Best Online Aural Interval Training: Develop Your Ear with Tendency Tones

As musicians, we're always striving to improve our skills and develop our ears. One of the most effective ways to do this is through aural interval training, but did you know that there's an even more powerful tool at your disposal? Enter tendency tones, the secret to unlocking perfect pitch and relative pitch.

So what are tendency tones? Simply put, they're the notes in a key that have a natural tendency to resolve to the tonic note. In other words, when you hear these notes, your brain automatically wants to 'hear' them resolving to the key's central note. And once you develop an awareness of these tendencies, you'll find that your ear training becomes exponentially more effective.

But how do you go about developing this awareness? The good news is that it's easier than you might think. One simple exercise is to play a I-IV-V-I cadence in a key (like C major) and then press and release each of the notes, seeing if you can hear the tendency tone resolving to the tonic note. For example, when playing a D in the key of C, you should strongly sense the tendency for the note to want to resolve to the tonic note C.

Another exercise is to sing or play the following sequence: do-re-do. By repeating this pattern, you'll be training your ear to recognize the patterns and tendencies within a key. And if you're having trouble hearing these tendencies, try singing or playing them while someone else plays the notes on an instrument - it's amazing how quickly your ear will develop.

So why is tendency tone training so effective? For one thing, it helps to improve your relative pitch - the ability to identify scale degrees without knowing the exact name of the note. And when you have a strong sense of pitch, you'll find that your overall musicianship improves dramatically. You'll be able to recognize and react to pitch quickly, especially in fast-paced genres like jazz.

But perhaps the most surprising benefit of tendency tone training is its ability to improve your inner hearing - the ability to 'hear' music in your mind's ear without actually playing it. When you have a strong sense of pitch, you'll find that you're able to internalize and heighten your sense of pitch, allowing you to play with greater confidence and precision.

So if you're looking for a more effective way to develop your ear and improve your musicianship, look no further than tendency tone training. With practice and patience, you'll be amazed at the progress you can make - and who knows, you may even find that you have perfect pitch!

Best online aural interval training