Sing the Numbers 4: Melody Paths
In this level we explore the most important chord progressions in popular music using the IFR exercise Melody Paths. You’ll see the “inner workings” of each chord progression, and you’ll learn to hear the chord notes melodically so that you can use them in your improvising.
Sing the Numbers 4: Melody Paths
In this course we explore the most important chord progressions in popular music using the IFR exercise Melody Paths. You’ll see the “inner workings” of each chord progression, and you’ll learn to hear the chord notes melodically so that you can use them in your improvising.
Mastering harmony with Melody Paths
The IFR exercise Melody Paths is one of the most popular components of the entire IFR program. You may have seen our videos on YouTube or Facebook where they have been viewed and shared widely. Those videos are not part of this audio course, but they demonstrate the same exercise that you’ll be practicing on your own in this course.
This audio course allows you to take your Melody Paths practice with you on the go. One of the most important insights about ear training is to understand the power of immersion. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this principle and immerse yourself in these beautiful sounds even while you’re doing other things. You can listen to these audio lessons on headphones and train your ear all day long! This immersion will also greatly strengthen your harmony knowledge because every Melody Path reinforces your understanding of which notes make up each chord of the major scale.
Here are four important ways that this course will benefit your playing:
- Improvise more melodic solos. In this course you'll learn to hear the chord notes in the music all around you. And you'll be able to use these notes in your improvising to create beautiful, lyrical solos.
- Master the most important chord progressions. In this course we will explore all seven chords of the major scale in some of the most important chord progressions in popular music. You'll see how the inner voices of the chords connect to one another, allowing you to improvise your own melodic lines or even sing harmony parts by ear.
- Learn to hear melody and harmony simultaneously. In this course we do a lot of work on learning to hear melody and harmony simultaneously. Each audio track is designed to help you integrate these two parts of your musical perception into a single understanding.
- Recognize chords by ear. Another benefit of this course is that you'll develop a deep familiarity with each chord and its melodic connections to other chords. This deep personal experience will greatly help you to recognize these chords in the music all around you.
How it works
All you have to do is play the audio tracks and sing along. There are no exams, testing or drills. We sing each Melody Path for you in tonal numbers, and you’ll sing it back in tonal numbers. For each chord progression we give you a drawing of the IFR chord columns so that you can visualize where all of these sounds are located. And we’ll take you on a guided tour of the most beautiful melodies hidden within the chords. Below is a sample from the course. Try singing along in response to our melodies!
Sample – Chords 6-, 4, 1, 5D
Includes 20 audio lessons + teaching content
This course is a deep exploration of the seven chords of the major scale (what we call Pure Harmony in IFR), including some of the most important chord progressions in popular music. We will study these chord progressions together in a series of 20 audio lessons accompanied by harmonic analysis and practice tips. The written content will help you notice many important insights about each chord progression. But the audio lessons are designed so that you can use them on the go, deepening your mastery of harmony using nothing but your ear and your voice.
Learn from a professional musician and experienced teacher
Learn from a professional musician and experienced teacher
Mireia Clua is a professional violinist based in New York City and the co-founder of Improvise for Real. As the creator of the entire IFR ear training program, Mireia designed our acclaimed “Sing the Numbers” audio courses and personally performed all the vocal tracks that guide students through their ear training journey. With more than 20 years of teaching experience, she has personally guided hundreds of IFR students in live workshops. Mireia is especially focused on creating a safe learning environment where each student feels respected, nurtured and encouraged.
With Sing the Numbers the change was profound. Now, each note creates a specific, recognizable feeling, like seeing the world in full color. It took time and practice, but the progress was steady and incredibly fulfilling."
– review by Darren D. — Ithaca, NY, USA
Get this course free with your membership!
When you join, you’ll have complete access to our entire library of video courses, audio courses, jam tracks, and ear training lessons. Everything works together as one unified method to help you master the art of musical improvisation.
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