kctrump

Greetings,

Does anyone have any advice to assist a student hear an interval prior to playing the instrument (trumpet). Seconds, thirds, fourths, and perfect fifths come easy. The sixths and sevenths are giving me a tough time.

Now starting minor thirds, augmented and diminished chords. Wow....how do you guys do it?

-W

gridjam

Yup!
Drones.
Put a note on and play all around it.
If you can't hear the 6ths and 7ths your 2nds might not be as strong as you think. Keep working on them and start internalizing all the inversions in all octaves as you warm up around the note that is droning.
Example.
Set up a drone on E (first line treble clef)
Play a whole step above-listen hard to the drone-drop the note down the octave and listen to it's 7th relationship. Now you have F#7, or the 3rd of D7 relating to the 9th, or....the possiblilities are yours to create...

Play a whole step below the E, listen to the drone and transpose the note up an octave while focusing on 1. the octave-make it in tune!!!!2. the flat 7 interval that it is creating 3. If your chops feel good-take it up another octave and hear the space between the root -E and the flat 7 D.

westview1900

I remember seeing software for drones, but I forget exactly where. Do you have any ideas where they can be obtained.

Vulgano Brother

A trick to be sure, but tried and true--play the interval in question, and figure out what tune it suggests. (For example, a tritone suggests Maria from West Side Story.) This way we can work backwards; in addition to learning the way an interval sounds, we can use those intervals we already have memorized and learn what their names are. Have fun!

BergeronWannabe

Yeah, that's how I'm learning it...
Maj 2nd- happy birthday
etc...

Dustin

I think of tritones as really awkward and creepy. Someone suggested Maria, and that's a good suggestion as well. And I think of major 6ths as the old NBC theme and I use Bali H'ai for major 7ths.

TisEkard

Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net is a great site that helps you learn intervals. check it out its free. Just go to the trainers tab and click intervals.

Billy B

It is interesting that we can sing intervals in the context of a song yet have trouble singing a given interval when approached as a named interval. Obviously the information is recorded in our brain, so the problem comes with accessing that information.

gridjam

and THAT is why I try to play as much music as possible! I find that I miss a lot less notes when I am really hearing everything. From Bach to Bitsch, to Bird heads to clarinet etudes, to memorizing all of the music I am playing. Being in tune has been an issue with me lately. I listen back to my early recordings and cringe when I hear how 'poor' my intonation is/was. One of my
big ear-opening moments happened when I ordered the relative pitch course- yes, the same happy-looking guy that sells the Perfect pitch method! In fact, I'm going to order it again on disc.

gridjam

oh, I did check out the Ricci site, a good one for starts. Just one thought- it is important to balance the visual with the unseen material. In other words, put on a cd and play along with anything and everything(from Gregorian chant to today) and let your ears and fingers hook up freely and quickly with what you are hearing!