Please beware of YouTube ads, they are usually at a much higher volume than the videos or can have sudden music. Make sure you are able to quickly adjust your volume and other audio settings if needed.

Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

1. Listen to full orchestra + chorus version of Ode to Joy. 

It probably sounds terrible. Turn it off when if/when it starts to be bothersome. That's ok. It'll sound different next time.

2. Keyboard: Melody Only

Listen to how the pitches travel higher, lower or repeat. This is the melody, isolated from the rest of the piece.

To challenge yourself, move your hand up or down when the pitches go higher or lower.

2. Keyboard: Melody + Simple Bass Accompaniment

Be aware of loud vocals at the beginning of the video! This video starts with both the melody (right hand) and the harmony/bass accompaniment (left hand) played at the same time. It then breaks it down into the two parts separately.

3. Keyboard: Intermediate

Starting to get a little more complex. The melody is now in a higher register. The left hand is slightly more complex, sometimes playing 2 notes at a time, other times playing faster notes.

Try to follow along in the sheet music provided, even if you can't read music. You'll be able to see visual cues.

The melody is in a higher register than before. Can you follow the melody?  (If not, email [email protected] and I'll find you a version to train on!)

4. Solo Guitar - Melody + Accompaniment

I really like this arrangement. It's simple and clean, but has nice movement in the finger picking. The melody and the accompaniment will be harder to isolate on this instrument. 
Now that it's more familiar to you, can you hear when the melody begins and ends?

Once you accomplish isolating the melody, listen again and try to isolate the harmony / accompaniment. Watch the guitarist's right hand fingers and tap the beat if you'd like an assist.

4. Cello and Piano

Moving on to TWO instruments. Warning: The audio in this video is quiet and may need to be turned up. Be careful towards the end, it may jump to something much louder.

The cello, and other string instruments, can be more difficult for CI users to enjoy. Instruments like the piano or guitar have a more distinct "attack" of sound at the beginning of a note, which sounds closer to human speech. Bowed instruments, like this cello, have a more sustained sound and can fade in/out or cause unpleasant sounds.

Again, email [email protected] if the cello sounds terrible to you - I'll find you some options to train on!

5. Piano Only - More Complex

Back to piano! But this time, more complex. My suggestion is to listen to this one twice - once without looking at the video, and again while watching the video.

This version starts off lower in pitch, with two notes playing symmetrically. Can you hear both notes? Listen for the moment when the two hands start playing different things. 

Then, listen for the moments the melody jumps up to higher pitches.

6. Back to huge orchestra and chorus version

After all that listening, how have things changed? If this version sounded like garbage before, how does it sound now? Can your ear hear anything differently?

If not - no worries. If you'd like to keep trying, I can add more versions that increase in complexity and intensity. 

Email [email protected]