US China Manufacturing Story Resonates

[DooDiligence]

Attached are 2 lists of tunes which contain familiar intervals.
The 1st list is a basic cheat sheet & the 2nd list includes a little more info.

For instance, the 1st 2 notes of "Here Comes the Bride" make up a perfect 4th.

This is helpful when you know what a perfect 4th looks like on a written piece of music so that you'll know what it's supposed to sound like.

Acquiring the skills of "audiation" enable you to sight read more quickly & to accurately "ear" out pieces without sheet music.

6ths & 7ths are the hardest for me.

[MarkS]

Thanks so much Doo!  You're the best!

[DooDiligence]

Another equally important aspect is rhythm reading.

You have simple meters

2/4 = simple duple meter
3/4 = simple triple meter
4/4 = simple quadruple meter

and compound meters

6/8 = compound duple
9/8 = compound triple
12/8 = compound quadruple

We start out by clapping a particular written, straight line rhythm (no pitches are included).
Next you do what's called conducting & intoning (see attachment for conducting patterns).
Use the neutral syllable "ta" for intonation & vocally reproduce the exact note value in terms of duration & position within each pulse.

Compound & syncopated are the hardest to read & interpret.
Syncopation is where the pulse hits on a weak part of the beat.

1 e and A
2 E and a
3 e AND A

instead of falling directly on a down beat.

This was very challenging for me & I didn't get it until the very end of last semester.
Up till then I looked like Steve Martin in the opening credits of the Jerk.

https://youtu.be/QeDgOUoDTsY

Steve progresses throughout the above clip & so did I.
You will too & you have to be shameless & fearless in order to get there.

See attachments for a simplification of simple & compound meters to get you started.

[DooDiligence]

Thanks so much Doo!  You're the best!

You're very welcome & I'll never be the best but I plan on always being better than the day before.

My Sight Singing & Ear Training instructor usually starts us off with

"Come on kids, shameless & fearless. Now blow my hair back!"

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A huge advantage of being in a classroom setting is that you have a bunch of other goofballs who have varying levels of skill & lack of skill & we all support each other.

This differs from music programs at major universities where the instructors will haze the crap out of students to weed out the weak ones.

Community college is more inclusive & if you aren't already badassed, that's where to start.
I'm finding the instruction to be very good & the professors all want us to succeed.