Everyone can improve their ability to recognize melodic and harmonic relationships.
1. Sing a phrase and play it on the piano
2. Play call and response with another musician.
3. Play melodic, harmonic and rhythmic dictation exercises.
4. Transcribe melodies, bass lines, chord progressions, and improvised solos from recordings.
5. Learn to play chord progression on piano.
6. Play along with an unknown chord progression using only your ear to pick out the desirable notes.
As your powers of inner hearing grow there will be a marched change in the quality of your improvisation.