4 Tips To improve Your Aural Skills

I often look at the Aural skill this way – I could lose my guitar skills by simply not practicing. I could lose my fingers, hands or arms in an accident. I could even become deaf. But my knowledge of theory and of how music sounds will allow me to keep on creating music through various means, such as programming music on a computer program like Reason or Garageband. I’ve already forgotten the majority of songs that I’ve learnt, but my musical ear is a large part of the musician that I’ve become. And that can never be taken away.

If you want to develop and improve your musical ear, I have a few tips.

1) Get a good music tutor. Regardless of your instrument or how skilled you already are, an experienced professional will always help you improve. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know!

2) Check out our Free Online Video Lessons for some free lessons. Everyone loves FREE! (Did I mention it’s free?)

3) Actively listen. Whenever you hear a song, try analysing what key, scale, mode, chord, effects, production techniques etc. are being utilised by the performer. If you don’t have your guitar with you, then try figuring out some notes or chords from the song. I personally like figuring out melodies that are NOT on guitar, so that I can play them on guitar. An example would be to figure out the melody for Bruno Mars’ Just The Way You Are. I often pick the vocal (singing) melody while students play the chord progression.

4) Interval training. It’s a great starting point. It’s part of The Ultimate Guitar Method and our Free Online Lessons include interval training exercises with answers.

These tips should be a good starting point for anyone wanting better listening skills and I wish you all the best with your musical journey!

Questions or comments? Contact us!