Hear as clearly as you can

I just had this thought while trying to remember the Mario Kart Lick on melodica. When I’m trying to figure out a song by ear I often try to hear something with as much detail as possible. There’s a clip of, I think, Mulgrew Miller talking about this. When you hear music in your head hear everything as loud as possible and with as much detail as possible.

Try to hear the exact notes of each piece of music. Hear the exact intervals between all the notes. Hear the exact inflections. Hear the exact tone of the instruments. Try to add as much detail into your own mental audiation of a song as possible.

Basically try to hear in 4K. It’ll help your musicality because you’ll be hearing each specific thing and you’ll really be hearing it, rather than hearing or remembering some general idea.

I’ve noticed that this helps a lot with soloing and with learning songs by ear. If I can remember exactly how a song goes then I’ll be able to figure it out, but if my internal audiation isn’t detailed I need another listen.

ISJ