Ear Training, level 2B (Adduci)

Welcome to the MUSC 2B page!

Please choose one of the following sections:

  1. A collection of ear-training links from around the Web.
  2. The greensheet and other administrative documents
  3. Handouts given in class.
  4. Weekly homework assignments.
  5. extra dictation practice, taken from the Common-Practice literature.

Web Links

This section contains links to internet sites designed to help you with music theory and ear training. The Internet is a fantastic resource for self-driven learning!

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Greensheet

This section includes the greensheet and any other class policy documents.
Left-click to view, right-click to download.

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Handouts

This section contains copies of the informational handouts given in class.

  1. (1/27/14) Scales from Do, giving the solfege syllables for all scales required for MUSC 2B.
  2. (1/27/14) 1B Review: Diatonic and Chromatic Solfege Syllables
  3. (1/27/14) 1B Review: Intervals in Major (Complete) - including all intervals, not just those that start from "Do".
  4. (1/27/14) 1B Review: A handout listing well-known songs that use intervals of different sizes.
  5. (1/27/14) 1B Review: Beat and Eight Partials, showing the vocalization patterns for the first eight divisions of the beat.
  6. (1/27/14) 1B Review: Counting and Conducting Warm-up
  7. (1/29/14) Counting and Playing Independence Etude, providing a way to practice clapping one division while counting another out loud.
  8. (1/29/14) Metronome Exercises - placing the metronome click at different locations within the beat.
  9. (4/21/14) Fourths, Fifths, and Sixths in Major, an etude set for practicing larger leaps.
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Assignments

This section contains copies of each weekly assignment sheet,
showing what to practice for the following week.

  1. Assignment 1 (1/29/14, for the week of 2/3/14)
  2. Assignment 2 (2/5/14, for the week of 2/10/14)
  3. Group Dictation Projects, round 1 (2/10/14)
  4. Assignment 3 (2/12/14, for the week of 2/17/14)
  5. Assignment 4 (2/19/14, for the week of 2/24/14)
  6. The Midterm Exam! (singing portion)
  7. Assignment 5 (4/2/14, for the week of 4/7/14)
  8. Assignment 6 (4/10/13, for the week of 4/15/13)
  9. Assignment 7 (4/16/14, for the week of 4/21/14)
  10. 4/21/14 - Extra Credit Transcription Project (due 5/12/14)
  11. The Final Exam! (singing portion)
  12. Assignment 8 (4/30/14, for the week of 5/5/14)
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Welcome to the online dictation training area for MUSC 2B!

Below you will find several musical examples from the Common Practice repertoire (1600-1900) for you to practice transcribing. For each example, there is a recording (in .mp3 format), a dictation template (giving starting positions), and the solution (showing the correct transcription). The template and solution are in .jpg format (images) - they will look odd until you print them out.

For level 2B, the dictation exercises focus primarily on diatonic, four-part chorale style writing. Secondary harmonies and pivot-chord modulations are used.

To practice your four-voice dictation skills, first print out the template of an exercise, and then listen to the recording as many times as you want while you notate what you are hearing. Once you have written down as much of the example as you can, check yourself against the solution I have provided.

Try not to look at the solution until you have dictated absolutely everything you can hear - the point is to improve your skills, so if you constantly refer to the answer you won't get as much benefit from the exercise.

2B Dictation Exercises:
(left-click to view/open a file, right click to save or print it)

You need the free Quicktime plugin to play these .mp3 files.

Nintendo Section

This section features examples from the soundtracks of old 8-bit NES games. They make great dictation exercises, because they tend to have only four tracks ("voices") - melody, countermelody/harmony, bassline, and rhythm.

Start by trying to figure out the meter, and then the rhythm of each voice. Sometimes deciding on a time signature can be tricky - this music tends to use fairly complicated rhythms. However, most Nintendo music is in quadruple meter and can be notated in 4/4 time. If the meter is unclear, there are probably syncopations or quarter-note triplets being used.

This .pdf file is a blank template for all of the Nintendo exercises. Print the template out and use it for your dictation practice.

  1. Rush 'n' Attack - Stage 1 - this is a very interesting track with a lot of different sections.
  2. The Legend of Zelda 2 - Cave - there are some interesting dissonances in this one, and a lot of syncopation.

Classical and Film Section

Enjoy, and check back for more exercises!

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