I would hesitate to say there is “no substitute” for formal training, especially for others. In my own case, though, much of what I have learned since retirement really comes from a teacher explaining to me what is technically wrong or awkward in my exercises and compositions and, even where there are no mistakes, suggesting ways in which I might help a particular piece sound even better. I would not understand many aspects of music composition nearly so well without this personal input, but should emphasize that my understanding is still pretty rudimentary compared to composers writing music for a living! Ultimately, if you are considering formal training I would encourage you to follow through with that plan.
With respect to your second question about how a given collection of notes will sound, I have found formal ear training to be a huge benefit and would have found it difficult to make as much progress in this area on my own. Again, though, people have varying talents and respond differently to different challenges so some may find it easier than I to make progress on their own.
I have had two or three ‘teachers’ (by distance), which hasn’t worked at all well. Someone there in real time to do just as you say you benefitted from, particularly
…explaining to me what is technically wrong or awkward in my exercises and compositions and, even where there are no mistakes, suggesting ways in which I might help a particular piece sound even better…
seems a really good way to go.
I shall also look again at your Ear Training suggestion.
Hmm… A few weeks back, I discovered that a piano teacher has been living three doors away from me for the previous few years! I remember the house going up for sale, but didn’t take any notice beyond that - though there did seem to be quite a lot of different cars parked on the road outside…
At least he (or she) doesn’t create any noise - unlike the guy living three doors away on the other side, who has converted his garage into a drum practice room!
That function (the ability to hear full chord notes when moving backwards/forwards or altering a note inside a chord) actually was one of the main reasons I considered starting to use Sibelius as my main composing tool. I have written music only with pencil a paper as well, but I’d rather trust my ears than trusting my “mind”/brain. If one wants to stick to a specific musical style, maybe trusting one’s brain/experience wouldn’t be such a bad idea, but for me - it’s easier to come up with something original(-ish) if I work with a computer the same way I compose at the piano: by playing a harmony, then trying another harmony by changing a note or two, and of course listen to the second chord by not only listening to the note (or two) I changed, but by playing the full chord.
The only thing I’ll miss in Sibelius if I start using it in addition to Dorico and Logic is that Sibelius doesn’t seem to be able to treat the chord notes in treble and piano clef (of a piano track) as one chord. It will only play back the notes in the same clef if you alter one of the chord notes. So I certainly hope Dorico will me a tad smarter than Sibelius, but that function would be very welcome even if it only were to be implemented the Sibelius way.
The book seems to suggest what I was going to post anyway - practice transcribing some audio, with no audio feedback from your notation software till you have finished the exercise and want to “check your own answer”.
There’s an almost infinite supply of music on the web, of course. Start with just the melody line from some “beginner level” pieces, then move on to melody + bass, then a full transcription. IIRC students at Julliard were (and/or still are) expected to be able to transcribe all four parts of something like a Haydn quartet movement with 100% accuracy.
If diatonic/tonal music is “too easy”, try transcribing something like Bartok’s Mikrocosmos, starting with book 1 and working through to the end (!!!)
I like Kodaly’s comment on this: “The fundamental purpose of musical education is to teach the students to see with their ears, and hear with their eyes”.
Hi Mark,
No, I haven’t seen the book but it looks like a good text. My ear training lessons (in preparation for my grade 8 RCM piano exam) have involved only my instructor, a piano, and myself. However, I like the idea of a broad text that outlines a large number of exercises and approaches.
