On teaching your ear to recognize notes

This is possibly done by teaching yourself to play on the piano by ear.


Staring at a very young age, eg 5 years old helps a lot. This does not mean that it is not possible at other ages.


It is also the flight hours that count. At the beginning notes cannot be distinguished with their names, it is frustrating, but at some point everything falls into place.


It is important that the piano is tuned at the high correct pitch.


Playing together with recorded music is very important.


Perfect pitch may be an unfortunate term.


Distinguishing notes means that one can immediately identify that when for example 440Hz, 444Hz, 435Hz is being played that it is the note A or LA. Same with other notes.


It is very helpful as by more flight hours one can identify the harmony of a symphony or of a pop song by hearing the notes of the different parts simultaneously.


Music then can then teach itself even when one is outdoors and there's music being heard from somewhere.


Another fun exercise is trying to play a known piece of music or song by ear. One learns immediately by the mistakes. Melody can be tried first, then the bass using the left hand.  Then the chords or harmony. Harmony springs from the bass but is not nessasarily at distances of 3 or 5 as for example C bass, harmony C, E, G. In works of great ingenuity it has this but it also departs to any conceivable code. For example 6 (the 3rd is taken too), 7 prepared and the 3rd taken too, 9th prepared the 3rd is taken too. Example for 9th: An F sharp has already been heard, while this F sharp exists the bass becomes E and another part plays G or G sharp depending on which key we are. Example of unprepared 9ths is Hey You - Pink Floyd. Right from the beginning it alternates between E minor 9th and D minor ninth.

If one is stuck then the score can be read and this is the magic moment when we learn what we did not know and could not recognize by listening. Next time we can recognize.


A quick way to understand most of the already beautiful harmony on our planet is the C major prelude by J. S. Bach in the well tempered clavier. The composer takes us by the hand and explains how the game is played. A variation of this piece using the first few bars of harmony is Don't Cry for me Argentina. It is usually transposed to B or C sharp and a nice version is by Madonna.


On  distiguishing the (harmonics) overtones themselves on the next euroelectron post.