Becoming Talented: A Systematic Method for the Development of Ear Training and Music Reading Skills

I began playing the guitar in high school. I made fantastic initial progress and quickly began performing with great success. However, something was always missing and then my progress came to a halt. After forty-five years, I’m still perched upon the same plateau. I’ve very recently become aware that, while I’m technically a good guitarist, I never became a musician. I never developed the musicality that connects my heart to my fingers and onto the fretboard of my beloved instrument. This book has put it all together and has provided the step-by-step plan to allow me to express myself musically. Finally!

A very Good Book with a few key flaws.

The exercises in this book are already changing the way I approach making music, even after just a few weeks. I completely agree with the author's statement on page XIII, "You may find this method especially helpful if you have a significant amount of textbook knowledge or instrumental ability but have always struggled with music reading or ear training, or if you are highly motivated but have always considered yourself untalented." The book is also beautifully written and designed, and it is printed on high-quality paper. I am so grateful to have found it!

Highly recommend this book for any musician looking to improve and gain a better of understanding of exactly how to build up their ear training and reading skills. Unlike most books that discuss this subject, Becoming Talented provides you with a solid roadmap and step by step approach to doing this. The book is divided into 2 main parts: First, the theory section where the author details the importance of learning to identify intervals through what he calls the 3 fundamental musical skills (keyboard visualization, real-time reading, and aural interval identification) The second part of the book contains a series of exercises that are specifically designed to help you develop each one of these 3 skills.Overall, I found this book to be incredibly helpful. It's a refreshing approach and take on a subject that is often either made overly complicated or taught in a way that just doesn't make sense to many of us. Whether you are just getting started or consider yourself a more experienced musician, I believe the core concepts and exercises presented will be of great benefit. I find myself going back to the book often and have included many of the exercises in my regular practice routine.

The book hinges on keyboard visualization to overcome the inadequacies of his syllable set, wherein a single syllable often represents at least 3 different pitches. He also uses si for ti which is in conflict with the use of si as G# in more modern systems. DaDoDi RaReRi, MaMeMi FaFi SaSolSi LeLaLi TaTeTi covers all the notes (enharmonic subs for some bb,x intervals).Distinguishing between sharp or flat makes a lot of difference. Every time you solfege a line, you are automatically creating lyrics with meaning and harmonic implications. Consider an alberti bass sequence back and forth between augmented, major, minor, diminished versions of the same chord then modulating to a polar key signature. Instead of cementing the connection between the solfege, the harmonic labels and the keyboard visualization, you end up with pitch:solfege inconsistency and must rely solely on keyboard visualization when trying to match pitches to sounds with no real awareness of harmonic labels. Yet, in the keyboard visualization there's no distinction between a b3 and a #9 a #5 or a b6, etc.Having your solfege sing like lyrics that define the harmonic rhythm reinforces the theory behind the notation. Miller's system, makes harmonic context ambiguous at best.There's already a widely adopted system that disambiguates pitches and syllables.On the upside, any author that helps musicians understand how important solmization is and provides exercises that will improve your eye/ear/voice/instrument connection is an ally.He learned what he learned the way he learned it, unfortunately, there's a better way and you have to ignore his recommended system of fixed do to get the most out of this book.overpriced, not particularly well-written.

This is, by far, the most efficient, concise, unique, all-encompassing musical manual out there. Miller knows what he’s talking about and he doesn’t mess around when it comes to getting to the heart of whatever shortcomings a musician may have, regardless of whether that musician is a beginner or a seasoned professional. Exercises are challenging and, at times, uncomfortable; that just means they’re working. There is not a musician on this planet who wouldn’t benefit from the tools in this book. I’m ecstatic to have this book as a resource. And a note for guitar players out there: music theory is cool and you should learn it!

At first I thought this was going to be a book like effortless mastery or the music lesson but this breaks down a lot of issues people have into individual steps and then slowly builds each of the three core skills together. If you practice slowly and give yourself patience, progress is unavoidable.

Highly reccommend this to anyone who is trying to learn how to cite read or get into ear training, Miller is very cerebral in his writing