Imagine being able to listen to any song in a minor key and recognize every note of the melody by ear. What would that do for your musical creativity and improvising? In this 10 week online workshop you will learn to recognize sounds and melodies by ear in minor environments, allowing you to improvise much more creatively over songs in minor keys.
This 10-week online workshop is a deep dive into the beautiful sounds of the minor tonality. This happens when we're feeling note 6 as our tonal center. In this workshop we will learn to recognize these sounds by ear in the music all around us. And there will even be a special appearance by the beautiful note #5 which is so important in the minor tonality.
This workshop includes weekly video lessons, audio exercises, special song analysis videos, creative jamming exercises, self-tests, and unlimited personal coaching and feedback from the IFR instructors. You'll also have access to our student community forum for group discussion and learning. The total cost of this course is just $30/week! (And all learning materials are yours to keep forever. More details on that below.)
Special note: It is NOT necessary to have taken Ear Training for Musical Creativity 1 before taking this workshop. These are NEW sounds that we will all be studying together. So everybody is welcome!
You might be wondering whether you are "ready" to add the sounds of the minor tonality to your musical studies. This is a great question. You always have lots of options in IFR, and your music practice is YOUR creative space to explore music in whatever ways you find most interesting and exciting. So in the next section I'll try to help you figure out if this workshop is the right next step for you.
Let's start by establishing some basic truths about your musical future:
First let's clarify what we mean by "ear training in minor".
Every song you hear in your daily life is rooted in one of two basic environments: Major and Minor.
For major, think Jingle Bells, Hey Jude and All of Me.
For minor, think God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Scarborough Fair and My Funny Valentine.
And many songs alternate between BOTH environments! For example of this, think O Little Town of Bethlehem, Yesterday and Autumn Leaves.
If we want to be able to play and improvise over songs like these, and if we want to be able to create these same beautiful sounds in our OWN music, then we need to understand this beautiful world of sounds that we call the "minor" tonality.
This is exactly what we do in this 10-week workshop! Through structured video lessons, audio lessons, special song analysis videos, creative jamming exercises and our personal coaching, you're going to learn how to recognize sounds and melodies by ear in minor environments, allowing you to improvise much more creatively over these songs.
Personal note: If you have ever felt intimidated by "minor keys" or struggled to understand what to do with "minor scales", this course will remove those doubts. You will learn to see the minor tonality as a beautiful musical landscape that you can move around with complete freedom.
The total cost of this 10-week workshop is just $300. This amounts to just $30/week for the entire experience, plus you get to keep all course materials forever. This includes:
What students say about past IFR ear training workshops:
"Truly, this course was transformational. I have received more musical growth from this course than any other book, course, or class I have ever taken. I now understand the way music WORKS in a very practical way. This has enabled me to play songs in ANY key and to be able to play songs without looking at the notes at all. It has cleared up pitch problems in my singing. When I say transformational, I do mean that! I give Mireia and this course the highest rating I could possibly give."Karla Huntsman (voice and piano, United States)
"The Ear Training for Musical Creativity workshop was like rocket fuel for my musicality. I have been playing guitar for almost 5 years and have developed decent technique at this point, yet I felt I still did not know how to "make" music. This course helped me take a huge step toward my goal of letting music flow through me. My ear is much stronger now, enhancing my enjoyment of listening to music even more. I recognize there is still ample room for growth, and with the practices I learned and the excellent teaching materials provided by the course, I have everything I need to keep progressing. It truly was a world-class musical education experience, and I am grateful I decided to join."Tim M. (guitar, United States)
"This workshop was a beautiful experience and a crucial step in my musical development. Unlike other courses I've encountered, this workshop approaches ear training as a journey of free musical exploration. Instead of attempting to memorize the sound of all intervals in every conceivable key, you begin by acquainting yourself with a small segment of the major scale, allowing for genuine musical enjoyment. Week by week, Mireia's lessons introduce additional notes and challenges, maintaining a focus on creating beautiful melodies and fostering a profound connection with your instrument. Through dedicated practice of the exercises, I have forged a stronger link between the melodies in my mind and their corresponding tonal numbers, lending a natural and authentic feel to my improvisations."Attilio Provenzano (piano and guitar, United Kingdom)
"Mireia is an excellent teacher who makes ear training enjoyable, even fun! The material is superbly paced, with steady consolidation, reinforcement and development from multiple angles. This course has produced very noticeable improvements in my understanding and given me a real boost in confidence."David Wright (guitar and Chapman Stick, Scotland)
Mireia Clua is a professional violinist based in New York City and the co-founder of Improvise for Real. Mireia is the creator of the entire IFR ear training program including our "Sing the Numbers" audio courses. She created all of the learning materials for this workshop. Mireia has personally taught hundreds of IFR students in live workshops, and she has more than 20 years of experience teaching music to both children and adults. Mireia is especially focused on creating a safe learning environment where each student feels respected, nurtured and encouraged.
Access the workshop on any device and watch the lessons at your convenience. Engage in conversations in the student forum anytime, and upload your practice recordings whenever you like. I'll give you my feedback and guidance on your practicing, and I'll respond to all of your comments and questions.
If you need help deciding if this course is right for you, or if you have any questions, please let me know. I'll be happy to help. Just write to me at: mireia@improviseforreal.com.
