Listening

~ HOW TO EXPAND YOUR LISTENING SKILLS ~

You must practice the Art of Listening to get better at it…

Pick one instrument and listen to it all the way through a tune.

Listen to the same tune and listen to another instrument all the way thru.

Pick one part of the drums, i.e. the hi-hat or ride cymbal and do the same.

I think of it as Active (= the act of) Listening.

Listening with other people can be helpful because

others will hear different things than you do.

Listen to something you know NOTHING about.

Go to a concert at a mosque, temple or cultural center.

Do some research about the music you are listening to

and you’ll find you hear it with different ears.

Listen for the form (or non-form) of a tune.

Listen to the mood/emotion a piece of music invokes.

Be aware of your own experience when listening…

(…do you experience colors, taste, visuals, etc…)

Listen to the space BETWEEN the notes

Listen to something other than the solo or vocal line.

Listen beneath, above, through, around, behind, and under the music.