Lend Me Your Ears- Rethinking Your Listening Skills

     I  had an interesting discussion with my professor, Mark McArthur, a few weeks ago. I believe it was our second lesson together and we were dicussing a Ferling etude (number 20, if you're wondering). We each discussed features of the etude and it was apparent that we heard very different things in the etude....not in how I had played the etude but in how the etude was written. There's a simple answer why...


   It's because we listen differently.

   When I say that we listen differently it has nothing to do with skill level or talent. I mean our brain, for whatever reason, tends to focus on one aspect of the music over the others. For me, what jumps out is harmonic and melodic movement. The other aspects of the music are there and I hear them but it's the movement of the melody and harmonies which really jump out. This also explains a lot of the music that appeals to me. Works like Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium and Miles Davis' Flamenco Sketches are things that I can listen to repeatedly without tiring....because they are so full of interesting and beautiful melodic and harmonic movement. Ok, back to Ferling.
    When we were discussing how the etude was constructed my thoughts had to do mostly with harmonic and melodic movement (yes, there is harmonic movement implied in such an etude. Look at leading tone movement, for example). Mark then asked me about rhythmic structure to which I replied "There isn't much. It's pretty much straight sixteenths.". Kids, I wasn't even close to correct. There was plenty of rhythmic motion. As Mark explained, it was in the articulations. The combination of slurs and articulated notes MADE the rhythms. I simply didn't hear it at first because that isn't how my brain is wired.

So, what's the point?

   My point is that I'm going to try something for a while. When I do any sort of critical listening on a new work (or even revisiting recordings with which I'm familiar) I'm going to keep a notebook next to me and force myself to listen to rhythm first. Hopefully, by doing this I'll be able to improve my listening skills and it will translate to a better understanding of the music.


   So, what do you hear first? Find a piece and listen. Afterwards do some self analysis. What did you hear? Maybe write down the first few things that jumped out at you. What did you NOT hear as much. Go back and listen again. Make the goal to hear those aspects this time.

   Honestly, I don't know how critical this is to our development as musicians. I just believe anything that helps make me a more complete and well rounded musician is worth my time.

Give it a try.