Instruments
How a Fretless String Makes Sliding Pitch Audible
Learn how a fretless string carries a pitch between notes, and listen for the pressure, speed and settling that make…
The listening shelf
All pieces
Browse writing on instruments, musical forms, traditions, attentive listening and the places sounds call to mind.
Listening
A Solo Line or a Drone Beneath It?
Compare a melody alone with one over a drone to hear how a steady tone changes musical grounding, attention and the…
Traditions
When Music Was Learned by Listening
When music was learned by listening, a tune travelled through memory, imitation and correction. See how oral teaching…
Forms
The Mistake of Calling Every Long Performance Improvised
Long performance improvisation is rarely invention without limits; learn to hear how trained forms, shared conventions…
Sound Worlds
A Quiet Evening for Listening to One Instrument
A quiet evening for listening to one instrument gives you a simple way to hear changes in tone and role without…