Hi guys. I was wondering what kind of ear training exercises people have used to develop their ear.
My problem is with accurate relative pitch. For example, when doing bends or subtle whammy work (a la "Frank" by
Steve Vai) I can get very close to the note I'm bending to, but when I get close (by close I mean within the range of subtle vibrato) I can't hear if I'm flat or sharp. I know I'm off, but I can't tell which way to go. I imagine this probably sounds strange to most people. My wife (who has played an instrument since the age of 5) has no problem using my whammy bar and copying the whammy guitar solo on "Frank" perfectly. My ear has gotten much better during the course of my 10 years of
playing guitar, but I know I can do better.
I should mention that my ear is much better with absolute pitch. I'll often hear the first note of a song and recognize the song instantly (from the pitch and the timbre). This is my technique for recognizing notes, actually. When I hear a note and want to know what it is I'll try to hear it as the first note of a song I recognize. This doesn't work all the time, but works sometimes.
Thanks in advance, all.