Pop Transcription - ChordTrainer - Ear training for chords

I like to play POP and ROCK songs on piano.
Thing is, good arrangements of pop songs for piano are few and far between.
Partly because pop is VERY guitar based.
Partly because publishers care more about easy than accurate arrangements.

So what's a pop player to do?  It boils down to transcription.  No way round it.
 - Listening carefully to the MP3
 - figuring out the key signature
 - finding when the chords change and getting the bass note
 - the melody part isn't too difficult to get.
 - Unfortunately, the chord part kinda is.

So it helps to practice "hearing chords".

I also find that transcribers tend to play piano WELL.
Andy Toh is a friend of mine who has transcribed a LOT of songs.
He does a song each week !!
One day, he sent me an email:

   Ok, I just thought of a new idea.
   There is a demand for this from nearly all ear trainers but no supply anywhere.
   Often I'm stuck in situations where I cannot do any ear training (say, driving).
   The only way to do ear training with nothing on you is via ear training MP3s.
   While there are a few websites that sell such MP3s, 
   they don't really work for those who want to improve their transcription skills  
   (I've tried them).
   Being a transcriber myself, I know what kind of MP3 is needed.

   One of the most important skills in transcribing is to find the exact chord.
   Not just naming whether it is major or minor, but to actually find each note in the chord.

   So I manually created a midi file that plays a chord, then some random single notes are played.
   The listener must identify if the note belongs to the chord or not.
   A bell sound then indiciates whether it is yes or no.
   This trains the listener to be able to identify all the notes of a chord.

   The notes must be played randomly and in the range of the chord.
   Then, the matching bell sound will follow.
   Once all the correct notes have been played, the midi file can end.
   (perhaps followed by a voice stating what type of chord it is).

   Ok, let me explain what I always go through when trying to find a chord from a song.
   I choose notes, one at a time, that I think fit the chord.
   On each note, I say to myself either yes or no as to whether it is in the chord or not 
   (just like in this exercise).
   When I've found 3 correct notes, I then play the chord a couple of times and
   decide if it matches the chord from the song exactly.
   If yes, then I stop.  If no, then I look for a 4th note.


Here's an example MP3 for  chord type: major  bass note: C4


So the exercise works like this:
 - chord is played
 - random chromatic note within the range of the chord is played
 - you decide in your head if it's in the chord
 - if it is, you'll hear a chime.  If not, a cowbell "clunk"
 - this continues until 3 correct notes are found
 - 3 notes of chord play, then full chord plays
 - you decide in your head if it's a 3 note chord
 - if it is, you'll hear a voice speak the chord type (major)
 - if not, you'll guess notes for the 4th note of chord followed by
   spoken chord type

Note that the number of wrong notes in an MP3 is (also) random
Between the number of notes in chord and twice the number in chord.
This way, you can't "count cards".  (Cheat knowing how many are coming next.)
Also, the note guesses won't repeat.


Ok, so you paypal me twenty bucks and I'll email you a program that
will download all 540 MP3 files 
   (and midi files, if you want to change the guitar, etc)

Eventually you may memorize some of the guesses.
In which case, you can download another set of MP3s ;)
I'll make new sets approximately monthly.

There are MP3s per chord type  and  chord bass note.

chord types:
   maj, min, dim, aug, sus2, sus4
   dom7, maj7, min7, minMaj7, dim7, hDim7, maj6, min6, 7sus4

bass note range:
   F2 .. E5