Module 10: Ear Training
The Inner Ear
If you can't sing it, you can't play it. The trumpet is unique because we can play 7 different notes with the same fingering (the harmonic series). Your brain must tell your lips which one to pick before you blow.
Audiation: This is the skill of hearing the note in your head before you produce sound. It is a mental pre-hearing.
Intervals: The Distance
An 'Interval' is the distance between two notes. We measure them in steps.
- Unison: The same note.
- Step (2nd): Close neighbors (C to D). 'Happy Birthday' starts with a 2nd.
- Skip (3rd): Jumping over a neighbor (C to E). 'When the Saints Go Marching In'.
- Perfect 4th: 'Here Comes the Bride'.
- Perfect 5th: 'Star Wars' Theme.
Spot the Difference
Exercise: Play a random note on a piano app. Try to buzz that exact pitch on your mouthpiece.
The Beat Frequencies: When you are slightly out of tune, you will hear 'wobbles' or 'beats' (Wah-wah-wah). When you are perfectly in tune, the beats disappear and the sound becomes pure. Hunt for that purity.
