If you aspire to be a musician, what’s the primary skill you should develop to the greatest extent?
Take a guess. You’re absolutely right if you think the answer is your listening skill! How would you be able to distinguish the complex notes that are hidden in your songs if you cannot detect them?
If you are an upcoming artist and do not have access to a professional studio and technicians who are well-versed in mixing and mastering, that’s where you’ll have to hone your active listening skills. Here, your main objective must be “how to improve listening skills” to make decent tracks until you can set up an effective studio.
We know you’re eager to find the best app to improve listening skills, but before we go there, it is crucial to understand what ear training is and why you must take it seriously.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals.
What Is Ear Training?
If you’re trying to get into the music industry, remember that millions of passionate individuals like you are trying to do the same. If you lack the right skills, it will be pretty hard for you to find the right people. Unfortunately, that’s how things work. But you can burn that bridge once you get there.
One of the right tools is the concept of ear training. This is a scientific process where you train yourself to dissect the different elements that make a song. Well, what parts are needed to make music? They include intervals, chord progressions, scale degrees, rhythm, and many other factors.
Some people can identify the notes only by hearing them. It may be a single note or a combination of different chords. This particular ability is called the ‘perfect pitch,’ and only a few people are born with such skill. This doesn’t imply that you cannot become a musician if you don’t have a perfect pitch.
If you train yourself every day, you’ll become a master where you’ll be indistinguishable from people with perfect pitch.
Why Is Ear Training Crucial?
Your ability to listen and detect every minute detail in a record is just as valuable as playing different instruments and singing exceptionally by modulating your voice at various levels.
By training yourself, you’ll be able to single-handedly detect any flaws, allowing you to tweak and adjust the frequencies to make your song unforgettable.
Now, let’s look at the 2 types of ear training methods; the traditional and the modern approach.
The traditional approach is where you are supposed to practice for hours and hours until you get things right. There was no listening skills assessment tool or trick in the classical era, so brute forcing your brain with practice and reading music sheets was the only way. This system is still being followed in many conservative music colleges worldwide! Surprising, isn’t it?
The modern approach is where the process of learning music adopts the advancement of technology. Now, you can listen to tracks while engaging in exercises that help you to train your ears. This makes practice sessions more accessible than traditional methods, and you can even practice on the go!
However, do not think that you’ll be a pro by merely listening to songs all the time. Be it traditional or modern methods, practice is an integral part of your ear training process, and do not shy away when practicing what you learn.
Alright! The moment you have been waiting for has come! Here’s a list of the 5 best apps to train your ears!
Tenuto
If you are a guitarist or a pianist, Tenuto will be an excellent tool for you to practice and develop your ears. It offers more than 20 listening skills activities that may be modified to your needs, ranging from recognizing chords on a keyboard to detecting intervals to understanding chords on a guitar!
But remember that this app is only made available to iOS devices.
Useyourear
Useyourear is another fantastic website, especially if you’re a beginner. They offer various ear training programs, from practicing and enhancing your chord progressions, notes, rhythmic patterns, and much more! The primary advantage is that the lessons are taught by musicians who clearly explain each point.
Teoria
Teoria is a simple website that will help you to learn and teach music simultaneously, making it a viable option for students and teachers. Even though Teoria emphasizes music theory, it doesn’t mean they don’t provide ear training programs.
They provide various exercises to master chord progressions and scales and also help you read, write, and comprehend all sorts of notations in music. However, it may be difficult for some people to get a hold of the website interface as they offer a lot of customization. Don’t worry. you’ll quickly get used to it when you start the lessons.
Good-ear.com
Their website and application may seem slightly off, but they still offer decent value. You can start your training without any sign-ups at no cost! From the basics of chords to complex Jazz chords and cadences, you’ll be able to start learning at any moment. You can also use their services on a browser!
EarMaster
This is an all-in-one app needed for ear training, irrespective of the instrument you play. From music sheets and notations to identifying and transcribing chords and intervals, the EarMaster application provides over 2500 routines and practices in music theory!
Apart from the sessions, it even provides an option to analyze your progress so that you can change your practice style accordingly. EarMaster differs from other platforms because if you can grasp the concepts quickly, the lessons will stop based on your performance. If you have difficulty understanding a specific part, it will give you extra notes and quizzes to ensure you learn the topic thoroughly.
Concluding remarks
Even though many websites and applications offer courses, the key to mastering ear training lies in your mind. Consider these services as supplements to boost your practice sessions.
The more dedication you put out, the more effective your training will become. By mastering this skill, you’ll be able to have the confidence to perform at any event or stage like a professional.
Do you know any other applications that assist students in their journey of learning music? If yes, don’t shy away from sharing it in the comments. Until next time!
