Listening as a gateway to learning

Music is sound. Sound is vibrations in the air. These facts may appear obvious, but the way in which the brain deciphers, interprets and catalogues sound is quite remarkable. And it is a skill that we all have.

Many people feel that they don't have a 'good ear'. Consider for a moment however that you can distinguish all the voices of the members of your family, your friends and your acquaintances without using any other senses. This suggests a highly developed ability to differentiate the subtlest variations in tonal characteristics. Can this same level of awareness be achieved in the context of music? Of course it can. Aural training is not just about learning to recognise intervals, chords or rhythms. It is about developing your whole awareness of sound. We all have the ability to hear. It is our ability to analyse what we hear that we must develop, and to analyse we must ask questions.

Why do I like this? Which part do I like most? How does it make me feel? These are examples of subjective questions.

What instruments are playing? Where is the highest note? Where is the loudest section? These are examples of objective questions.

When you next listen to a piece of music, ask yourself one of the questions above and then come up with some of your own. As you do this, you will begin to develop skills that are essential to learning an instrument. Learning requires constant objective appraisal. A teacher's role is to guide and assist you with this. As the quality of your listening develops, so will the quality of your learning. Questions that were previously asked consciously will be dealt with by the subconscious. You may also find that your general concentration and awareness improve as a result. As you progress, your objective questioning will become more and more focused as you seek to improve in more subtle ways. Don't forget the subjective questions though. Art, after all, is defined by its subjectivity and this is what got us into music in the first place.