Getting Started with Aural: Book & CD

This book cuts through the overwhelm of aural training by making ear work feel like something students actually want to do. The activities are genuinely engaging rather than mechanical, and pairing them with the included CD means students can work independently at home without needing you to play examples over and over.

Approachable and purposeful. The exercises are genuinely enjoyable rather than grinding, and the visual presentation invites engagement rather than daunting the young musician.

Beginning instrumentalists and singers preparing for practical exams who need structured aural work that fits into regular lesson time. This is ideal for the student who finds aural intimidating or disconnected from their instrument study.

• Work through one section per week rather than cramming multiple activities into a single lesson; aural skills develop through consistent, spaced practice
• Use the CD actively with your student, pausing between examples so they can write answers and then check immediately for rapid feedback
• Encourage students to repeat exercises they find tricky without frustration; repetition with the same material builds confidence faster than jumping between new exercises

Assign one section per week as part of the student's practice routine alongside their instrumental or vocal work. The book pairs naturally with exam preparation for Trinity or similar graded assessment schemes, bridging the gap between playing technique and listening skill.

• Interval identification by ear
• Chord recognition (major and minor)
• Rhythm notation and notation reading
• Melodic dictation
• Listening for phrase structure and form
• Pitch discrimination and relative solmization