• Home
  • Tarjama Ensemble
  • Blog
  • Video
  • Audio
  • Resources
    • How to Learn by Ear
    • Source Recordings Playlists
    • Theory Links
  • Events
  • Contact

  • Home
  • Tarjama Ensemble
  • Blog
  • Video
  • Audio
  • Resources
    • How to Learn by Ear
    • Source Recordings Playlists
    • Theory Links
  • Events
  • Contact

How to Learn by Ear

Learning by ear builds mental flexibility!

Back in the day, you just listened to live teachers to learn, over and over. 

They would create loops of melodies and ad lib variations for you to take turns repeating until you got it, then move on. 

I still teach this way in person and online.  

Listen, listen, listen:  that's the key that will open your ears and hearts to these beautiful melodies!

Here are some friendly suggestions for beginners to rote learning regarding these YouTube Tune Playlists I've compiled:

1. Get YouTube Premium to avoid ads. It's worth it. 

2. Listen to Playlists on repeat while you are doing housework, cooking, your yoga routine, or other physical activity -- get the rhythms in your body.   I have arranged playlists by rhythm, composition, or ensemble.  

3.  Niggun -- sing the melodies with nonsense syllables.  Listen for different musical aspects we've covered in class for each version of each tune:  compare and contrast the regional timbres and interpretations, vibrato, the ways the ostinatos are constructed, the instrumentation, the ornaments, where, if any, improvisation happens, and over what grounds, basslines, etc. 

Many YouTube Creatives add amazing liner notes.  You can read those, too.

I've picked tunes that transcend borders and are beloved all over the globe:  

we are continuing oral tradition in a new, simple to use, way.  

4. After you've vocalized the melody, *then* play along with your instrument. 

Listen for intervals instead of exact pitches -- these tunes usually stay in just a few tonal centers. 

You can transpose once you know them.

5. You can slow down YouTube videos VERY EASILY -- click the Cog icon for the YouTube video and select speed. It doesn't change the pitch, and you can watch musicians' fingers in slow mo.   NOTE:  This will be in the original key of that video:  if this doesn't fit well on your instrument, and you want add another layer of study, you can also choose to: 

6. Download Amazing Slowdowner or Reaper software.  You can loop sections of recordings, change the pitch to match a different key or intonation, and lots more besides.  Reaper is amazing as it color codes pitches so you can visually see the modes unfold. I'm no help with this software.  

See you in class or online soon! 

M

Source Recordings Playlists

Albanian Clarinet
Aziza
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
Bint Al Shalibiya/Shaneh
Ederlezi
Eric: Lovely Male Belly Dancer
Farabi Ensemble
Girdim Yarin Bahcesine
Husnu Senendirici
Ismail Lumanovski
Jane Mayam
Kalamatiano 322
Lama Bada Yatathanna
Lebanese Dabke
La Rosa Enflorence
Lesnoto 322
Marcelo Mansour Echos of Earth Improvisations
Meg York Global Grooves
Meg York Music for Dance
Meg York Tarjama Ensemble
Meg York Veelah Balkan Band Album
Misirlou
Musical Ambassadors of Peace Benefit concert Hal Aqua and Zuruna
Orchestra Noua Moldavian Ensemble
Petro Lukas
Trio Equilibrio
Thoma Loli
Uskudar
Um Kalthum Live Concerts
Uzundere
Yemen Turkusu/havada Bulut Yok
Zuruna with Catrene Malshey
Klezmerize Class Lessons

From Bela Bartok Essays

Theory Links

Neyzen.com
Wiki Altered Dorian Scale
Bela Bartok Essays
Wiki Phrygian Jewish Scale
wiki arabic Maqam
Wiki Turkish Makam
Wiki Doina
“Music and Dance build bridges from the past to the future by basking in the present” - Meg York

Join Mailing List

  • Log out

Terms

notes
0:00/???
  1. 1
    Atash 10:27
    Info
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/10:27
  2. 2
    La Rosa 7:02
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/7:02
  3. 3
    Pobednichki Chochek (Bulgaria) 4:33
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/4:33
  4. 4
    Laz Medley (Turkey) 4:34
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/4:34
  5. 5
    Island Syrto (Greece) 7:08
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/7:08
  6. 6
    Nasred Sela (Macedonia) 5:18
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/5:18
  7. 7
    Memede (Macedonia) 4:31
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/4:31
  8. 8
    Urfa Divani (Turkey) 6:04
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/6:04
  9. 9
    Bollywood Chochek (India) 3:10
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/3:10
  10. 10
    Paradossi Tsamiko (Greece) 6:27
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/6:27
  11. 11
    Habibam ("my dear") Vocal: Sholeh Malekzadeh Mani 3:47
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/3:47
  12. 12
    Tavasol ("connection") Vocal: Sholeh Malekzadeh Mani 1:52
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/1:52
  13. 13
    The Cave 7:20
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/7:20
  14. 14
    Daybreak 20:31
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/20:31
  15. 15
    In the Cave 9:48
    Info
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/9:48
  16. 16
    Seeds 12:16
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/12:16
  17. 17
    El Llamada 22:39
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/22:39
  18. 18
    Ocarina 7:20
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/7:20
  19. 19
    Beaver Creek 7:57
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/7:57
  20. 20
    Conundrum Creek 5:35
    In cart Not available Out of stock
    0:00/5:35
0:00/???