Preparatory Workshop for the Theoretical Entrance Exam - Jazz

 

Preparatory Workshop for the Theoretical Entrance Exam - Jazz

Improve your theoretical and ear training skills

These video lessons will guide you through all the assignments of the Ear Training Test that forms part of the Theory Entrance Examination of the Jazz Department of the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
In these video lessons, the assignments of the Ear Training Test are explained and demonstrated. All the lessons start with an example to give you a clear idea about what you can expect in the test and what we expect you to know. You will receive advice for how you can prepare yourself for the test. The lessons contain exercises for self study with a strong emphasis on the development of your inner ear and your analytical listening skills.

Video's: 3 hours

Skill Level: Beginners

Language: English

 

Content of this course:

Lesson 1 - Tonality & time signature 

This lesson offers an introduction for the 10-lesson course and focuses on recognizing the tonality of a certain fragment, which is assignment #1 on the ear training test of the CvA.

 

Content:

Overview of this 10-lesson course

Example assignment

How to? Tips and strategies for practising

The tonic chord

Practice material

 

Lesson 2 - Scales 

In this lesson we focus on scales, which is the 2nd assignment on the ear training test. Lots of musical examples are offerend to show you the characteristics of certain scales.

 

Content:

The scales to know for the ear training test

Example assignment

How to? Tips and strategies for practising scales

Characteristic examples

Practice material

 

Lesson 3 - Intervals

The third assignment on the entrance ear training test is about intervals. We’ll discuss using ear training apps and show the ways to visualize the different scales in order to help you recognize them.

 

Content:

Example assignment

Advantages and disadvantages of ear training apps

How to separate interval tones

Reference songs

Visualisation of the scales

Practice material

 

Lesson 4 - Triads

This lesson mainly focuses on recognising triads, which is the 4th assignment on the ear training test.  

 

Content:

Recognizing triads and bass notes

Example assignment

How to? Tips and strategies on how to identify chords

Triad types, inversions, types, chord symbols

Musical examples

Practice material

 

Lesson 5 - Seventh chords

This lesson covers the 5th assignment of the Ear Training Test: the richer and ‘jazzier’ sevenths chords. 

Content:

Recognising seventh chords by ear

Example assignment

How to? Tips and strategies on how to identify seventh chords

7th chord types

Exercises and practical tools

Practice material

 

Lesson 6 - Rhythm 
Rhythm and rhythm notation is what we talk about in this lesson. In the ear training test notating rhythm is the 6th assignment. 

Content:

Example assignment

Memorizing the melody: how to?

Analyzing the rhythm

Rhythm notation: do’s & don’ts

Swing notation

Musical examples

Practice material

 

Lesson 7 - Melody

The 7th assignment in the test is about notating a melody. This courses will offer you an insight in which skills will help you to do this.

 

Content:

Example assignment

Skills to develop for analyzing the melody

Pitch, interval relation, position in the scale

Example exercises 

How to? Tips and strategies on how to develop this skill

Preparation & practice material

 

Lesson 8 - Bass Lines

To recognize bass lines you need a certain skill that is most easily described as manual focus; the capacity to ‘zoom in’ into the bass lines. This lesson will offer you guidance in how to do that.

 
Content:

Example assignment and solution

How to listen to bass lines?

Autofocus vs. manual focus

Exercises & answers

Evaluation

 

Lesson 9 - Chord progressions 

While hearing chord progressions many skills come together; hearing separate chors, using degrees, hearing the bass lines. This is the 9th assignment in the test and we’ll talk about it in this lesson.

 

Content:

Example assignment and answer

Focussing on the chords itself

Techniques and skills

More exercises & solutions

Summary
 

Lesson 10 - Melody and chords

This last lesson is where it all comes together: writing down a complete piece of music; melody, harmony and rhythm. You’ll get lots of exercise material for this challenging assignment in the test.

 
Content:

Introduction

Tips on how to transcribe

Exercises, answers and explanation

Summary