Research-to-Resource: The Importance of Aural Learning in the Strings Classroom

String musicians put a high priority on ear training in order to be successful on their instruments. Research suggests that delaying music reading to teach by ear does not negatively affect sight-reading performance in the long term, may improve music literacy skills, and also may improve student perceptions of accomplishment. The pedagogy of learning by ear, which is distinctly different than learning by rote, may be unfamiliar to many string teachers, regardless of their experience in the classroom. The purpose of this research-to-resource article is to provide string teachers with strategies to teach repertoire by ear with the intention of strengthening students’ aural acuity, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of the fingerboard.