# Hearing and Writing Music [Professional Training For Today's Musician] - Ron Gorow



## AlexandreSafi (Apr 21, 2014)

Just wanted to quickly share this book with you guys!

Endorsed by people like "William Ross or Randy Newman"

http://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Writing-M ... 0962949671
http://www.rongorow.com/
Two little notes from him:
http://www.miles.be/articles/13-transcribe-transcribe-transcribe (http://www.miles.be/articles/13-transcr ... transcribe)
http://www.rongorow.com/author/index.html

I feel the need to step up saying this piece of work needs a big shout out there!

Has pretty much all the right advice you could get for the preparation part, some very similar to what Mike Verta teaches...
A learning guide from one very generous and masterful teacher who unfortunately passed away in 2008...

I've been using it on a daily basis for almost 5 months now!
His method leans on the philosophical, abstract, yet pragmatic side.
Tedious, well-designed for "brainbuilder" guys, but ultimately one of the smartest craft study plan for any musician!

This book doesn't play around, trust me!
Anyway, my contribution for the day.

Alexandre


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## TravB (Apr 21, 2014)

Fantastic book, a musical life-changer for many readers. Highly recommended.


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## AC986 (Apr 21, 2014)

*Re: Hearing and Writing Music - Ron Gorow*

Chaps, what are the exercises like? And can you read it in bed, or do you need to be next to a keyboard instrument?


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## AlexandreSafi (Apr 21, 2014)

*Re: Hearing and Writing Music - Ron Gorow*



adriancook @ Mon Apr 21 said:


> Chaps, what are the exercises like? And can you read it in bed, or do you need to be next to a keyboard instrument?



Good question!
Well just reading, i just realized how tricky explaining the 1st part of your question was going to be, rather long answer, but i'll make it as clear as i can (check also Amazon reviews, which could probably do a good job for you):

There is a total of 140 exercices + lots of music examples which sync together to help you gradually develop absolute control you have over music "AROUND & WITHIN" your head, so...

- Basically the main philosophy is that *YOU are the musical instrument*, he trains you to think for yourself, again without a piano, or any other musical instrument for verification, that's what makes it abstract...His advice is to select a careful practice environment. (In bed will do!) The 1st exercices ask you to start listening to a single tone in nature or environment and well concentrate on it so that you can either memorize it internally or match it with your voice. The goal there, is to create efficiency in the whole outward-inward connection you have with sound & music by helping you develop tonal memory. That perception of sound will be extremely helpful while developing your "relative pitch" skill, described here as way more relevant than perfect pitch...

- This then becomes a pure starting point for the mastery of producing & recognizing intervals strictly from the inside. Your voice, again becomes a key tool for practicing that internal connection you need to have with music, but he also advises you to listen to sounds around you and coming to you out of the blue...
So you learn the intervals, their characteristics with tools to recognize with absolute precision, the tonality, span & resonance as you would with a color: those tools either simply involve small exercices: combinations of tones, or -- you simply practicing in isolation one sound then ascending/descending to the interval distance you select, starting with the voice then gradually feeling the distance and the structure in the inside, etc...
Simultaneously parts of those exercices also ask you to start "naming" the note (5th, 7th minor, etc...) above or below the note you start with, so you become equipped when the "writing music" part, coming later in the future chapters...

- Then with all the intervals mastered within you, you progress towards "perception of the line, melody & phrases". Exercices where he teaches your brain to recognize what happens within diatonic, exotic, pentatonic & chromatic music, isolating patterns/groups of tones called "tetrachords" which, themselves teach you to recognize all the modes (major, minor, lydian, dorian, mixolydian, etc...) you possibly could encounter within a horizontal line or melody so that you develop again, flawless perception in hearing, writing or even playing musical statements anywhere you want, especially regarding tricky half-tones & whole tones hearing and writing within a line, because of their specific mode associated with...
He really teaches to look smart INTO the music as it's happening, and not just what mode the whole piece is in (major, minor, etc...)

- Next, to make it shorter he gives you little phrases written on a staff, where you need to hum or internally read starting from one note and finishing on that same tone, you can use there a tuning fork or other pitch source to verify that you've ended correctly the line, but the bulk is all by yourself...
The last "phrases" exercies are about you selecting any music recordings that you like and carefully analyzing with all the tools that you've learned the structure of the music (intervals, tonal center, modal/chromatic, harmonic implication, rhythm, visualization of the shape of the phrase, etc...). Mental transposition of a phrase also...

- Next, there are massive exercices on how to develop the skill of "transcription", *which starts with the premise that this is simply the best way to really develop your ear and understand the music you love and then to compose without an instrument...* Starts with one general exercice, where you are to engage your skill of focus and "active listening": ability to listen into all the parts of your choice, focus on one sound, imagine how to recreate that sound, instrumentation, how you would notate it, etc...

- Then are direct exercices with empty staff lines to complete with pencil teaching you first in the key of C, then moving you extensively towards all the intracacies you'll encounter within music notation... 

- To then lots of *"do-it yourself"* exercices with techniques to transcribe from memory, recorded music, improvised solos, transcribing live, with software (computer generated notation + pros & cons), from creative imagination, etc...

- If that isn't enough, more exercices follow on chord, rhythmic patterns recognition, lines, counterpoint (polyphonic), key elements in orchestration such as instrument ranges, register, transposition, how to read orchestral sketches, and again a great deal also involves all the details there is to know in communicating with music notation for other players or professionals involved...

So to conclude, a great deal of exercices do not take a lot of space on the page, asking you to listen, and practice inside your memory and imagination, while other exercices are presented to be followed with the support of the page in question, *helping you to develop both abstract & theoretical knowledge, but also fine motor (Hand-eye coordination) skills...* 

Alright i'm finishing here, basically how to make the most out of your brain, your ears down to your pencil (or also down to your fingers on your instrument)...

The general philosophy of this book & the exercies is giving you the craft of perception of music, your relationship with music, all the way to communication of music, both with yourself and live musicians...

*Like learning a language, this reveals to you a new way of relating to music, speaking it with fluency, with the least amount of technical equipment, "the Mozart, Beethoven, Morricone or John Williams's way", although i should be careful with that statement...  
*
*I believe this really does demystify what it really takes to compose from the heart, although with all due respect, not everyone follows the 100% of this method, but most successful ones TRAINED hard in certain key elements of craft presented in this book which could then help them engage with music in the right way, but this is undeniably a philosophy of liberation for the musician through hard brain work...*

Hope that helped!
And trust me all, if you have the fortunate ingredient of time & motivation with this, Ron Gorow's work will faithfully do wonders for you!

Alexandre


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## AC986 (Apr 22, 2014)

*Re: Hearing and Writing Music - Ron Gorow*



AlexandreSafi @ Mon Apr 21 said:


> adriancook @ Mon Apr 21 said:
> 
> 
> > Chaps, what are the exercises like? And can you read it in bed, or do you need to be next to a keyboard instrument?
> ...



Uhhh ......Yeah. That's said, I must learn to ask less tricky questions because I had to read your very comprehensive reply over 2 days and at the same time get an actuarial report on how long I had left to live.

But thank you very much Alexandre. >8o


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## wst3 (Apr 22, 2014)

I downloaded his "Functional Ear Trainer" last night and spent about an hour going through the lessons and exercises.

All I can say is "WOW! I suck!!" And actually, I can sight sign almost anything put in front of me, but good relative pitch seems to have little to do with his approach, because I only managed to pass one of the exercises on the first try. But as the hour progressed I found myself hearing different cues - I think this is going to be a very good tool for me!

Next up, the book!!


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## AC986 (Apr 22, 2014)

*Re: Hearing and Writing Music - Ron Gorow*

Bill, Alexandre has convinced me to get this book and I too am looking forward to seeing how much I suck. 

This could be the book that defines how much we all suck in the 21st century. It may become too dangerous for folks to even look at the cover. Or even talk about. In fact, Alexander's reply to my original question should probably be kept in the place where they keep the Ark of The Covenant.

God,I wish I was 23.


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## AlexandreSafi (Apr 22, 2014)

*Re: Hearing and Writing Music - Ron Gorow*



adriancook @ Tue Apr 22 said:


> God,I wish I was 23.



And I wish even more I was 14,  Don't worry we're both (all) in the same boat!
You'll do great with this book, i'm sure!
All the best!

Alex


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## Ron Snijders (Apr 22, 2014)

Just bought it, based purely on this thread. Don't disappoint me, VI-Control! :D


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## AlexandreSafi (Apr 23, 2014)

Ron Snijders @ Tue Apr 22 said:


> Just bought it, based purely on this thread. Don't disappoint me, VI-Control! :D



I take full responsibility! :o From one Ron to another, he would be very grateful!
Btw, on a side note, if you happen to be "the" Ronald Snijders", dutch flutist, you're mind-blowing! :shock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTG2BXDLT7I 

(o::o)


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## Ron Snijders (Apr 23, 2014)

Haha, nope, that's not me! The only flutes I've played are the humble recorder and tin whistle :D Didn't even know I had a (sortof) namesake in music!


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## cmillar (Apr 23, 2014)

Thanks for making us aware of this book!

I'd like to add another:

"Rhythmic Training" by Robert Starer

This book has exercises that help you gain mastery of recognizing musical rhythms used in notation.

As composers/arranger, we really have to master how to get what's in our head onto the page in music notation (or, being able to know what rhythms you are playing into your sequencer if you don't read music.... this book, though, will help you know how to read music. It's not a mystery.)

The great thlng about this book is that you have to get involved by tapping, singing, etc. the rhythmic exercises..... again, getting the 'musician' in us involved in the creative process.


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## jiten (Apr 27, 2014)

Just picked up this book as well based on this thread.

I had Functional Ear Trainer installed and used to use it for 10-20 minutes a day but fell out of habit. Thanks for reminding me about it again!

Also may be worth looking into the Tenuto app by the creators of musictheory.net. The "Note Ear Training" exercise is essentially exactly like Functional Ear Trainer. And there are so many more ear-training exercises (intervals, scales, chords). Totally worth the $4 or whatever it costs, especially since you can use it on-the-go (train, plane, bus, pretty much any situation you have some downtime).


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