Alright, we’ve covered quite a bit of ground in the last three articles and by now you might feel a little overwhelmed by the enormity of ear training. So, let’s go back over the highlights of what has been covered so far.

Ear training requires a focused attention

Training the ear to distinguish between the various musical sounds takes about as much effort as learning to speak a new language.

A consistent practice schedule is crucial

It doesn’t matter if you just practice 15 minutes a day. Just make it consistent. This is what makes the difference. Click to read the rest…

Can you identify the frequency of a kick drum? How about a snare drum? A woman’s voice? A man’s? How about an F#2 played on a piano? As an audio professional (audio recording/mixing engineer, music producer, mastering engineer, etc.) you should be able to identify these frequencies.

Why? We’ll get to that shortly. First, there are some obvious questions. What is the definition of frequency? That leads to why exactly do you need recognition skills? That ultimately leads to the overarching theme of this discussion; how do you train your ears to recognize the individual sonic fingerprints of each sound? Or, to be more precise; what exact mechanisms, or exercises do you need to develop and practice?

The practice of ear training is not relegated solely to musicians, but to anyone working in the “audio” field. Specifically, we will focus on music/recording engineers, producers, and so forth.

A lot of the beginning material will undoubtedly be familiar to seasoned professionals.

To you; be patient. Use this as a refresher.

To the audio professional just starting on the journey; we will leave nothing to assumption. Your basics will be covered.

Let us begin.
Click to read the rest…

Hey audio professional….yes you….picture this scenario!

You’ve been working quietly at your boss’ studio. You know, the daily drudge; setting up microphones, setting up drum kits, getting the vocal mic ready for the latest singer dreaming of stardom. Hey, you even double up duty as the “lunch grunt”. Still though, by watching, imitating and learning, you have even managed to be able to cobble together a good mix of the recorded instruments. Nice and clear, not clouded and muddy. You can hear each instrument clearly. Good for you. Now, how exactly is this done? Or more to the point, how do you do it? The mechanics, the math…you know, the step by step methods? If you can’t answer, don’t be embarrassed. Read on!

Now, let’s get back to our scenario. Your boss calls you in and announces that the studio picked up a major artist. Let’s call her “Jill”. Your boss’ best friend in Nashville referred her to your quiet town, where she can cut her latest opus in peace, away from the shutter bugs. Your boss’ friend has faith in him, and so everyone is onboard. (The label, the band, and our starlet “Jill”.)

Naturally, your boss expects your “A” game. No problem. Click to read the rest…