scale is called a MAJOR 7TH.


th tone of the scale is called a PERFECT

OCTAVE.


DIATO�IC CHORD SUBSTITUTIO�S

Here are the typical diatonic chords in C major:

1st tone of any scale: Major 7th chord

In C major = C major 7

2nd tone of any scale: Minor 7th chord

In C major = D minor 7

3rd tone of any scale: Minor 7th chord

In C major = E minor 7

4th tone of any scale: Major 7th chord In C major = F major 7

5th tone of any scale: Dominant 7th chord

In C major = G7

6th tone of any scale: Minor 7th chord

In C major = A minor 7

7th tone of any scale: Half Diminished 7th chord

In C major = B half-dim 7


Here are common substitutions: 1-chord: While the 1-chord is usually major, there are times when it’s dominant (dom7, dom9, dom13). This usually happens when the 1-chord is progressing to the 4-chord. Why? Well, let’s go to the key of C major and analyze what’s going on. In the key of C, the 1-chord is C major. The 4 chord is F major. However, if you temporarily go to the key of F, what is C major in the key of F? It’s the 5-chord. We know the 5-chord is used to bring us back home to the 1-chord in most instances. So in the key of F major, C dominant 7 is usually the chord that’s going to bring us back home to F. So all we’ve done is borrow “roles” from the key of F and brought them to the key of C. So whenever you see a dominant chord on the 1, look for the 4 soon after. It’s probably a common case of “role reversal.” There are other times when the 1-chord is minor (but usually this is a huge indication the song is in a minor key). If a minor chord on the 4 follows it, then that really solidifies the stance of this song being in minor. If it’s a one-time deal, the composer could have incorporated some tricky stuff to provide variety in the song. 2-chord / 3-chord / 6-chord: Diatonically, these degrees produce minor chords but there are times you’ll find major and dominant chords on them. If you’re on the 2, 3, or 6 and things just don’t sound right, switch up the minor chords to major chords. If that doesn’t get it close, switch the major chord to dominant. Note: Major and dominant chords share the same root chord. C major (C E G) and C dominant (C E G Bb) both share the notes “C + E + G.” So when your ear tells you a minor chord doesn’t work and you try a major chord (and it sounds close but not close enough), then the dominant chord should seal the deal. Oh, and by the way, it can be a dominant7, dominant9, dominant 11, or dominant 13. Along the lines of the dominant substitution, you’ll find yourself playing diminished 7th chords on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees. But you’re not playing the diminished chord on the same tone... you’ll be playing the diminished chord a half step higher. Let me explain: The 2nd tone of C is D right? But instead of playing a D diminished 7 (D + F + Ab + Cb), you’re going to play the diminished 7 chord a half step higher (Eb diminished 7) but your bass is going to stay on D (the 2nd tone). So essentially you get D on your left hand and Eb diminished 7 on your right (Eb + Gb + A + C). What this ends up giving you is a dominant 7 chord with a flatted 9.


D + F# + A + C + Eb (Aote: I changed Gb to F# to be more consistent with the notes of

the D dominant chord).

E would normally be the “9” right? But playing a diminished chord a half step over D gives us Eb, which is the b9 (flat 9). THIS CHORD HAPPENS A LOT OFF THE 2, 3, and 6. MEMORIZE IT! The rule one more time: Just play the diminished 7 chord a half step higher than your bass. Bam! You’re done! Do this on the 2, 3, and 6 when appropriate. It provides a very strong connection to the tone a fourth away (i.e. – “circular movement”). Since we’re talking about altered chords, another popular one to play on the 2, 3, and 6th tones of the scale is the Dominant 7 #9#5 chord.

The last chord gave us a Dominant 7 b9. This next chord will be almost the opposite... #9 #5. It’s simple though. Just take a regular dominant 7 chord like C7: Now, as the chord instructs, sharp (raise) the 5th degree. And you’ll need to add the 9th degree since it’s not already in the chord. Once you add it, then raise it too! That’s how you get a C7 #9#5. Simply take the concept to the other tones (particularly the 2, 3, and 6... even the 7) and you’re good to go. This chord acts in the same way as the last altered chord. It provides great transportation up a fourth... just cooler!


4-chord: The 4 chord is pretty similar to the 1-chord. If it’s not major (which it will be most of the time), then it’s dominant (dom7, dom9, dom11, dom13). It may also be minor if the major or dominant chord doesn’t sound right. 5-chord: This chord is usually going to be major (if a 3-toned chord) or dominant... dom7, dom9, dom11. If anything is to be substituted on this tone, it’s usually going to be a suspended chord. You get suspended chords by taking major chords and simply putting the 4th degree in the place of the 3rd degree. Usually a C major chord is C E G with the “E” being the third degree of the chord (and 3rd tone of the C major scale). By simply swapping out “E” and putting “F” (the 4th tone of the scale) in its place, you’ve just created a sus4 chord. The same concept applies when you swap the 3rd out and put the 2nd (“C+D+G” instead of “C+E+G”). We call that a sus2 chord. You don’t have to keep it major either. You can play dominant chords this way too --- C F G Bb would be a C7 sus4 chord. The same applies to dom9 chords, dom11 chords, etc. Sometimes, you’ll play a minor chord on the 5. This is in conjunction with the concept we talked about with the 1-chord. 7-chord: Diatonically, this is either diminished (if a 3-toned chord) or half-diminished 7. Keep in mind that a half-diminished 7 chord is nothing more than a minor 7 b5. It’s just another way to say it. So essentially this is just an altered minor chord which means you can substitute many of the things we talked about for the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees. Most notably is the extended minor chord. Many people will play a minor 9 or minor 11 on the 7th degree. It sounds really cool. So instead of C half dim 7 (C + Eb + Gb + Bb), you’d play C minor 11 (C + Eb + G + Bb + D + F). Nice!!!

�O�-DIATO�IC SUBSTITUTIO�S A�D ADDITIO�S b2 – This is commonly used as a passing chord to take you to the 2. Sometimes you’ll find it bring you home to the 1 chromatically.


b3 – This is commonly used as a passing chord to take you to the 3. You’ll also find it going in the other direction bringing you down to the 2 as well. b5 – One of my favorites. This either takes you up to the 5 or down to the 4 (but I find when it takes you down, the 4 is usually a minor chord. The 3 usually comes right after; like a chromatic dissension). b6 – Like the other non-diatonic tones, it usually takes you to the 6. This doesn’t happen as often but you can use it to chromatically come down to the 5. You’ll hear this type of chromatic movement in blues music. b7 – This tone can actually substitute for the 2 or 5-chord and provide an alternate ending to a song. You may hear people going to the b7 as a major chord followed by the 5 chord to end a song. It’s very common. Aote: “b” means flat. “b2,” “b3,” “b5,” “b6,” “b7” simply mean “flat second,” “flat

third,” “flat fifth,” “flat sixth,” and “flat seventh,” respectively.

PRIMARY CHORD ROLES (in plain language)

1-chord: At home; feeling of rest; tension-free; consonant 4-chord: Away from home; at a neighbor’s house 5-chord: On the way home


PATTER� RECOG�ITIO�

Remember, playing by ear is 50% knowledge and 50% ear-training, give or take (in my estimation). That’s why having knowledge of my PATTER� PYRAMID is crucial. It basically gives you a hierarchical structure to use when learning songs.

REFERE�CE

PERFECT FOURTHS: To create a perfect fourth, just count up or down 5 half steps. From C to F is a fourth. PERFECT FIFTHS: To create a perfect fifth, just count up or down 7 half steps. From C to G is a fifth.

What this means to you?

When it comes to learning patterns, you’re most likely going to be moving in fourths from tone to tone... then fifths... then seconds... then thirds. So if you want to focus your time on which intervals to learn first, it would be a good idea to progress in this order.


MAJOR THIRDS / MI�OR THIRDS: To create a major third, just count up or down 4 half steps. To create a minor third, count up or down 3 half steps. MAJOR SECO�DS / MI�OR SECO�DS: To create a major second, count up or down 2 half steps. To create a minor second just count up or down 1 half step. Hands down, the most common movement will be in FOURTHS so if you have limited time, focus on fourths for now. Here are the most popular fourth movements. Don’t let the numbers fool ya. Remember that earlier exercise on how to relate the numbers to intervals? You may be going from the 2nd tone of the scale to the 5th tone of the scale but when you analyze what that movement really is (its distance), you find out it’s a FOURTH. Of course there are more but these are the main ones:

• 1-4 (and 4-1)

• 5-1 (and 1-5)

• 5-1-4

• 2-5-1

• 6-2-5-1

• 6-2-5

• 3-6-2

• 3-6-2-5-1

• 7-3-6

• 7-3-6-2-5-1 Since numbers come first, then letters, let’s bring these patterns into the key of C major. Here are the bass notes (keynotes) of these patterns:

• 1-4: C > F

• 5-1: G > C

• 5-1-4: G > C > F

• 2-5-1: D > G > C

• 6-2-5-1: A > D > G > C

• 6-2-5: A > D > G

• 3-6-2: E > A > D

• 3-6-2-5-1: E > A > D > G > C

• 7-3-6: B > E > A

• 7-3-6-2-5-1: B > E > A > D > G > C (Taking it a step further, you can apply the diatonic chords you’ve learned in past sections to these bass notes and you’d have yourself some pretty nice chord progressions).


Here’s an example:

• 1-4: C major > F major

• 5-1: G major > C major

• 5-1-4: G major > C major > F major

• 2-5-1: D minor > G major > C major

• 6-2-5-1: A minor > D minor > G major > C major

• 6-2-5: A minor > D minor> G major

• 3-6-2: E minor > A minor > D minor

• 3-6-2-5-1: E minor > A minor > D minor > G major > C major

• 7-3-6: B diminished > E minor > A minor

• 7-3-6-2-5-1: B diminished > E minor > A minor > D minor > G major > C major

Here’s the big secret with fourth intervals: If you just memorize the circle of fifths from previous sections...

C > F > Bb > Eb > Ab > Db > Gb > B > E > A > D > G > C (repeat)

THIS FLOW WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME �O MATTER

WHAT KEY YOU’RE I�...

FOCUS O� THIS CIRCLE I� YOUR EAR-TRAI�I�G EFFORTS A�D YOU’LL

�EVER BE THE SAME!


CIRCULAR SUBSTITUTIO�S & EXPERIME�TATIO�

Here’s two questions the circle of fifths helps you answer:

1) “Where I am right now... what leads to this tone?” 2) “Where I am right now... what comes next... where does it commonly lead to?” Knowing the answers to these questions right on the spot can always provide you with a potential alternative route to take (if it’s not the one being used already... that is, if the pattern isn’t already circular). For example, a very popular pattern is: 1-6-2-5-1.

That is, a 1-chord going to a 6-chord, then to a 2-chord, then to a 5- chord... and finally back home to the 1-chord again. It’s a classic “turnaround” progression. Already I see an opportunity to add something. If this were in the key of C major, the keynotes would be: C > A > D > G > C If I turn to my best musical friend, the “circle,” you will find every tone is neighbors except for the “C” and “A.” This is what I call a “circular gap.” Now, it doesn’t always work this way but this is just how I approach it. I ask, what usually leads to “A?” The answer is “E.” So I can slip “E” in my progression: C > E > A > D > G > C ...thus making this a “1 – (3) – 6 – 2 – 5 – 1” pattern. Note: When you “slip” chords in like this, TIMING is very important. If the song is already too fast and the chords already feel rushed, then don’t go trying to add this “3” chord to an already tight situation.

TIMI�G IS IMPORTA�T.


My grandma plays piano and she recently had an epiphany. I remember exactly what she said:

“Maine maine! Boy, I’m badddddddddddd on this piano now! I have learned so

many new things. And guess what? You can go AAYWHERE you wanna go on

this piano... as long as you’re back on time!” That’s exactly what she said! And she is right. The substitutions and enhancements are endless. Much of it is simply about listening... mixed with “trial” and “error” (when you’re practicing so you don’t have to make the blunders in public). Experiment. Have Fun. Grow. CADE�CES: A progression of at least two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music.

Authentic: 5 to 1 progression (most common)

Half (or open): A progression that ends on the 5-chord (sounds incomplete; definitely can’t end the song). Deceptive: A progression that ends with a 5 chord going to on any chord except for the 1. Plagal: 4 to 1 progression (like “Amen” at the end of songs).


Notes


Notes


Notes


Notes

Documents

Musician Transformation Training “Ear Efficiency” · PDF fileMusician Transformation Training “Ear Efficiency” This training will provide essential concepts and insights that