tone deaf

Drumrguy67

Junior Member
Hey guys i'm completly tone deaf and that's a bad thing when your like me. But getting to the question here is there a way to quickly become un-tone deaf. I'm in the symphonic band at my school and i'm being pressured into playing tympani, now that wouldn't be an issue if i didn't have to switch pitches 32 times. i also need help for tuning my drum set to. anything USEFULL would be nice.
 
You just created a new thread about whether DW is worth the price? And admit you're tone deaf? Now what benefit would the best kit in the world bring you then? Keep playing your current kit until you have a better understanding of what you want/need, _then_ start making decisions etc. DW or a million other brands - that seems pretty pointless to me, you seem to have other issues to work on. Get the max out of your existing kit first.

* Work on developing your ears - nobody will do this for you.
* Learn how to tune. Search for "tuning" on this forum and you'll find stuff to read for days.

BTW, products are "worth" what people are willing to pay. Does DW sell drums/products? -> They're "worth" it. Doesn't mean everybody needs/wants their stuff.
 
no quick way i'm afraid. best to get a teacher - not a drum teacher but perhaps explain your need to a guitar or piano teacher - for the theory. they will be able to explain intervals and get you to start hearing nuances in the colour of pitch. i trained myself a few years ago just by sitting at a piano and singing notes: do ray me etc. and trying to anticipate the next note with my voice before checking it with the keys. i also learned the flute.
start with one octave and really familarise yourself with it then build above and below it in pitch.
good luck
j
 
Now what benefit would the best kit in the world bring you then? Keep playing your current kit until you have a better understanding of what you want/need, .
i have gotten the max out of my current kit it was a 200 dollar stagg...didn't last long and i was wondering if it's worth it to get one or go with another brand.
 
Ok, that does make some sense.
Please update your other post (DW - worth it?) so folks would know what you intend to upgrade from. Plus some budget info - how much can you spend.

As for your ears... I recommend you start listening way more consciously and get into recording your kit as soon as possible (if you haven't already) - this will substantially enhance your hearing.
 
learn a few basic scales on a piano .....C maj. for example ....and sing the notes while you play them

then learn to sing the major third and perfect fifth of each root ...finding the major triad

these are important intervals

also learn the circle of fifths



I do this with all my students ....helps build a well rounded musician



boom!
 
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I thought tone deaf meant, that you can't sing. Not that you cant hear the difference in tones. I've always heard the difference, but can't sing it. It's all flat.
 
I thought tone deaf meant, that you can't sing. Not that you cant hear the difference in tones.

unable to distinguish subtle differences in musical pitch
relatively insensitive to differences in musical pitch
 
You aren't tone deaf. Especially if you can tune a drum set. Whether you really can tune a drum set well might still be in question, since I think a lot of people deceive themselves about how well they tune drums!

I suggest you get Dan Huckabee's DVD The Formula of Music. It's not cheap, but it will help you a lot. If you have a guitar or other stringed instrument around, learn to tune that. Tuning a tympani will be more like tuning a guitar than like tuning a drum set. You need to hear a pitch and match it.

I do like Anthony's suggestion to learn to sing scales, but the problem there is you won't know if you are on pitch without a tuner. You could get a voice tuner app, but I think tuning a guitar would a better place to start if you have one around.

Statistically, I've read that 97% of American Males own a guitar even though 99% of them can't play guitar (joke). So I figure it isn't unlikely you have access to one.
 
Relative pitch is the ability to hear intervals in relation to a tone of reference (for example, is it an ascending minor 3rd or major 3rd from C?). Perfect pitch is the ability to identify a tone without needing a reference tone. Relative pitch can be learned over a short period with practice. Perfect pitch is something that even the most seasoned players don't have - it takes a lot of training.

Check out these sites:
Master your intervals in 28 days
http://jazzadvice.com/master-your-intervals-in-28-days/

Interval Song Examples
http://www.earmaster.com/intervalsongs/


Start with simple intervals (SING THEM!!) and then work up to the more challenging ones. Look up online ear-training sites too.
 
is it an ascending minor 3rd or major 3rd from C?

Depends, is it greensleeves, or from the halls of montezuma?

happy birthday=2nd
her come the bride=4th
and young mozart gives us the perfect fifth with .... :)

Singing intervals is much easier if you put them to a song you know! Well, the 7th are hard by me even with a song.

I agree those are useful skills, but don't you think he need to be able to match the tympani to a pitch first?
 
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