[oki270]

So, I'm playing a guitar for a little over a year and I got really fast on both open chords and barre ones (when I started I thougth it would not be possible ) and I'm ready for next big step.

I was totally irritated by music teacher I had in high school who could play any song I mentioned by ear. I would for instance say - do you know that XYZ song and he would say - "does not that go like this..." and he would play it perfectly and he probably never played it before. Well, I want to be able to do that at least something similar.

Other important reason is that I'm not very good in remembering chord sequences from a lot of songs - I memorize like 20 of them.

So, playing by ear - I need advices here how to start, what to practice, what to do to learn playing by ear.

Kirk, can we get some lesson on playing by ear?

Thanks,
O.

[Fretsource]

To play by ear, you should do some ear training practice. You could try my Ear Training Lessons.

Another approach is to just sit and try to work out any tune or chords by starting with very simple songs and gradually build up your awareness of how a melody is rising or falling and by how much.
With chords, you'll find that loads of simple songs have just 3 chords, depending on the key, as follows:
Key of C - the three chords are C F G
Key of D - D G & A
Key of E - E A & B
Key of G - G C & D
Key of A - A D & E
The last chord shown in each key can also be a 7th chord, e.g., G7 instead of G, in the key of C
Those are the guitar-friendly major keys, so stick with them. Forget minor keys for the moment.
Knowing this saves you a lot of time jumping all over the place with dozens of random chords in the hope of finding the right one by chance.

And if you're working out a song by memory - you can choose any of those keys - they'll all work equally well, (although you might not be able to sing in some of them).

If you're trying to copy what you're listening to on a CD, then you'll have to match your key to the one you're hearing. That's more complicated, especially if they're playing in a not-so-friendly key such as A flat.

I suggest you start first with some very simple songs that you know well from memory.

[allthumbs]

You need to memorize 6 to a dozen of the more common chord progressions. That is a big leg up if you know what chord is likely coming next as your playing.

[felixdcat]

I can't do it, but I guess it's all about hearing chord changes - once again. Just learn the sound of the progressions, and then when someone states you the key, you'll know it.

[oki270]

fretsource,

I'll check out your lessons, thanx for pointing them. I know this is a HUGE step but I also know that learning this will do a big help on improvising / composing / playing and most importantly..just enjoying very much when I take my guitar so I'm sure it is worth it.

O.

[Aunt Doty]

I found that jamming with other players without written music forces you to train your ear. Of course you have to find someone that doesn't mind a beginner sitting in and doesn't give you the evil eye if you occasionally hit a wrong note!

[felixdcat]

Originally Posted by oki270

fretsource,

I'll check out your lessons, thanx for pointing them. I know this is a HUGE step but I also know that learning this will do a big help on improvising / composing / playing and most importantly..just enjoying very much when I take my guitar so I'm sure it is worth it.

O.

Good luck!

[Dhaygood]

Playing by ear is something that came to me over time.

[felixdcat]

I actually think you just have to organize and always know what you're playing. Then you'll be able to play by ear in time.

[Kirk Lorange]

oki270 ... always remember that every piece of music has at its core a structure based on the I-IV-V chords, which are the ones Fretsource pointed you to. So if you concentrate your ear training on hearing those changes first, you'll be halfway there.

I'll think about putting together some ear training lessons too, that's a good idea.

[Hilch]

Where do minor chords fall into keys ?

Key of D - D G & A can I use Am instead of A or A7 ?

[Fretsource]

Hilch - in a major key, the minor chords occur on ii, iii, and vi. In the key of D major, that's Em, F#m and Bm.

In the context of Oki's question, which was about finding the right chords for a given song, then the short answer is no, you can't use A minor instead of A major or A7, unless the original song also did that. Try singing and playing "Happy Birthday" in D major at a kid's birthday party using A minor instead of A - and watch the tears of confusion and disappointment start to flow, just before the parents unceremoniously evict you from the premises.

If you mean, can you write a song in D major using v instead of V or V7 (i.e., Am instead of A or A7), then yes you can. You can choose any chords you like, but the end result will sound more modal than tonal, without the tonally defining V or V7 chord.

[jbhiller]

1. Locate the the "I" or root of the song. This is your key. If it seems too much, just start on one string. Move your finger up and down until you can resolve the song to its key. If this is hard, find a song you like and know the key of already. What are you playing to now? If it's in C, figure out why it's in C.

2. Now you have it in the key of __. As Kirk says, identify your I, IV and V chords.

3. Try to play a I, vi, ii, V7, progression over the song now to see what chords pop out. That is I (major), ii (minor), vi (minor), V7 (major). In C, this would be C, Aminor, Dminor, G7.

4. The next part is tricky. You need to start identifying chords and their changes from songs you listen to. A master will hear a song while driving her car and will feel, see, or know where they are supposed to move their fingers. In the beginning you just need to hear and indentify a chord or two. Perhaps the I and the V7 are your best bets. In C, those would be C and G7.

5. Play alot of songs. Try to figure alot of them out. Check your work on tabulature databases but remember those blokes figured it by ear too so they could be wrong.

Good luck.

PS: The blues or simple rock is a good place to start. With the blues, you have I, IV, V progressions over and over. Beat that dead horse for about 100 hours of listening and playing and you will always hear your I, IV, V.

[jbhiller]

Hitch,

I forgot to note that in songs written in an entirely major chord key the chords are as follows:

I: Major, ie. C
ii: Minor, ie. Dminor
iii: Minor, ie. Eminor
IV: Major, ie. F.
V: Major, ie. G.
vi: Minor, ie. Aminor.
vii: It's a weird animal called a diminished (a B dimin in our example). Leave it alone for a bit. When you need it you will learn it.

[tonedeaf]

Originally Posted by allthumbs

You need to memorize 6 to a dozen of the more common chord progressions. That is a big leg up if you know what chord is likely coming next as your playing.

Would that be the I-III-V's of the 12 keys?