A number of people have asked me why they should choose an ear training course like mine over a piece of ear training software. Both courses and software are excellent resources for those who are interested in undertaking ear training, however their strengths and weaknesses are quite different from one another. An ear training course usually provides a high level of guidance, so that you can progress steadily, at the expense of flexibility. Software on the other hand tends to provide nearly endless flexibility, but little in the way of guidance. Whether a course or software is for you will most likely come down to which of these you value more.
The Benefits of Ear Training Software
Ear Training Software is great because of the flexibility it affords the user. With software, you can choose a specific area that you wish to target, and create custom exercises that focus on your chosen problems. This level of flexibility and customisation is difficult to find in an ear training course.
You might be surprised to find out that the biggest problem with ear training software is the very same thing. Its flexibility makes it easy to jump from one area to another, and focus on the wrong areas. Many people completely skip the areas that they need to work on the most because the software does not point them in the right direction. The tools they need may be there, but they’re hidden amongst all the options.
The Benefits of an Ear Training Course
The benefits of an ear training course are just the opposite. A course may lack the flexibility of a good piece of ear training software, but if it’s well designed then you won’t need that flexibility. That’s because the course is designed to build your ear training foundation from the ground up. You’ll work on the right areas all the time, always adding to a strong base.
This is the way we’re designed the Progressive Ear Training Course. The exercises may not be infinitely customisable, but chances are you won’t mind, because they always focus on the next thing you need to work on!
However, many musicians feel they need both flexibility and guidance, so perhaps you should consider both..
