Primacy of the Ear, by Ran Blake with Pat Donaher and Jason Rogers Many music books are designed to help better understand written music, but Ran Blake's Primacy of the Ear focuses on the development of the ear, rather than the eye. There are exercises for instrumental practice, but most of the technical and practical excerses in Ran's book are concentrated on how to take an aural language and apply it to your own music. Putting the ear, rather than the eye or fingers, at the center of your musical learning is the key to forming a truly personal style. "One's single most crucial ally in the exploration of music is the ear. When you listen, the ear reacts before the brain has time to process; it is an honest boker. When you play, the ear pulls you to a sound faster and more confidently than your brain; it is the part of you most in clutches of the muse. More than any other learning tool, the ear offers a straight line to your musical DNA and allows you to access and commmunicate your most honest, most original music." ~Ran Blake, quote from Primacy of the Ear About Pat Donaher About Jason Rogers Please click here for contact information

MP3s of "Cadillac Joe," "Tritone Rag," and "Vanguard" from Ran Blake's Primacy of the Ear can be listened to here or downloaded below:

This text will be replaced by the flash music player.   These musical examples are counterparts of Ran Blake's book, Primacy of the Ear. Before listening, please use Chapter 4- Learning a Melody as a guide. The original recording of "Cadillac Joe" can be found on Ran Blake's album, Wende. Ran also references Vanguard in the book, which can be heard on his albums Plays Solo Piano, Rapport, and Suffield Gothic. All albums mentioned can be purchased here. An answer key, written in both text and musical notation, has been provided. Ran recommends you use this answer key as little as possible. Being patient in your efforts will help aural training. The answers are not nearly as important as the process. Right click and select "save as..." to download each audio example below in MP3 and Wave formats: "Cadillac Joe" Midi Version Melody Only Bass Only Melody and Bass Melody w/ Arpeggiated Chords Arpeggiated Chords w/o Melody "Cadillac Joe" Piano Version Melody Only Melody and Bass Melody with Chords "Tritone Rag" Melody Only Melody and Bass Melody with Chords "Vanguard" Melody Only Bass Only Melody and Bass Melody with Chords Performance Level   Click here to Download the Answer Key

home | biography | teaching | discography | resources

Website Design & Development by Riparius Productions
© 2002. All rights reserved.