Surviving Ear Training 101: The Reference Pitch

You sit slightly confused in your “Sight Singing and Ear Training” class. The music teacher insists that by the end of the class you will be able to transcribe Mozart after three listenings, sing complicated atonal melodies at sight, and figure out any harmonic jazz progression through osmosis. You eye the door, looking for an easy escape. You can see why other musicians nicknamed this class “Sight Screaming and Ear Trauma.“

Before you bolt for the door and opt for a less musical vocation like professional wedding florist, realize that like learning the alphabet before you learn how to read and write, you need to learn a few music basics before you can accomplish the hurdles of ear training.

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