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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

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Print Price: $199.99

Format:
Spiral Bound
432 pp.
503 figures, 11 photos, 8" x 10"

ISBN-13:
9780195446173

Copyright Year:
2013

Imprint: OUP Canada


Ear Training and Sight-Singing

A Developmental Aural Skills Text

Glen Ethier

Ear Training and Sight-Singing offers a comprehensive, all-in-one introduction to aural skills. Loaded with practical advice, exercises, and examples, this informative and interactive guide presents students with a wealth of resources to help them experiment with different approaches and ultimately refine their ear training and sight-singing abilities.

Readership : Ear Training and Sight Singing is a core text designed for the multi-semester courses in ear training and sight singing (also called "aural skills" or "musicianship"), which are generally found at the first-year and continue through the second-year in music programs at universities and colleges.

Reviews

  • "The author is not only a music expert-he is also an excellent communicator. . . . He understands that the journey to knowledge involves leading the student to discover, rather than simply using recitation and regurgitation of preset information."
    --Jennifer Knelman, University of Guelph

  • "The integrated approach is very effective: written exercises within reading assignments and references to repertoire excerpts and pop music are included directly in the text, rather than in an accompanying anthology or another appendix. Addressing various musical aspects (i.e., melody, harmony, rhythm) in each chapter works well, and the ready-made drills and dictation exercises will be appreciated by instructors."
    --Heather Harty Scott, Douglas College

Preface
Acknowledgements
Features of the Textbook
Part One: Basic Diatonic and Rhythmic Material
1.
Scales
- The Major Scale
The Solfège System
- Movable Do
- Singing Major Scales Using Solfège
- Curwen Hand Signs
Intervals
- Seconds and Thirds
- Singing Melodic Intervals: Scale-Degree Patterns and Referential Melodies
- Hearing Harmonic Seconds and Thirds
Melody
- Transcribing Scalar Melodies
- Singing Scalar Melodies Using Solfège
Triads
- The Major Triad
- Singing Major Triads from the Root
Rhythm
- Simple Meter: Notation and Transcription
- Reading and Performing Rhythms in Simple Time
- Conducting Patterns
- Vocalizing Strategies
Harmony
- Tonic and Dominant: Getting the Bass Line
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
2.
Scales
- The Minor Scale
- Singing the Natural Minor Scale
- The Harmonic Form of the Minor Scale
- Singing the Harmonic Minor Scale
Intervals
- Perfect Intervals: Fourths, Fifths, and Octaves
Melody
- The Tonic Triad (I/i)
- Singing Melodies with Tonic Arpeggios
Triads
- The Minor Triad
- Singing Minor Triads from the Root
Rhythm
- Simple Meter: Rests
- Simple Meter: Tied Notes
- Transcribing Rests and Tied Notes in Simple Meter
Harmony
- I, IV, V, and V7 in Root Position
- Subdominant Harmony (IV/iv)
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
3.
Scales
- The Melodic Form of the Minor Scale
- Singing the Melodic Minor Scale
Intervals
- Major and Minor Sixths
Melody
- The Dominant Triad (V) and the Dominant-Seventh Chord (V7)
- Singing Melodies with Dominant and Dominant-Seventh Arpeggios
Triads
- Singing Major and Minor Triads from the Third and Fifth
Rhythm
- Compound Meter: Notation, Transcription, and Reading
Harmony
- I, IV, V in Root Position and First Inversion; V7 in Root Position
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
4.
Scales
- More Practice with the Major Scale and All Forms of Minor Scales
Intervals
- Major and Minor Sevenths
- Three Methods for Singing Sevenths
Melody
- The Subdominant Triad (IV/iv)
- Singing Melodies with Subdominant Arpeggios
Triads
- Isolating Outer Voices in Major and Minor Triads
Rhythm
- Compound Meter: Tied Notes and Rests
Harmony
- Linear Progression: The viio6 Harmony
- Focus: The Bass Voice
- The Minor Dominant in Minor Keys
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
Rhythms
5.
Scales
- The Jazz Melodic Minor Scale
Intervals
- Tritones
- Singing Tritones: Referential Melodies
Melody
- Tritone Leaps
- The Supertonic Triad (II/ii)
- Singing Melodies with Tritone Leaps and Supertonic Arpeggios
Triads
- Outer Voices in Major and Minor Triads: Alternative Doublings
Rhythm
- The Anacrusis (Upbeat)
- Compound and Simple Meters: New Beat and Division Values
Harmony
- Supertonic Harmony: ii, ii6, and iio6
- Submediant (vi/VI) and Mediant (iii/III) Harmonies
- The Minor Supertonic in Minor Keys
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
Part Two: Intermediate Diatonic and Rhythmic Material
6.
Scales
- The Church Modes
- The Lydian Mode
Intervals
- More Practice with Intervals to the Perfect Octave
Melody
- Practice Melodies for Transcription
- Practice Melodies for Sight-Singing
Triads
- The Diminished Triad
- Singing the Diminished Triad
Rhythm
- More Practice with Rhythmic Transcription
Harmony
- Review of Root Position and First Inversion Harmonies
- Special Harmonies in Minor Keys: The Subtonic and the Diminished Submediant
- Passing and Neighbouring Tones
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
Rhythms
7.
Scales
- More Practice with Lydian Mode
Intervals
- Melodic Intervals in Series
Melody
- The Leading-Tone Triad (viio)
- Singing Melodies with Leading-Tone Arpeggios
Triads
- The Augmented Triad
- Singing the Augmented Triad
Rhythm
- Simple Meter: Beat Division into Four
- Reading Quadruple Divisions
Harmony
- The Passing Six-Four Harmony (P4)
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
8.
Scales
- The Mixolydian Mode
Intervals
- Harmonic Intervals in Series
Melody
- More Practice Melodies for Transcription and Singing
Triads
- Singing Major and Minor Triads in Root Position Given the Third or Fifth
- Identifying Outer Voices in Diminished Triads
Rhythm
- Simple Meter: Challenging Exercises with Beat Division into Four
- More Practice with Compound Meter
Harmony
- The Neighbouring Six-Four Harmony (N4)
- The Circle of Fifths
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
9.
Scales
- More Practice with Mixolydian Mode
- More Practice with Major and Minor Scales
Intervals
- Singing Melodic Intervals in Series
- More Practice Hearing Series of Harmonic Intervals
Melody
- Introduction to Two-Part Melodic Dictation
- Review of Supertonic and Leading-Tone Arpeggios
- Review of Mixolydian Mode
Triads
- Singing Major and Minor Triads in Inversion
- More Practice with Diminished and Augmented Triads
Rhythm
- Simple Meter: More Challenging Exercises with Beat Division into Four
- Compound Meter: More Ties and Rests
- Introduction to Two-Part Rhythm Reading
Harmony
- The Cadential Six-Four Harmony (C4)
- Longer Harmonic Progressions
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
10.
Scales
- The Dorian Mode
Intervals
- Longer Series of Melodic and Harmonic Intervals
Melody
- Transcription and Singing in Different Modes
- More Two-Part Melodic Transcription
Triads
- Singing the Diminished Triad in First Inversion
Rhythm
- More Practice with Simple and Compound Meters
- Reading Two-Part Rhythms with Rests and Ties
Harmony
- The Arpeggio Six-Four Harmony (A4)
- Review of All 4Harmonies
Repertoire
- Scale-Degree Exercises
- Solfège Melodies
- Solfège Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
Part Three: Advanced Diatonic and Rhythmic Material
11.
Scales
- Review of Major and Minor Scales; Lydian, Mixolydian, and Dorian Modes
Intervals
- Review of All Intervals up to the Perfect Octave
Melody
- Eight-Measure Melodies for Transcription, Part 1
- Review of Major and Minor Melodies with Wide-Interval Leaps
Triads
- Review of All Triads
Rhythm
- Review of Compound and Simple Meters
- Compound Meter: Beat Division Into Six (Second-Level Division)
Harmony
- Transcribing Outer Voices
- Inverted Dominant-Seventh Harmony: The V5 Chord
Clefs
- Alto and Tenor Clefs
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
12.
Scales
- The Phrygian Mode
Intervals
- Compound Intervals: Ninths and Tenths
Melody
- Eight-Measure Melodies for Transcription, Part 2
- More Practice Melodies for Singing
Chords
- Chords out of Context: The Major-Minor-Seventh (Mm7) Chord
Rhythm
- More Practice with Compound and Simple Meters
- Two-Part Rhythmic Transcription
Harmony
- Inverted Dominant-Seventh Harmony: The V$2Chord
- Non-harmonic Tones: Unaccented NHTs
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
13.
Scales
- The Locrian Mode
Intervals
- Compound Intervals: Perfect Elevenths, Twelfths, and Fifteenths
- Singing Compound Fourths, Fifths, and Octaves
Melody
- Eight-Measure Melodies for Transcription: Sentence Structure
- Singing Melodies: Focus on Cadences
Chords
- Chords out of Context: The Minor-Seventh Chord (mm7) and the Major-Seventh Chord (MM7)
Rhythm
- Borrowed Division: Triplets in Simple Meter
- More Practice with Second-Level Division in Compound Meter
Harmony
- Inverted Dominant-Seventh Harmony: The V$3 Chord
- Non-harmonic Tones: Accented NHTs
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
14.
Scales
- More Practice with Scales and Modes
Intervals
- Compound Intervals: Thirteenths, Fourteenths, and the Compound Tritone
Melody
- Eight-Measure Melodies for Transcription: Period Structure
- Singing Melodies: Focus on Structure
Chords
- More Practice with mm7 and MM7 Chords
Rhythm
- Syncopation from Sixteenth Notes
- Simple Meter: Two-part Rhythmic Dictation Using Triplets
Harmony
- Other Seventh Chords: I7, IV7, and II7 (Root Position Only)
- Sequence: The Circle of Fifths
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rrhythms
15.
Scales
- The Pentatonic Scale
Intervals
- More Practice with Compound Intervals
Melody
- More Melodies for Transcription and Singing
Chords
- Hearing the Upper Voice in Mm7, MM7, and mm7 Chords
Rhythm
- Borrowed Division: Duplets in Compound Meter
- Compound Meter: Other Dotted-Rhythm Cells
Harmony
- Inverted Predominant Sevenths: ii5 and iiø5
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
Part Four: Chromatic and Atonal Material; More Advanced Rhythmic Material
16.
Scales
- The Whole-Tone Scale
Intervals
- Multiple Compound Intervals, Part 1
- Simple Melodic and Harmonic Intervals in Series
Melody
- Melodies with Chromaticism
- Singing Melodies with Chromaticism
Chords
- Chords Out of Context: The Half-Diminished-Seventh Chord (dm7 or Mø7)
- Mm7 Chords as V7: Identifying the Upper Voice and the Inversion
Rhythm
- Irregular Meters: %4 and &8
Harmony
- All Diatonic Harmonies Review
- Modal Mixture
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
17.
Scales
- The Octatonic Scale
Intervals
- Multiple Compound Intervals, Part 2
Melody
- More Practice with Hearing Chromaticism in Melodies
- More Practice with Singing Chromaticism in Melodies
Chords
- All Triads: Adding Inner Voices
- Chords Out of Context: The Fully-Diminished-Seventh Chord (dd7 or o7)
Rhythm
- Irregular Meter: *8
- Borrowed Division: More Tuplets
Harmony
- Hearing viiø7 and viio7
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
18.
Scales
- The Blues Scale
Intervals
- Melodic Atonal Intervals in Series
- Singing Melodic Atonal Intervals in Series
Melody
- Modulating Melodies
- Singing Modulating Melodies
- Simple Chromaticism in Two-Part Melodies
Chords
- Mm7 Chords: Adding Upper Voices
Rhythm
- Changing Meters
Harmony
- Chromatic Harmony: The Neapolitan Sixth Chord (bII6)
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
19.
Scales
- Non-traditional Scales
Intervals
- Harmonic Compound Intervals in Series
- More Practice with Melodic Atonal Intervals in Series
Melody
- More Modulating Melodies
- Modulating Melodies with Chromaticism
- More Chromaticism in Two-Part Melodies
Chords
- Other Seventh Chords: Adding Inner Voices
Rhythm
- Further Levels of Beat Division and Examples from the Literature
- Borrowed Divisions: Subtriplet and Supertriplet
Harmony
- Chromatic Harmony: The Augmented Sixth Chords
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms
20.
Scales
- Olivier Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transposition
Intervals
- More Practice with Harmonic Compound Intervals in Series
- More Practice with Melodic Atonal Intervals in Series
Melody
- Melodies that Modulate to Other Key Areas
- More Chromaticism in Modulating Melodies
Chords
- Chords Out of Context: The Dominant-Ninth Chord (V9)
- Singing Dominant-Ninth Arpeggios The mM7 Chord
- The mM7 Chord
Rhythm
- More Practice with Triplets, Tuplets, and Duplets
- Advanced Rhythmic Transcription and Reading
Harmony
- V9 in Harmonic Progressions
- Applied Dominants: [V7] and [V5]
Repertoire
- Melodies
- Duets
- Rhythms
- Two-Part Rhythms

Companion Website:
28 bonus assignments
Practice repertoire
Speed drills
Audio files for all of the in-chapter dictations in the text and for all of the assignments both printed in the text and online
Four additional appendices
- Interval chart
- Soprano bass factors
- Seventh-chord soprano bass factors
- Intervals in series
Instructor's Manual:
Completed dictations, assignments, and transcriptions for the text and online material

Glen Ethier has taught music theory and aural skills at UBC, the British Columbia Conservatory of Music, University of Alberta, Queen's University, and McGill University. Since 2002 he has been Professor of Music at Vanier College in Montreal.

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Special Features

  • Explores both sight-singing and ear training in a single volume, exploring everything from recognizing and singing basic scales to understanding and interpreting complex musical concepts.
  • Accessible. Suitable for students just beginning their studies at the post-secondary level who have practical experience without a lot of other background training.
  • Extensive exercises and dictations encourage students to develop core skills for reading and transcribing music while building on those skills to enhance their comprehension of more advanced concepts.
  • Hand-in assignments. Includes 20 tear-out assignments and 28 online assignments to help students track their progress while providing instructors with ready-made tools for measuring students' mastery of the material.
  • Relevant music theory accompanies the introduction of each new concept, encouraging students to link ear training and sight-singing to lessons from co-requisite music theory courses.
  • "Tip" boxes. Performance, study, and practice tips found throughout the text help students apply the concepts and skills taught in the text.
  • A supplementary MP3 CD, specially prepared by the author, provides music to go with in-chapter dictations and assignments, giving students the opportunity to practice their skills outside of the classroom.