Music in general is hard enough to play, but to be able to play it in time, and at the same speed as a 16 piece big band is even harder. As a child you can pick up aural skills very quickly but as an adult you will find it much harder (but not impossible!!) Im sure you have heard me say so many times that I would rather you play the wrong note in the right place rather then the right note in the wrong place. It is so important that you can hear and feel a pulse, fit your music into all of the other parts. Most adults struggle with this part of the music they are too concerned with getting their part correct rather then playing with the ensemble!!!
The following exercises focus on aural skills and your ability to here, this doesn't involve any reading of music at all!!
Exercise 1 Play Audio 1...
Listen to track this audio track, and count to 7 (just to put you off from clapping from the start!) then shut you eyes and listen try to find the 1st beat of the bar. The music has 4 beats in the bar. after about 3 choruses I join in and you can check if your right! Do this a few times until you can stop and start the clapping and come back in correctly! This seems very easy but its not!
Excersise 2:
Think back to your miss spent youth and remember all those good old children's songs that you sang at school whilst the miserable music teacher hammered out some chords on the really out of tune piano!
Most children's songs only have a range of about 6-8 notes so start on a middle c (to avoid lots of sharps and flats)
Play middle C and then starting on that note sing the tune either La La La La or the words if you remember them (Like you would ever forget!!). Sing the tune over and over and over and over!!!! Don't feel silly (I have to do this everyday!!!!)
Then starting on Middle C (or any C you are comfortable with) try and play the melody. Don't give up even if you end up playing all over the instrument you will find that next note. Once you get to the end. Do it again and again and again! Until you can just play it. Don't try and remember the notes use your ears if the next note sounds higher when you sing it, then the note would be higher when you play it. Its just the question of how high? This is such a great exercise for aural!
Once you have the melody off then start on the following notes C#, E, F#, Ab, Bb (Good Luck!!)
These exercises will help so much with improvisation
Exercise 3:
Play Audio 2...
Play Audio 3...
Play Audio 4...
This next exercise is the hardest, and something you have never done (and hoped you never would have to!!!)
I have recorded some simple tunes. All tunes have 4 beats in a bar and all start on beat 1.
Listen to each track untill you can sing it with out the music on. Then go through the above process of being able to play it. Once you can play it (Note for note) you then have to transcribe it! I have put a blank sheet of manuscript paper in the back, use it as a template and photocopy it! The secret is to be able to play them well first, in time!!!! You will know if you have it correct as it will fit into exactly 4 bars with 4 beats in each bar. As you get better at this you can then use this process to transcribe some of those amazing solos you have recordings of!!!!
There are further exercises under the chord tone section! (enjoy these for a while before moving on to them!)
You should incorporate aural exercises in every practice session
