| Are you impressed with people who are able to | | | | you will then be able to cut through all the |
| play the piano, guitar or any musical instruments | | | | complexities in learning how to play the piano or |
| by ear? Do you think that these people are born | | | | the guitar in the conventional way. |
| with the talent to play music by ear? You know | | | | The following are some simple techniques you |
| what? Play music by ear can be learnt. There are | | | | must understand in order to play any song by |
| many methods to learn how to play piano or | | | | ear. The first step in learning to play by ear is to |
| guitar by ear and in this article, we will explore | | | | learn how the melody is constructed. Especially so |
| one of these methods. | | | | when learning how to play jazz piano or the lead |
| Are you able to recognize chords or scales | | | | guitar because of the solo runs involved. This is |
| without looking at music notations? Do you | | | | because when you know how the melody line is |
| happen to know that the same chords are often | | | | constructed, you will then be more able to predict |
| repeated in most songs over and over again? If | | | | where the notes of the melody are going to be. |
| you do, then you are on your way to playing | | | | For instance, if you know that a melody is being |
| music by ear. | | | | played in the key of say, G major, you will then |
| Playing by ear is not a matter of memorizing | | | | first assess whether this melody sounds like it is |
| every chord and note in a song but by just being | | | | created from a major, natural minor, melodic, |
| able to recognize the chord patterns of the song | | | | minor, harmonic minor, blues, or any other scale |
| and being able to predict what chords or | | | | that you can think of. |
| progressions will occur next. If you can do that, | | | | So by knowing all of these scales and being able |
| then you will be able to play by ear on any | | | | to recognize the scales with your ear, you can |
| musical instruments. | | | | then eliminate notes that are less likely to be a |
| Playing by ear is not a well kept secret nor is it a | | | | part of the melody in most cases. |
| complicated process. On the contrary, the | | | | After recognizing melodies from scales, you will be |
| techniques and principles are simple and | | | | more experienced and will be able to immediately |
| easy-to-understand. If you are a novice and is | | | | play any tune in your head! |
| struggling to learn music theory, you will | | | | For example, if you recognized that a song is |
| understand that the conventional method on | | | | played in G major, by knowing the notes of the |
| learning how to play the piano or the guitar is a | | | | G major scale, knowing what notes are most |
| real challenge and will need to take years to | | | | likely to be played and knowing what notes are |
| master the musical instrument. | | | | not likely to be played, you will then be able to |
| To put it candidly, learning, not to say mastering a | | | | predict what notes will be played and what notes |
| musical instrument is not an easy task. It requires | | | | have already been played. It is just that simple. |
| an intensive level of comprehension, application of | | | | By knowing what scale the songs are created |
| the techniques and skill and most of all, a dogged | | | | from, by knowing what notes are immediately |
| determination. | | | | eliminated or less likely to occur in a melody or |
| Furthermore, it can never be really be mastered | | | | tune and by knowing what notes are most likely |
| because there will always be something new to | | | | to be repeated, you can learn and play any song |
| learn such as unused chord progression, unfamiliar | | | | on the guitar or piano by ear. Of course, there |
| music theory, or exploring different genres of | | | | are more to this if you want to be an |
| music. So by learning how to play music by ear, | | | | accomplished play by ear musician. |