2 ms·

When I see my friends who are into music play and talk about different instruments, it actually feels like magic to me. I tried to learn Violin some years ago b

When I see my friends who are into music play and talk about different instruments, it actually feels like magic to me. I tried to learn Violin some years ago but I could never understand why the note was correct. I do know that if I had learnt Keyboard instead, I would know where the correct notes are but I am still not able to recognize a sound and understand what note that is. Any pointer as to what I can do? Because I dont think learning music theory is going to be enough for me.

seanhunter 28d ago
At many western music schools, if piano isn’t your first instrument, it is compulsory to study piano as a second instrument. The reason for this is that it really helps when understanding harmony. You also do ear training, which is meant to solve the problem I think you’re describing. I expect you would find ear training resources on youtube or something now but I did it the old-fashioned way where you start by listening when people play major / minor chords, all the intervals, learn to recognize inversions etc and then move on to doing transcriptions of music you like. I have box files full of transcriptions I did when learning. But Levine (for example) includes some ear training advice.
- vishalmullur 28d ago
  Thanks! That's actually very helpful :)
- folkrav 28d ago
  That second point is spot on. The one thing I remember vividly - and that still helps me most - from all those years of classical piano training is the ear training. I don't have perfect pitch, but I remember A440 vividly (thanks to my electronic metronome) and the training left me with a strong sense relative pitch that helps me figure out pretty much any melody and chord progression relatively quickly.
  - sbrother 28d ago
    I really wish I had studied piano for that reason. I put many years into flute and almost went to conservatory for it, so I can play pretty much any melody by ear after hearing it, but I have zero ability to do the same for harmonies/chord progressions. I've tried to learn some piano (and like the parent said, was forced to as part of music curriculum at college) but it's incredibly difficult to learn a new instrument to a satisfying level as an adult.
    - folkrav 26d ago
      Can't agree more with that last sentence. I picked up guitar around 16yo, bass a couple of years later, and shortly tried my hand at drums. I'm now more than twice the age and I am indeed deeply unsatisfied with my technical ability at either.
kaoD 28d ago
> I am still not able to recognize a sound and understand what note that is That is called "perfect pitch" and it is not necessary to play music. It's very rare to have perfect pitch, and it seems to be innate, not something you learn. Contextual note recognition (relative pitch) is what musicians normally use to jam. It comes with practice and contextual clues that you pick up over tens of years (including familiarity with your jammate's instrument, even if it's not the one you play; familiarity with multiple eras of music theory; pure practice), so this shouldn't be your #1 priority since it just comes along for free (or a bit of practice), as you learn. Music playing 101 is just... playing music in your instrument. You don't need to recognize notes until you want to jam, which comes years after you start playing an instrument. Some people seem to just be physically unable to distinguish relative pitch though. You might want to start here: https://www.musictheory.net/ https://www.musictheory.net/ (not affiliated, I just think it's a very good resource for Music Theory 101).
- dyzone 28d ago
  > Some people seem to just be physically unable to distinguish relative pitch though. I used to think I was pitch blind until one day it just clicked. It just takes practice in my opinion.
- OroPla 28d ago
  Isn't perfect pitch just when you can tell a note without having a reference tone? Once you have a point of reference things just go up and down and from there it should be manageable to identify each note. Also, not sure about the innate thing. Seems to me that it's just a neural pathway that can be created by playing or listening to a whole lot of music while being aware of which tone is which, for example by reading the score alongside.
  - simonask 27d ago
    Perfect pitch is quite debated. What we know is that: 1) Most people with perfect pitch have it mostly on their main instrument, and they translate the pitch in their inner ear if they hear a different instrument, and 2) Many with perfect pitch report that it gets less reliable with age. There seems to be many different ways of having perfect pitch. For example, some singers may connect it more to the physical sensation of applying tension to their vocal cords (so they have to be singing the pitch or imagine singing it to be able to tell). For others it's purely auditive.
otabdeveloper4 28d ago
There's nothing magic in it. Any two pitches that have a rational number ratio with a small denominator sound "correct". It's just a quirk of human physiology. The real creativeness and ingenuity comes from rhythm and the interplay of repetitive and surprising sounds. The pitches are not important.
- tyffanypastecf 28d ago
  [dead]

seanhunter 28d ago

At many western music schools, if piano isn’t your first instrument, it is compulsory to study piano as a second instrument. The reason for this is that it really helps when understanding harmony. You also do ear training, which is meant to solve the problem I think you’re describing. I expect you would find ear training resources on youtube or something now but I did it the old-fashioned way where you start by listening when people play major / minor chords, all the intervals, learn to recognize inversions etc and then move on to doing transcriptions of music you like. I have box files full of transcriptions I did when learning. But Levine (for example) includes some ear training advice.

vishalmullur 28d ago
Thanks! That's actually very helpful :)
folkrav 28d ago
That second point is spot on. The one thing I remember vividly - and that still helps me most - from all those years of classical piano training is the ear training. I don't have perfect pitch, but I remember A440 vividly (thanks to my electronic metronome) and the training left me with a strong sense relative pitch that helps me figure out pretty much any melody and chord progression relatively quickly.
- sbrother 28d ago
  I really wish I had studied piano for that reason. I put many years into flute and almost went to conservatory for it, so I can play pretty much any melody by ear after hearing it, but I have zero ability to do the same for harmonies/chord progressions. I've tried to learn some piano (and like the parent said, was forced to as part of music curriculum at college) but it's incredibly difficult to learn a new instrument to a satisfying level as an adult.
  - folkrav 26d ago
    Can't agree more with that last sentence. I picked up guitar around 16yo, bass a couple of years later, and shortly tried my hand at drums. I'm now more than twice the age and I am indeed deeply unsatisfied with my technical ability at either.

kaoD 28d ago

> I am still not able to recognize a sound and understand what note that is That is called "perfect pitch" and it is not necessary to play music. It's very rare to have perfect pitch, and it seems to be innate, not something you learn. Contextual note recognition (relative pitch) is what musicians normally use to jam. It comes with practice and contextual clues that you pick up over tens of years (including familiarity with your jammate's instrument, even if it's not the one you play; familiarity with multiple eras of music theory; pure practice), so this shouldn't be your #1 priority since it just comes along for free (or a bit of practice), as you learn. Music playing 101 is just... playing music in your instrument. You don't need to recognize notes until you want to jam, which comes years after you start playing an instrument. Some people seem to just be physically unable to distinguish relative pitch though. You might want to start here: https://www.musictheory.net/ https://www.musictheory.net/ (not affiliated, I just think it's a very good resource for Music Theory 101).

dyzone 28d ago
> Some people seem to just be physically unable to distinguish relative pitch though. I used to think I was pitch blind until one day it just clicked. It just takes practice in my opinion.
OroPla 28d ago
Isn't perfect pitch just when you can tell a note without having a reference tone? Once you have a point of reference things just go up and down and from there it should be manageable to identify each note. Also, not sure about the innate thing. Seems to me that it's just a neural pathway that can be created by playing or listening to a whole lot of music while being aware of which tone is which, for example by reading the score alongside.
- simonask 27d ago
  Perfect pitch is quite debated. What we know is that: 1) Most people with perfect pitch have it mostly on their main instrument, and they translate the pitch in their inner ear if they hear a different instrument, and 2) Many with perfect pitch report that it gets less reliable with age. There seems to be many different ways of having perfect pitch. For example, some singers may connect it more to the physical sensation of applying tension to their vocal cords (so they have to be singing the pitch or imagine singing it to be able to tell). For others it's purely auditive.

otabdeveloper4 28d ago

There's nothing magic in it. Any two pitches that have a rational number ratio with a small denominator sound "correct". It's just a quirk of human physiology. The real creativeness and ingenuity comes from rhythm and the interplay of repetitive and surprising sounds. The pitches are not important.

tyffanypastecf 28d ago
[dead]