Are you born with a musical ear or can it be developed? I’d say both.

Some people are born with boundless talent and often aren’t really aware of how they do what they do. Others are born with good aural ability, which can be improved by study. Others still seem to require a little more graft but, regardless of willingness to engage, are unclear how to go about this. Enter Good-Ear

This excellent, free site (open to donations) is extremely well structured and consists of audio examples with multiple choice options for the user. The choice exists to change some of the parameters of the sound – specifically volume, tempo and instrument (three types of piano sound, guitar & violin). This is a great idea. Nine times out of ten, traditional aural training takes place at the piano and one’s crystal clear sense of analysis can suddenly flee in the face of more colourful sound sources e.g. rock bands, orchestras, choirs, pipe bands, brass bands etc.

There is a Beginner zone featuring:

• simple intervals (distance between notes)
• identifying chords major/minor
• a wider range of intervals

more intervals:

• simple intervals up
• simple intervals down
• simple intervals up/down
• simple intervals together
• diatonic intervals up
• diatonic intervals down
• diatonic intervals up/down
• diatonic intervals together
• chromatic intervals up
• chromatic intervals down
• chromatic intervals up/down
• chromatic intervals together

The More advanced zone sports:

Chords:

• major/minor
• simple chords – featuring augmented, diminished and sus4
• chords with inversions (notes not in logical order)

Scales

• basic
• 4 modes
• diatonic modes
• melodic minor modes
• harmonic minor modes
• symmetric & pentatonic
• dominant
• minor
• common
• mix of all the above

Cadences

• cadences bass
• cadences

Jazz Chords

• simple root position
• simple diatonic
• simple non-diatonic
• no tension
• minor
• dominant natural
• dominant altered
• dominant natural/altered
• dominant one tension
• dominant
• common
• all of the above

Note Location (chords are played to give a sense of key, then a note is played)

• diatonic (requires knowledge of diatonic sol-fa to identify options)
• chromatic (requires knowledge of chromatic sol-fa to identify options)

Perfect Pitch (identifying a note without key context)

• C, D, & E
• C, D, , E, F& G
• Full C scale
• Chromatic

As if this weren’t enough, there are links to other useful resources.

I shall certainly be recommending this site to my pupils and colleagues. If you could do everything on offer here, you truly would have developed a great talent. Why not try it out?

Categories: Active Learning, Digital Literacy, Music