CHAPTER V.
EAR TRAINING.
A person with an untrained ear can appreciate music comparatively little, even though he is well educated in the theory of music. Absolute pitch is the ability to recognize and intonate any tone indicated. Very few persons possess naturally absolute pitch, but it may be acquired by a systematic study of ear training. Relative pitch is the ability to recognize a tone by comparison with a known tone. Advancement in relative pitch eventually leads to the attainment of absolute pitch.
In practicing ear training, only a few minutes at a sitting are advised. Too much time at once devoted to this practice tires the ear and does more harm than good. On the other hand, these sittings should be many each day. Students who do not have a teacher daily, should have a member of the household play the exercises in ear training and correct the mistakes. If no member of the household is musical, the student should co-operate with another student.
Each exercise should be thoroughly learned before proceeding to the following exercise. It may be recognizable and properly intonated at once or it may take several sittings. The pitch A at 435 is the standard for orchestral tuning and is recommended to the student for a fundamental. The student should carry upon his person a tuning fork of this pitch and sound it as often as an opportunity permits, and thereby fix this fundamental thoroughly in his mind. Eventually, the student will recognize this pitch whenever he hears it. Other tones will be recognizable by comparison with this fundamental. Any other pitch for a fundamental may be chosen with equally good results. The argument is in favor of A because of its use in orchestral tuning.
Many systems of ear training, which produce the desired results, exist. The following system has been found the most satisfactory by the author.[E] Deviations from and additions to this system do no harm and are advisable in certain individual cases.
The Italian syllables should be used in singing the exercises. Movable do is advised. Any instrument may be used by the teacher or co-operator to play the exercises. For low voices, the exercises should be played two octaves lower than indicated, and for medium voices, one octave lower. The teacher, after having played an exercise, should explain the interval or intervals therein. The student should sing the exercise first with the instrument and then without. Each exercise should be faultlessly intonated before proceeding to the following exercise.
GROUP I.
THE NORMAL INTERVALS OF THE MAJOR SCALE.
1. Major scale:—