Relative Pitch Training

What Is Relative Pitch?

It is the ability to name musical notes, chords or keys AFTER having been given a note and it's name as a reference.

Example: Name the pitch "G" correctly after having been given the note "C" and its name first.

Players who develop this ability well should be able to name the chords of a song after having been told that the key is "F."

With time it can go as far as being able to guess the name of notes or keys by relating them to the sound register of individual instruments or vocalists.

Relative Pitch vs Perfect Pitch

The score of this game is about 1000:1, meaning that out of every 1000 musicians with relative pitch there will be 1 with perfect pitch.

As I explain in my article "Can Perfect Pitch Be Learned", it is very easy to survive in the music world, even the top shelf, after learning relative pitch. Both have their disadvantages (yes, even perfect pitch) and advantages.

You need to decide how far you want to take your musicianship. Please go ahead and practice perfect pitch if you have the talent, patience and time but also know that for most musicians being able to relate pitch is the way to go and perfectly adequate. You never know where it may lead you.

Learning How To Relate Pitch

There are no magic formulas for developing this knowledge. The best results come from taking these 10 small but regular and focused steps.

Take a pitch test with the help of a person who knows music and pitch well. You must know your musical status quo.Have the circle of fifths explained. This may seem odd but it provides a solid foundation.Know what guide tones are.Learn to sing (yes, sing) a given note in tune.Develop the ability to play/sing all major scales. (one at a time)From this base knowledge it will be much easier to play ear training games with music intervals. Start relating pitches from note to note inside major scales and gradually expand to chromatic intervals.Start listening to your favorite music differently by working out the key/tonality (find it with the help of an instrument) and then relating other chords to it.Transcribe short sections (even 1 bar) of the melody, chords, bass line etc of a song.Listen to and start to memorize the sound instruments make in certain registers. Gradually getting better at this is a fun way to progress from solid relative pitch to perfect pitch.Know your vocal range (lowest and highest note) and use it in your practice by singing along with music and guessing keys and pitches.

Summary:

Relative pitch training is not difficult if you break it down into regular small chunks. The regularity is the secret to improving ear training pitch.

If you are a big picture person (lot's of grand ideas, like me) you might find it difficult to find the patience to work in small segments. Unfortunately it's the only way and the results will astound you.

Find details how to perform a relative pitch test, lots of free info, tips and audios about the circle of 5ths diagram, guide tones, scales, intervals and chords at: http://www.eartraining-online.com/

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