For most, the thought of picking up their guitar, walking over to the radio, and playing along to whatever is on is a fantasy. I'll be completely honest, many guitarists will never attain that fantasy. The reason why is quite simple: They have been told that their goal is beyond their reach. The common belief is only the "true professionals" can play by ear. These are the myths. The reality is that you can pick up your guitar and start learning by ear today.
I remember the first time I played something by ear to a commercial on the T.V.. It was a new found sense of freedom and success. Since that point in time, I can personally testify to the wonderful influence playing by ear has had on my abilities as a musician.
Perhaps you are a beginner, new to the world of guitar. You know the basics and are growing as a guitarist. Playing by ear can help you become better in less time. If you're more advanced, playing by ear can often save you time when transcribing music. Playing by ear is for everyone and the old saying, "You either have it or you don't," isn't necessarily true. Most people can develop a basic ear and pick out chords.
As with anything in music, you have to practice and work at refining your skills. The more you practice the tips you are about to the learn, the more success you will have. This lesson comes with two warnings:
Learning to play by ear can and will be frustrating at times. Hang in there! If you do, you will find that your reward was well worth the hardship.
Playing by ear is not meant to replace music theory, it is meant to be a great addition. Guitar theory is the way to go if you want the most accurate results.
Before we begin, go get an old favorite from your CD collection. Don't pick something complicated by Eric Clapton or the like, rather, something that has a catchy tune and is relatively simple.
Get in tune...
Being in tune goes far deeper than taking out your tuner and making sure each string is perfectly tuned up. You need to be in tune with the song. You may be thinking, "My tuner says I'm in tune, so I should be able to play with the song." If only life were that easy.
We must remember that many artists alter their music by using various tunings, capo's, and recording techniques. Many times you will encounter songs where the rhythm guitarist uses a capo, and the lead guitar doesn't. So how do you know if you are in tune? While we don't have enough time to go into depth on the topic, there is one method that usually works.
Listen for open strings. Open strings, like your E, A, D, G, B, E string are easy to hear because they sound richer and more full. Open strings also sustain (ring) longer and have more clarity. If you find that you hear an open string, and it matches the recording, you know you're in tune with the song.
If you find that you hear an open string, but the pitch you are holding down on your fretboard is on the third fret, that probably means a capo is on the third fret.
If the open string doesn't match any of your open strings, you may need to change your tuning. Find a note that does match that open tuning and tune all of your strings using that note. For this, you need to brush up on alternate tunings.
This method won't always work for you. It's trial and error and can become very frustrating. Take a breath, and try to find a note that is in tune. Work with that note until you get an idea of the tuning.
Fortunately, most of the hit songs on the radio aren't that complicated to figure out and you shouldn't have too many problems. All of the above is easy to talk about, but takes plenty of time to master.
Learn to recognize chords...
Listen to the song you've just selected repetitively. One of the most important things you can do is listen for chord changes. How do you know when a chord change happens? You hear a different tone, a switch in the feel of the music. There might even be a slight pause.
Figure out how many chord changes there are in the verses and in the chorus. This will tell you how many chords you need to figure out and where they are placed. Look at it as filling in the blanks on a game show.
Remember, the verse is what usually starts the song off. Then there might be a bridge, a few lines of vocals or maybe a little guitar solo. Then you move into the chorus, which is the most powerful part of the song.
Now, you need to figure out what key the song is in. There are a few methods to find the key without music theory, although music theory is by far the most reliable method. One way is to run through as many minor and major scales as you can think of until you find a good match. The most popular keys are C, G, D, A, E and F. Often, if you find some of the chords, you can tell what key it is in. Use this chart to help you:
Key (Major)
Relative minor Key
C
Dm
Em
F
G
Am
Bo
Db
Ebm
Fm
Gb
Ab
Bbm
Co
D
Em
F#m
G
A
Bm
C#o
Eb
Fm
Gm
Ab
Bb
Cm
Do
E
F#m
G#m
A
B
C#m
D#o
F
Gm
Am
Bb
C
Dm
Eo
F#
G#m
A#m
B
C#
D#m
E#o
G
Am
Bm
C
D
Em
F#o
Ab
Bbm
Cm
Db
Eb
Fm
Go
A
Bm
C#m
D
E
F#m
G#o
Bb
Cm
Dm
Eb
F
Gm
Ao
B
C#m
D#m
E
F#
G#m
A#o
As you can see, each key has certain chords that sound good in it. However, most of the time you won't have the slightest idea which chords are being used in the song. I suggest you locate the key using scales, then use the above chart to try out some of the chords that fit well in that key.
To figure out the chords without the chart, try picking a note on your low E or A string that sounds good with the recording you are playing. Chances are, if it's a perfect match, it means you have found the root note. In music theory, the root note names the chord. In other words, if you've found the root note, you know the name of the chord you are dealing with.
If you're still thinking, " What on earth are you talking about Jordan?" then I'll put it in different terms. Listen for the bass line. Usually, the bass line follows the chord changes quite nicely. Even if there are extra notes, you can soon rule them out by trial and error and find the root note of the chord you are looking for. Sometimes the bass player won't use the root note, and you'll have to listen to the rhythm guitar. That makes life more difficult for you but it's all a part of learning how to play by ear.
Even after locating the name of the chord, you still don't know the quality of the chord. The quality of the chord comes after you find its name. Here's an example:
You know the root note of a chord in the song is D, found on the tenth fret of your low E string. You need to find out if this chord is major, minor, augmented, diminished, or another extension. While you know the name, you need to figure out the rest of the name tag.
How do you go about figuring out the quality of the chord? You try a variety of extensions. This is where the practice comes in. Try playing popular chord extensions such as major, minor, sevenths, power chords, etc. The more you try, the more you learn.
Eventually, you'll be able to hear what kind of chord it is without the use of your guitar. Here are what common chord extensions sound like. Learn to hear these and you won't have any trouble picking out the quality of a chord on the radio.
D Major
D minor
D7
D9
D Augmented
D Diminished
D Minor
7
D Major 7
A tool to help you play by ear.
If you're looking for a great practice tool that combines ingenuity with affordability, Tascam has exactly what the doctor ordered. The Tascam CD-GT1MKII is the ultimate device to help you learn your favorite songs by ear. Simply pop in any CD and off you go. Slow down the tempo to 50% with no problem!
This allows you to learn hit songs at your own pace. Best of all, the sound will be as clear as any normal CD player, no matter what tempo you're at. Unlike many other gizmos, the Tascam CD-GT1MKII will not lose the pitch of the original material. This makes it the perfect tool to learn how to play by ear. Take some of the frustration out of playing by ear and enjoy the experience.
In addition to the tempo feature, you have a wide assortment of various options to choose from. Simply plug in your guitar to the built in jack and you can choose a custom tone from assorted effects that include distortions, chorus, delay, overdrive and much more. Do you like to sing as well? Tascam has also taken care of that aspect and included all of the same features that you see for guitar to vocals.
The effects are obviously different and you will need a mic but nowhere else will you find such versatility! With a built in tuner, the ability to loop sections of songs, the ability to slow down music without losing pitch and the ease of use... you can't go wrong with adding this under the tree. Click here to check it out.
Site Revew -- Musician War
When guitarists collaberate, something magical happens, music is created. At MusicianWar.com, you can learn professional level techniques in a friendly, comfortable atmosphere through watching and participating. The heart of Musician War is not competition, rather, encouraging one another through two-person competitions. You'll learn how to critique, produce, record, and compose music via a hands on community.
How it works is quite simple. First, you write an original piece of music and record it. Then, another member challenges you to a competition. Anyone can judge whos song is better based on the following criteria:
Excerpt from MusicanWar.com
Accuracy (who is sloppier?)
Complexity Focus (which one is harder to play?)
Composition Focus (which one has more melodic/chordal development?)
Hit Potential (which one more likely to be a hit song?)
Melody Focus (which one has a more catchy or interesting lead?)
Production Focus (who made the better backing and overall sound?)
Speed Focus (who is faster?)
...Each competitor gets constructive feedback and points. The higher your rank, the more points you can give. While the truth may hurt sometimes, any form of rudeness or insults is strictly prohibited and will be deleted and the member disciplined.
There are competitions based on skills level, ranging from the beginner up to professional level (and trust me, they are professional!) As if all of this wasn't enough, Musician War also offers lessons on recording techniques and various other production tips. If you don't have a recording setup to post recordings, no worries! There are lessons that show you which equipment is best, the price ranges, and more!
What's the hook? To gain access to this truly unique site, a membership fee of $5.00 USD is required each month. You can cancel at anytime, although I highly doubt you'll want to. If you have the right attitude, and the interest, Musician War will turn you into a seasoned guitarist with an eclectic ear for music.
When I began to research this sight only a few days before this newsletter was broadcasted, I liked it so much that I became a member. Do yourself a favor and join the club. You'll be welcomed like family.
This site is for anyone who wants to learn at a rapid pace. It's perfect for the budding guitarist who needs confidence before he/she joins a band. It's also very suiting to anyone in a band who wants to try a different style.
If you've got a particular guitar web site, cool product, new invention or can just play the guitar damn well and have amazing tips and tricks to share with our subscribers -- send us an e-mail and we'll be glad to review it.
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Conclusion
That raps up yet another edition of our Guitar Tips newsletter. We hope that you have enjoyed learning the basics of playing by ear. While it takes time, patience, and practice to play by ear, we have no doubt that it will be worth your while to try it out.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all members of the Guitar Forum for the great posts you have contributed over the past few months. The winner of our Guitar Forum contest is a user that goes by the name Sho-me. Unfortunately, I could not get a hold of him for an interview. You will hear his story and which membership he chose in a few weeks. In addition to Sho-me, you will also see the runners up.
Here at Guitar Tips, we want to foster creativity and inspire you to become a better guitarist. That's why we created the forums. I encourage all of you to take a look and sign up. Membership is free and we take care of everything. I hope to see you there.
Stay tuned for our next newsletter where we'll showcase another Guitar Tips Feature Band.
Until next time, keep on picking.
Jordan Warford
Editorial Manager
Guitar Tips Pty Ltd
WRITTEN
BY ELMORE MUSIC
If you've always wanted to learn to play the guitar but
never had the chance, give me 17 minutes a day for 90 days
and I'll show you how to play virtually any song you want!
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