Ear Training in the car

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Hi all,

Anyone suggest anything that can be used whilst driving to improve interval recognition?

Si
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Comments

  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    Yeah, listen to the radio ... as the songs playing try to figure out the chord sequence in terms of Nashville charts. So don't worry about the key, just think ok we are on the home chord which is  1 ... now it's gone to the 5, then the 6, now the 4 etc ... then when you get home pick up the guitar and see if you were right. When I was in the building trade and often travelling 4 hours a day I used to do this constantly and quickly learnt to easily figure our chord sequences, which really came in handy working in covers bands. 
    You can do the same technique with riffs and single note stuff. 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    edited February 2021
    Danny1969 said:
    Yeah, listen to the radio ... as the songs playing try to figure out the chord sequence in terms of Nashville charts. So don't worry about the key, just think ok we are on the home chord which is  1 ... now it's gone to the 5, then the 6, now the 4 etc ... then when you get home pick up the guitar and see if you were right. When I was in the building trade and often travelling 4 hours a day I used to do this constantly and quickly learnt to easily figure our chord sequences, which really came in handy working in covers bands. 
    You can do the same technique with riffs and single note stuff. 

    Great advice (maybe not while driving though)! 

    (And if it’s in a minor key, still call the home chord the 1, don’t suddenly think you’re actually in Nashville and start calling it the 6, or any other number for that matter)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Concentrate on driving. :)
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  • octatonic said:
    Concentrate on driving. :)

    No harmonising with the family either
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm2Jy64b0dI
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    Works for this family...

    https://youtu.be/utXqrsRoYWo
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  • Not sure if doing something that requires intense focus is a good idea while driving - I knew a guy who was obsessively studying jazz, listening to Charlie Parker while driving, and crashing 3 cars in the process..

    That being said - EarBeater is a good phone app for ear training, but you have to interact manually with the app.
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    Not sure if doing something that requires intense focus is a good idea while driving 
    In all seriousness I’d agree with this. Using ‘something else’ would require focus and would that mean you wouldn’t be focusing on driving quite as much as normal? Or if you were prioritising driving, would you be getting the best out of your learning time? 

    Ultimately IMO the best thing I’d be comfortable suggesting you could do in the car (but also out of it) is to sing. 

    I sing a given note and do either intervals, triads, 7th arps, scales etc. You could even put a drone on to sing against.

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  • best thing to do in a car is to focus on the road; background music sure, but nothing that takes focus away from being safe
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    To be honest I don't think idly wondering whether the 2nd chord change you hear is a move to the 4 or 5 is anymore likely to divert your attention form the road then a radio pop quiz, mentally planning a Zoom meeting or wondering what to cook for dinner. 
    I mean who drives like a zombie thinking nothing other than the road ?
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Thanks for all the comments..

    Luckily the Tesla can drive itself... :) but seriously I do take the point made...

    I might just sing some intervals to keep myself awake..

    Si
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  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4028
    Danny1969 said:
    Yeah, listen to the radio ... as the songs playing try to figure out the chord sequence in terms of Nashville charts....
    You can do the same technique with riffs and single note stuff. 
    I do this too.  It's good fun to sing along, work out the relative pitches, harmonies, any of that stuff.  And as you say, get home and check to see how close you were. 
    And @grappagreen it's a skill which you'll notice improving.  The easiest songs for me were the three chord trick songs and the doo wop I, vi, IV, V which you could spot a mile off.  Then you start hearing the four chord progression everywhere, I, V, vi, IV  -- and you learn to differentiate it from vi, IV, I, V songs.  And I'm, pretty good with all that and the standard passing intervals and the feel of chromatics.  Where I struggle, not surprisingly, is with the sound of chords I don't hear too often. 

    And no it doesn't affect concentration because you obviously wouldn't do it if there is a lot of demand on your attention.

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  • kelpbedskelpbeds Frets: 181
    Use the app ' functional ear trainer' it's perfect for in the car I used to use it all the time like this and totally safe. The one setting is totally hands free and it's a brilliant tool.
    Check out my Blues lessons channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTSHf5NqVQDz0LzW2PC1Lw
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16013
    Danny1969 said:
    To be honest I don't think idly wondering whether the 2nd chord change you hear is a move to the 4 or 5 is anymore likely to divert your attention form the road then a radio pop quiz, mentally planning a Zoom meeting or wondering what to cook for dinner. 
    I mean who drives like a zombie thinking nothing other than the road ?
    I wouldn't be able to listen that intently when driving
    I am more focused on what is going on around me
    like ,my neighbours extension,the new shop on the high street,a parked Ferrari,a few advertising hoardings and the attractive women coming out of the shops in summer clothing on a hot day.
    It doesn't seem to make much difference because I'm an absolutely terrible driver anyway .I always like to think of Michael Winner who was the cause of so many near misses ( It's only an accident ) .A friend of mine was in the car with him when such an incident occurred and the other driver berated him ...Winner just looked him in the eye and said " I'm very sorry but I'm just a terrible driver "........and carried on his way!
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  • GiancaGianca Frets: 12
    I've made a set of mp3 for this exact purpose. The mp3 play a given interval, make a pause, and then a voice tells you which interval is. The problem is,  unless you are really motivated, this could be a bit boring. Also, it depends a lot if you can concentrate on driving while listening to this mp3. For me it worked

    this is the link of the mp3 pack, if you want to give it a try (it's about 30 mb)
    https://fachordscdn-16d90.kxcdn.com/static/media/ebooks/fachords-mobile-interval-ear-training.zip

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  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    Sometimes I'll try and sing 3rd and 5th harmonies to songs when driving, as long as I get the root note I can sorta go up the intervals. Just gotta make sure windows ain't rolled down so people don't look at me weird haha.
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  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    Sometimes I'll try and sing 3rd and 5th harmonies to songs when driving, as long as I get the root note I can sorta go up the intervals. Just gotta make sure windows ain't rolled down so people don't look at me weird haha.

    Yes, singing intervals is how I practiced in the car too, but I had a cassette recording with specific intervals. Perhaps, it was a bit mechanical.
    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
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  • BasherBasher Frets: 1199
    I knew a guy who was obsessively studying jazz, listening to Charlie Parker while driving, and crashing 3 cars in the process..

    I'm not wishing incarceration upon him as a result but, should it happen, he could at least say that he started off listening to Bird and ended up doing it.
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