I have students start to apply the singing of real music such as Singing Jazz Standards after they have completed the “Contextual Ear Training” course.
I also recommend that you apply these “trichords” to the chord progressions found in these books: The list below is excellent because it gets you applying these “trichords” by thinking of them all in one key center. In “Ultimate Arpeggio” I recommend that you apply the 13 possible three note arpeggios to common tunes such as Singing Jazz Standards. This assignment usually involves chord tones but I will commonly add in harmonic reharmonization based on the information found in one of the following books: In “Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing” I give an assignment on page 17 that should then be applied to the list below. In this case, at least at the beginning, a student should start the scale from the root of the key center rather than the root of the chord. The assignment is to write out the scales for each chord based on the key center. In “Scale Analysis,” which relates all chord scales within a composition to one key center, the list below is a good place to start, because all the tunes listed can be heard in one key center. In this case I recommend that you first start with the chord progressions in the above books because they have all tensions clearly written out, as opposed to “chord/melody” charts where tensions are very seldom included. In particular is the approach to tensions. Please note that the same chord progressions are found in all of the above-mentioned books, and there are many other approach note techniques in the “Approach Note” course that could be used as templates to write solos as well. If that is the case, I often recommend they listen to - or if they play a chording instrument learn how to play the chord progressions found in– these books: I should note here that sometimes students to not have a history of listening or playing music with many chord changes that include tensions. “Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing”
When singing the solos in one key as the chords change, students often discover that they need remedial work to be able to do the assignment successfully. Again all notes are heard in one key center. They then sing these written solos first over a drone by using the “MetroDrone®” and then by playing the chords and singing the melody. In the “Approach Note” course I have students write out solos where they put chord tones on beats “one” and “three,” then place any combination of the chromatic and diatonic approach note figures into these chord tones. There are many kinds of exercises in my books but here is a quick synopsis of some of them: Obviously if a tune modulates you would use an entirely different approach. I recommend using jazz standards for this, because the lead sheets are easy to find, and the chord progressions cover the ones typically found in all styles of music.Įxactly what you apply to these jazz standards will vary for each book, but the underlying principle is that you are hearing all notes in the key center, not in relationship to each chord. I assign students who work through my ear training (and many courses such as “Approach Notes, ” Scale Analysis,” “Ultimate Arpeggio” or “Fanatic’s Guide to Ear Training and Sight Singing”) to apply the information they have learned to real music. Singing Jazz Standards Ear Training Exercises