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Hi everyone,

What ear training books do you use?

I asked this in another topic on this forum, but thought it might be best better to devote a new topic to this question.

I use Comprehensive Ear Training, and, for my piano students, also the Four Star books. I love Comprehensive Ear Traning, I can use them with both my clarinet and piano students. (since the ear requirements are identical!)

Meri

at what age do you start ear training?

and hey, i noticed you're also from toronto. hello!

ear training should start as soon as possible, especailly for younger students like 4 years old. The earlier they associate sound with notes on the piano or staff, the better and faster they learn, but you have to use a simpler language when refers to intervals.....like a step, a skip, or find songs that they know that has those intervals. After a year or so, gradually introduce intervals, by then they should have established a great sense of intervalic reading and listening, which makes reading and playing much easier.

princessclara,

would you also suggest the comprehensive ear training guide that musiclady recommended?

I am sure it's a good book, but I don't know it is by who and which music publisher publishes it, I didn't use it in my class.

You may want to ask Musiclady for more details.

Comprehensive Ear Training is published by Keystroke Publishing. It's got a large number of ear training and rhythm exercises. The version without the CD is a great value--$10 CDN per book, but the first one overs Grade 1 and Grade 2 RCM

Meri

Hi Meri,

i went and checked out the comprehensive ear training and i definitely preferred its format over the other ear training workbooks i found. thanks for the suggestion!



sorry, i just wanted to use that graemlin...

I use my own program for ear training.

what do you do in your own program?

Hi, Musiclady,

I'm also interested in the Comprehensive Ear Training book.I just called the local music store but they couldn't find the book. Did you get it online or in a Canadian store? Thanks!

I bought my copy through one of my local music dealers--Remenyi House of music here in Toronto. They also have online ordering. You can always special-order the book, or try sheetmusicplus.com.

Meri

Thanks, musiclady.

I just browsed the web site of Remenyi House of music and found out it's a series books with different levels. I wonder if you bought the whole series. What's your recommendation for a 5-year-old beginner and an 8-year-old with 3 years of piano lessons? What about CDs? Will you recommend those too? Thanks in advance for your help!

I get each individual one as soon as one student reaches a certain level.

I don't use the CDs, I find with any music resource that comes with them, I don't use them. (especially Music Minus One)

As for your questions, for piano students, I incorporate the recognition of intervals by ear as soon as the method introduces them: so when they have learned the second and thirds (instead of calling them steps and skips) I play them two notes and they tell me whether they are a second or a third apart. When they have learned the fourth, fifth, and octave, they get those intervals in addition to seconds and thirds. Some students are really good at the seconds and thirds, so I challenge them to identify whether it's in its major or minor form.

With my clarinet students, I teach them about intervals first, and just use the required intervals at the grade level.

Meri

Many thanks, Meri!