Has anyone got any tips or opinions on developing the skill of
reading and dictating melody lines by ear alone?, ie.
Is this a skill worth developing? (have you done it and found it beneficial).
Is the use of numbers, solfege or some other 'pitch handle' useful?.
Has anyone developed exercises or a strategy for learning this skill?.
Background to this request:
I recently got a book out of the library on practical
harmony. The author emphasized the need to learn information that can
be put into practice rather than theoretical knowledge.
The author of this book stated two requirements before his book could be
studied effectively:
1/ A knowledge of the rudiments of music.
2/ The ability to read a simple melody from sheet music and be able to
hear it in the mind.
I thought about this for a while and decide that the ability to read and
write down melodies with out the benefit of an instrument was a reasonable
goal for any musician to have. So I searched the internet for any information
or tips on how to develop this skill, to my surprise I found almost nothing.
Thanks for any ideas or information
---------- John