How Ear Training & Relative Pitch Help Piano Players

Pianists know how important it is to take the time to develop the physical skills involved in playing: dexterity, stretching, cultivating the independence of the hands and feet, and so on. One critical aspect that some may be neglecting, though, is aural skills. Through ear training, it’s possible to expand one’s horizons as a musician. After all, music is a hearing art form, and even for those performing, the ears are perhaps even more important than the hands.

No matter what types of piano music you play, ear training has significant benefits. Ear training is a must for jazz pianists, who need to be in total control of their musical environment. You need to be able to identify keys and chords, as well as the confidence that, when you put your finger on any given key, you know what sound it’s going to make. You also have to respond or “comp” appropriately for soloists. These are some of the things you can learn through ear training.

Having a feel for rhythm is another hugely important aspect of piano or synth playing, especially in rock or R&B contexts. Rhythm is another of the areas in which ear training can be very helpful, allowing players to get to that point where rhythm of any sort is second nature, as well as being able to solidify that capacity for playing a variety of left and right hand patterns. Ear training is incorporated in virtually all college and university music programs, which shows just how important it is in the development of musicianship.

One of the main objectives of ear training is the development of relative pitch, which allows musicians to identify the intervals between notes. For pianists, this means understanding the purposes of different chord extensions, among other things. What does a sharp ninth sound like, and when do you need one? With aural skills, you can know.

Ear training will also help musicians when it comes to playing by ear and transcribing music, skills which come in handy for players of any level. Aural skills are also useful for musicians with an interest in composition, as they allow musicians to be aware of the colors of various chords and intervals and make it possible to compose music in the mind, and then transmit it through an instrument or onto a sheet.

How does ear training help piano players? It helps in just about every way imaginable.  With ear training, the nagging problems are taken care of, so music becomes about playing, instead of battling against one’s limits.