Is singing necessary for EarMaster?

[gary-schiltz]

I'm a longtime "by-ear" guitarist, especially fond of classical guitar. EarMaster looks interesting, but I wasn't counting on *singing* right from the start. I'm 64 years old and have had very little music training, except for a couple of Udemy classes, and way back when (early 1970s), I had a year of music in junior high school. Is sight singing an integral part of music education now? In any case, I doubt that I'm alone in being bashful about singing when anyone is within earshot (or even in the same state). I suppose I just need to get over it, or spend my training time out in the garage Thanks in advance for any advice or encouragement you'd be willing to share.

Silently in Ecuador,
Gary Schiltz

[Quentin]

Hi Gary,

There are indeed quite a few exercises where the user is expected to sing. It doesn't matter how well you sing, the aim is that your body internalizes the pitches, and the easiest to achieve that is to sing. In most formal ear training tuition today, you are required to sing as part of the course, either sight-singing, or simply singing back melodies, intervals, bass movements, etc.

BUT notice that EarMaster lets you use the singing exercises with an instrument instead, so you can play the notes on yuor guitar instead of singing them. The pitch-detection algorithm was optimized for the human voice, but it does work with a guitar, as shown in this video:

[gary-schiltz]

Cool tip, thanks! Once I get more confident, I’ll maybe try moving to the garage and singing there LOL. Meanwhile, I’ll practice with my guitar and maybe trying to sing la la la etc.

[Quentin]

I hear you! Up until recently I wouldn't sing out loud unless I was confined in a soundproof room with no one around haha. But it's a shame, as singing really helps develop better aural skills. It's possible to do without, no doubt, but it makes you progress a lot faster.

As a guitarist, I also try to sing the notes I play while I'm playing them. I experienced that it has also helped me a lot in regard to aural skills, as well as to learn the fretboard better - though there's still room for improvement.

Best wishes for 2023 and good luck with your musical training!