: Modus Vetus in a Semester? I was wondering if I can do all 18 chapters of modus vetus in 16 weeks. About 6 days per each chapter. Also, what do you think of Elementary Training for Musicians in tandem? It is 11 chapters

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

This will be tough to answer without knowing your current skills, but there is one thing that I can say with certainty:

You cannot rush aural skills training.

Of all skills in music theory, singing and dictation skills take the longest to develop and demand the most patience. You can cram for theory exams, and you can practice hours in a row for a figured-bass exam at the keyboard. But trying to cram for sight singing just doesn't really seem to work.

Most universities that I'm aware of in the US take about 3 to 4 semesters to learn how to sight sing tonal music. Especially if you're doing it on your own, I recommend taking a similar amount of time. Accounting for the summer and winter breaks, I'd aim for a year to get through the material.

As for Hindemith's Elementary Training, you can certainly try it, but know this: it is anything but elementary! :-) I think you would be better off focusing that time on improving your work in another sight-singing book.