Listening Details
An appoggiatura borrows emphasis from the note it delays
An appoggiatura creates a brief melodic lean before resolution. Use a short listening exercise to hear its emphasis without relying on jargon alone.
LIVE MUSIC · FESTIVALS · CULTURE
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Listening More Closely
Alberti bass turns a chord into a repeating accompaniment pattern
Alberti bass breaks a chord into a low-high-middle-high pattern. Learn to hear the accompaniment separately from the melody and try a short listening exercise.
Music Listening
Hearing three against two: a first way into polyrhythm
Three-against-two rhythm fits three evenly spaced notes and two evenly spaced notes into the same span. Try a six-part counting exercise to hear both layers.
Live Music
The room adds a tail to every note: hearing reverberation at a concert
A concert hall changes what reaches your ears after each note. Listen for reverberation, clarity and the effect of position without confusing them with loudness.
Listening to instruments
Col legno brings the wood of the bow into the sound
Col legno uses the wood of a string player’s bow. Hear the difference between its struck and drawn forms, then follow what that change does to the music.
Listening Details
Hocket: listen for a melody shared one fragment at a time
Hocket breaks a musical line into interlocking fragments. Try a simple two-person rhythm exercise, then listen for the spaces between the notes.