playing by ear

[Elliot]

Apart from easy chord stuff like Ziggy Stardust or Dead Kennedy's three chord thrash I have never been able to do it - in saying that I have never really sat down a tried.

Is it something that can be learned?  Does it come after practice or is it innate?

[sambo]

our music teacher says it can be learnt.... but dunno if shes right.... i guess in theory it could be... you just get used to the notes and the intervals between them- 3rd 5ths 6ths e.t.c

[indysmith]

my old teacher could do it - yu'd hum him a tune and he'd play it, or he'd just playing along to whatever was on the radio next door, lol.
ohhhhh the envy  8)  He learned it - he went to the guitar institute for a few years...

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

I GUESS, that mineīs are Innate, but mixed with some trainning.
well i do this way : i get a riff, 4 notes sequence. power chords for an example.
First, i certify myself that the song i m trying to learn by ear is Tuned the same tune as one of my 3 guitars(E, c or D) if not, iīll find out, by ear, trying to find the low E string played alone and trying to find what note is that, and then.. i tune my acoustick or a cr@p guitar, to that tune, and then i start by trying to find where it the first note of that 4 notes riff.
and then i find the others.
but , you need to know some examples.. i mean, someoneīs have to show your your first steps first. cause, without refference, itīs a lot hard .
Q:)
I  learned an entire album by ear. itīs not a easy one
Ophthalamia - Via Dolorosa.
itīs black/Doom metal from sweden. try to have a listen to it on the net.
$%&#ing Hails
J.P
i just play by ear, i donīt know nothing about music theory, except the notes names.
no harmony or melody stuff.. no timing, but i have my own timing by learningn song by ear.

[maliciousteve]

You could also try and solo over the songs you listen to. It helps with playing the right notes for the right progression and helps with developing your ear

[38thBeatle]

I have spent most of my playing life playing by ear and whilst I did learn a fair amount of music theory fairly early on, I have relied upon playing by ear for, by far, the vast ,majority of work. Having said all that, there is definately a lot to be said for learning "the dots".Ideally both playing by ear and being able to read a score would be the way to go and I think the opportunities for guitarists are now better than they have ever been so go and fill your boots chaps.

[Jonesy]

maaan i wanna need to learn some music theory...thnik ill get a book on it or sumthing :roll:

[indysmith]

bah, hendrix never knew any theory. screw theory...

[HJM]

I doubt that Hendrix didn't know any theory, one of his biggest buddies was a jazz bass player,  when he was in the army he used to jam with him.  Plus all those years on the road in the US, you would learn so much.

Theory's no good without knowing how and when to use it. It's more important as an analysis tool, but it can open you up to new compositional possibilities.

[Dakine]

I doubt anything (music or otherwise) of any significance was ever acheived with a closed mind.  :lol:

[donovan.x]

Indy.. the more you know the better! I have started to get deeper and deeper into theory and I have found that it is opening the fret board up further than ever before.
You can never know to much.

[Bird]

Anything can be learned given enough time and the proper instruction. If you're trying to learn stuff by ear do it one note or one chord at a time. Don't concern yourself with the phrasing. Never try and learn a section at a time, and practice practice practice.

[Searcher]

You can download programs like The Amazing Slow Downer that will, uh, slow down songs for you.  I recommend that plus a set of headphones and a CD of songs you wanna figure out.  It take practice, but it gets easier and easier.

My wife has the most amazing ear for music ever.  She can hear a song once on the radio and a year later sing the melody in the right key, note for note.

[Bird]

You can download programs like The Amazing Slow Downer that will, uh, slow down songs for you.  I recommend that plus a set of headphones and a CD of songs you wanna figure out.  It take practice, but it gets easier and easier.

My wife has the most amazing ear for music ever.  She can hear a song once on the radio and a year later sing the melody in the right key, note for note.

  :D My wife is like that too, great ear, except she whistles everything and it can get pretty fancy.  :lol: Her brother has a great ear for figuring stuff out too, must be genetics.

[38thBeatle]

My eldest son has perfect pitch- I have never seen him caught out.