| Playing piano by ear is something most people can | | | | the starting note in the melody is, the tune will |
| learn to do. A small percentage of the population | | | | practically always end on the note which is the |
| is tone deaf and will never be able to recognize | | | | tonic of the piece. This means that if you hum |
| specific pitches, although the rest of us can learn | | | | the song you will end up on the bass of the key |
| to get pretty good at it. | | | | that the piece was written in, and this is a big help |
| All melodies are comprised of musical intervals and | | | | in working out the melody. As an example, in |
| rhythms, the simplest of which are recognized by | | | | "Mary Had a Little Lamb", the first note singing the |
| nearly everyone. Take "Twinkle Bells" or even | | | | word "Mary" is the third note of the key, or "me", |
| "Mary Had A Little Lamb", for examples of | | | | as in "doe-ray-me-fa-so-la-tee-doe", while the tune |
| extremely simple melodies, and they can easily be | | | | ends on the word "doe"(tonic or the bass note). |
| broken down into easily learned patterns of notes. | | | | Moving on to the piano, "doe" would be middle C, |
| In fact, just about anything that one can hum or | | | | with is the white note in the middle of the |
| sing can be worked out on the piano keyboard | | | | keyboard to the left of the middle two black |
| without much trouble. | | | | notes, and up to its right would be "ray, me, fa, |
| All musical pieces, whether simple or complex, | | | | so, la, and tee, with doe ending up at the next "C" |
| involve chords in specific keys, which is something | | | | an octave up. |
| that playing the just the melody ignores, but this | | | | So, singing and playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" |
| is something we will cover another time. For now, | | | | would echo this progression starting on "three" |
| let's just concentrate on getting the melody | | | | which is two notes up from middle C: |
| played. | | | | oe". Numerically it would look like this: |
| Using the white keys, representing the key of C | | | | ending on middle C. |
| Major, is universally the quickest way to learn a | | | | If you can play that progression starting on "E" |
| tune even if it was originally written in some other | | | | two white notes above middle C, you can play by |
| key, so for now we will keep the piece in C. | | | | ear. |
| Now, the thing to realize is that no matter what | | | | Try it! |