Interval Recognition Problems

I have a friend that is a bass player and recently he told me that he can't recognize intervals or chords (distinguish between major and minor, sus4 and sus2 etc). Now this really struck me as odd, since I've played with him many times, and he is a great player. When I played a major third on the piano for him, starting on C, he could get it, but when I moved it to F# he thought it was a major 5th... I found that really strange. He can sing pretty well, he sings the tones I play very accurately but when I ask him to sing a certain interval for the tone I play he can't do it. He says that he doesn't hear what he should sing in his mind and thinks it may be because bass (electric) is the only thing he ever played.

This is really strange to me, since what teachers back in my school said long time ago is that an average human can pretty much learn to hear and sing all major intervals pretty well. And I know from personal experience that this is true, since I couldn't tell a second from a 7th until I learned how it sounds.

But he just can't seem to get it down.

The question I have is: Is it possible that someone just can't hear certain intervals (given the fact that his hearing is totally functional) but still be able to sing, and recognize tones? Or he just didn't learn it properly, and what is the best (and fastest) way to improve on this?

If given enough exposure, I think if he has any musical ability or inkling to learn, there should be no reason why he can't learn intervals. It just takes more exposure, and maybe a reference point. I think he would have a lot more success if using some little devices like the Bridal Chorus theme being a perfect fourth.

Who knows, with enough luck, he might be able to identify a major 5th ;-)

Has he ever had any interval/chord recognition training?

Has he ever had any interval/chord recognition training?

Well I don't really know. He doesn't have any formal education, only private lessons, but they were lessons concerning bass guitar playing, I don't know to which extent did the lessons go. He may have had some, but clearly not enough.

Oh btw, can you tell me who said that quote you have in your signature? Its fascinating.

All it takes is practice. Tell him to use one of the many online trainers, or get a program like earmaster.

Then that's why! Interval and chord recognition is only a matter of training in my opinion.

Oh btw, can you tell me who said that quote you have in your signature? Its fascinating.

I don't know who said it, but I can point you to where I read it. Scroll at the bottom of the page to find the quote.

Exactly - the best way to practice hearing intervals is to sing both melodic and harmonic intervals.

here is one method to learn melodic intervals:

1) With your left hand play a note on your instrument. Conduct in a steady beat pattern at the same time. After you play the tone, state the interval you want to sing, take a breath for one beat, sing the pitch on the next beat and then play the correct tone with your right hand to check accuracy.

2) Start with m2 and M2. Once you get that move to m3 and M2 - doing the 3rds it is OK to use 2nds to count the interval. Continue to build until you get to P4ths and P5s. For tritones you will use either consecutive minor thirds or major seconds to find them. After 5ths you will use the P8 or octave to get 6ths and 7ths.

relativepitch.com will supercharge you. :-)

David Lucas Burge starts with Perfect 5th and 4th, and with good reason. His course may be a little extreme for some people as it GRINDS relative pitch into your head.

Phantom - can the fellow sing a scale? A solid, in tune, major scale on whatever note you give him? He should be able to do that - even bass players are used to drilling scales, for sure. Have him work out a major scale just by singing Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do. Then teach him to go Do Re Mi ... Do Mi for the major third. Or Do Re Mi Fa Sol... Do Sol... for the perfect fifth. Then after he's learned all the ones based on the major scale, teach him that the other ones are just bent - the in betweens. Do Re Mi ... and then make the Mi a little bit flat so that it's between Re and Mi for the minor third. Have him check it on an instrument after he's sung it. That is the method I taught myself. Obviously everybody learns best a different way, but you can try that scale method with him and see if it works.

Also, if you can get him to sing a chromatic scale accurately by ear, that is really good practice.

It's also very helpful to learn to sing every modal and minor scale as well as chromatic and whole tone scales. Learning to sing a locrian or a lydian scale for example, would also help your friend to learn how to recognise and sing tritones.

thanks guys, some really good input here

And I highly doubt your friend has this issue because he's an electric bass player. I do dabble in other instruments now, but I'm an electric bass principal and could sing intervals very well without any piano (or other instrument) aid at all. I think, like everyone else says, it's just a matter of practice.