by Blanche Cannon

Created on: February 10, 2010

In the music world - and in the non-musical world, for that matter - classical music is widely considered a dying art form.  The genre is daunting to many listeners because its works are lengthy and complex, and can all begin to sound the same.  In an age of 3-minute pop songs and relatable, real-world lyrics, the music we refer to as “classical” can be frustrating at best.  The ear needs a little training before it can get the most out of these pieces.  Luckily, that training is neither difficult nor time-consuming.  The trick is to set goals and take small steps.  Many musicians have spent their whole lives studying and experiencing music, leaving the casual listener to feel hopelessly lost.  It’s important to remember that music is something we do for the fun of it.  Don’t be intimidated by the seemingly endless knowledge of a lifelong music student.  All listeners can experience that same musical joy if they know what to listen for.

Active Listening

The most important way to start introducing your ears to classical music is by doing something that musicians call Active Listening.  Active listening is when you put aside all other tasks and focus your attention on the music you’re hearing.  This can be hard at first, but new listeners shouldn’t worry about trying to catch every note and nuance.  Instead, focus on something broad.  What is the mood of the music?  Most listeners will be able to judge whether the music sounds happy or sad.  What might be causing the music to sound this way?  Sometimes the tempo (speed) of the music can affect its mood.  You can also try to determine whether the music is major or minor.  To most listeners, major sounds happy and minor sounds sad - but if you want a real-life example of this distinction, find a piano and choose any note.  If you don’t have access to a real piano, type “virtual piano” into a search engine.  From your starting note, count three keys to the right, including both black and white keys.  (Don’t count your starting note.)  Play your starting and ending note at the same time.  This chord is minor.  Move your ending note one more key to the right and play your starting note and new ending note together.  This chord is major.

Once you have experienced a variety of musical moods, something else to consider is the purpose

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