ear training

So what if you weren’t born with perfect pitch. Here’s one way to develop your ears.

As bassists, one of our most overlooked tools is our ears. In my opinion, our ability to hear and understand pitches and rhythms in real time is of equal importance to technique. For any musician who decides to take on the task of improving their ear, it probably won’t be long at all before they encounter the phenomenon of perfect pitch.

Read MoreShow less

Beginner

Intermediate

  • Develop a deeper understanding of the sound of each mode.
  • Learn several different ways to create modes.
  • Improvise over simple vamps that outline the defining characteristics of each mode.
{'media': '[rebelmouse-file-pdf 51579 original_filename="Modes-Feb23.pdf" site_id=20368559 expand=1]', 'media_html': 'Modes-Feb23.pdf', 'id': 51579, 'type': 'pdf', 'file_original_url': 'https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/files/51579/Modes-Feb23.pdf'}
We’ve all heard and read about the importance of understanding the modes of the diatonic scale. Intellectually they are very simple to understand. (Dusts off music degree) “The Phrygian mode is a major scale starting on the third degree.” Yes, this is true, but by itself it really isn’t useful. It informs you as to where you can place your fingers to find the intended notes, but to really play somethingyou need to be able to hear it.
Read MoreShow less