Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Looking for ways to teach Critical Listening (Read 4501 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Looking for ways to teach Critical Listening

This question is primarily for educators, but I'd love to hear from anyone else as well.

I've been teaching critical listening as part of a Live Sound Reinforcement module on a Music Technology course. Despite the fact that students are all music fans they are lacking in listening skills. For example the guitarist might be able to tell the difference between a Stratocaster and a Telecaster, but have no idea about whether a bass drum is real or sampled, nor what mic was used. No student can tell the difference between an SM58 and an LD condenser. No student can tell a sampled piano from a real one, nor identify a Fender Rhodes, a Hammond or a CP70. At least, that is the way it is before they start the course.

I would consider these to be basic skills for music production. I also believe that "learning on the job" is not as effective as well designed, structured learning but I am open to evidence on that! As an educator I am biased. That said, I think doing live sound is an excellent way to learn to listen critically because you need to be able to recognise a problem and solve it, fast! I think a "musical ear" is very different to a critical listener, meaning someone who evaluates sound quality- as we do here via blind ABX.

I am aware of two books on the subject, one by Jason Corey and the other by F. Alton Everest. And I use them.

I would welcome any feedback on my thoughts above.

So fellow teachers, how do you do it?