Resources:
Learning by Ear

This Learning By Ear module resource (PowerPoint presentation, PDF, films and website content) can be used and shared free of charge for non-commercial educational use only. Permission must be sought from Orchestras for All and EFDSS for any other use of this material. 

The ensemble featured in this module, London Youth Folk Ensemble (LYFE), are used to working in an aural context.

The activities and process featured in this module could be intimidating to less experienced or less confident musicians so it's important to move at a pace your ensemble are comfortable with. If led effectively, working without music gives space for all musicians to explore and develop their natural musicality.

To gain a full understanding of leading an ensemble aurally, it’s important to participate in the activities in time with the ensemble. However, to help you apply what you learn, in your reflections after each video, we ask you to adapt the activities for a different ‘imaginary’ ensemble:

Sharp Academy Orchestra

Imagine you are the music teacher at Sharp Academy, a non-selective school serving a community where the students are from a wide range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. In the last couple of years, with support from senior leadership and a small team of instrumental teachers, you have established a successful academy orchestra. The orchestra incorporates players and instruments of a wide range of skill levels, and performs in assemblies and end-of-term concerts.

However, the ensemble sound is lacking musical unity and cohesion, lots of players feel alienated by notation-focused rehearsals, and you're struggling to retain student commitment. You have decided to do something different this term: create a performance using just aural learning techniques.

Below are some of the players who you think will particularly benefit from taking a fresh approach to orchestral rehearsals:

Ali – high violin skill level, developing ensemble skills

Ali is 14 and has been playing violin for three years. She is proving a natural and hardworking musician: she quickly achieved a Grade 2 distinction and is already learning Grade 4 pieces. Her technique and musicianship are progressing well; her tuning and understanding of notation are excellent. However, you have noticed that in orchestra rehearsals she is often oblivious to what others are playing, and struggles to stay with a tempo. You think an aural ensemble approach will improve her skills in these areas.

Seb – self-taught guitarist, developing notation skills

Seb is 15 and has been playing guitar for four years. He is mostly self-taught, but since starting BTEC music, has begun having one-to-one lessons and learning notation. He plays in a rock band with some friends. You are keen to encourage him to develop his ensemble awareness and musicianship, contribute his skills to the academy community, and broaden his musical influences.

Grace – natural rhythm, early-stage percussionist, early-stage notation skills

Grace is 12 and although she has never had instrument lessons, you noticed in her weekly Year 7 music lesson that she has a natural sense of rhythm. She is dyslexic and finds following written symbols very challenging, even with one-to-one learning support. Now in Year 8, she has tried out playing in the orchestra percussion section, mentored by an older student, but so far her lack of confidence in reading notation has proved a barrier to her enjoying participating. At times, she can be disruptive during rehearsals. You feel that an aurally-focused project will build Grace's overall confidence, enable her to play a central role in the ensemble that makes the most of her musical gifts and free her to develop her general musicianship.

Zac – early-stage clarinettist

Zac is 11 and has just started learning clarinet. He is enthusiastic and keen to succeed. He has made a good start to learning notation; however, his early-stage skill level limits the parts he can currently play in the orchestra. In rehearsals, he is desperate to play next to his friend, Ash, who has been learning the clarinet much longer and plays a trickier part. You feel an aural-learning project will enable him to focus on using his clarinet skills creatively, develop his musicianship to help progress his clarinet skills much faster, and increase his enjoyment of the orchestra, enabling him to play alongside Ash.

At different points in the following pages, we will ask you to reflect on how you would adapt the featured activities to include these young people.

Strategies for Adapting and Including

To help you plan how to include musicians like Ali, Seb, Grace and Zac, below are some suggested activities that could help you to adapt or 'zoom in' on activities in this module. At all points, think creatively, and plan your own ideas to try as well.

Discussing ideas

• Give players time to discuss or try out their ideas in pairs or threes before sharing with the larger group
• Provide a toolkit of musical vocabulary (structural/dynamic), displayed on a wall, and turn discussions into a game of bingo: who can correctly use the most musical words when sharing their ideas?
• However, encourage players to describe their ideas however they can, even if they're unsure of the musical language.

Learning the notes

• Simplify the notes or rhythm of a melody; for example, removing quick note transitions or pitch jumps
• Make up words or rhymes to help memorise rhythms
• Draw (or 'air draw') shapes to help visualise the pattern of melodies

Developing ideas and ensemble sound

• Provide a toolkit of musical fragments as starting points: eg. 3 or 4 notes from a scale; a rhythm ostinato or a chord sequence. Allow ensemble to experiment with these in pairs or threes
• Use a click track or rhythm backing track as the pulse when first learning a piece.
• Ensure everyone has been assigned a clear musical role and understands the importance of that role (e.g. melody/harmony/accompaniment/rhythm section)
• Write on a white board the overall structure for music being developed