Listen as you read
Cello Sonata No. 3 · IILudwig van Beethoven · Hielko Ubel · Recording source · CC0 1.0
Choose a voice to follow
Play the cello and piano recording and choose the voice you find easier to follow. Each time another sound draws your attention, place a dot on paper. The dots need not form a technical analysis; they record a change in your own listening.
Imagine a question and a response
On another listen, imagine one moment as a question and a later moment as a response. The analogy need not fit every passage. If you hear the voices moving alongside each other rather than taking turns, note that instead.
Separate association from observation
Write one sentence beginning “I hear…” and another beginning “I imagine…”. Use the first for a sound becoming denser, softer, or suddenly still, and the second for an associated scene. Keeping them separate makes your response easier to explain.
Make it a small practice
- Follow one voice and mark shifts in attention.
- Try describing a passage as question and response.
- Write an observation and an association separately.
Return to this space and sign in to publish the writing, photos, or work you make from this exercise.