Hi everyone,

I was wondering how many of you are playing songs by ear, that is just listening to a popular song and trying to figure out the chords on your own and how many actually follow the music score ?

I've been playing songs with music score all this time and i was wondering how easy/difficult it would be to play by ear.
Hope this is not too much off topic...

Claude

[This message has been edited by wizboy (edited 11-27-2002).]

This is an appropriate question for this forum. Ask away.
I try to find the lyrics and chords on the internet but I play the melody by ear. I have a lot of trouble trying to figure out chords by ear.
You're playing songs by partition? what does that mean?
You CAN teach yourself to play by ear.
1) Get the chords to your favorite song and try to play the melody line. This works for me.
2) Get a friend to play notes and you try to hunt and peck for that note. When playing two notes, he/she should give you the 1st note, you guess the second note. (You are teaching yourself to hear the intervals (distance between notes).
I find I can figure out the melody much easier if the notes (intervals) are close together.
Starkeeper

Thanks for replying starkeeper, by partitions i meant music scores sorry for mixing up some french in there !!

Well, i've been asked to join a band and they gave me a couple of CDs of the songs they wanted to play and expected me to figure out all the chords/sequences that dealt with keyboard. I'm not so sure how to go about doing so and being very accurate at the same time. If they'd gave me chords/notes, it'll make my life much easier


Claude

Most jazz books state that the 2 minor 5 seventh and the root or the 1 chords are the foundation for playing jazz.

There are just so many chords and the more tunes you learn the chord structure to, you will find that they are all related in one way or another for the most part and it gets easier to figure the chords out by ear.

Of coures like everything else there are exceptions to the rule. For me it is still "All The Things You are" "Darn That Dream" and a few more that I find difficlut to follow and remember the chord structure to.

The chord structure is the most fasinating part of music to me. Like Dave said "Lush Life" is different also, but it doesn't turn me on enough to learn it.

Claude,
You can extract chords and melody and accompaniment using computer software. Here is a link you might find usefull: http://www.allformp3.com/mp3_other/mtm.htm
I have never done this, but I'm sure this would work. Once it's in MIDI format you can print out the score to the music.
Starkeeper

I WISH I had the ear and or the training to pick out chords to tunes ... I admire players who can sit at a kb and follow another player or vocalist just because they have a great ear, or can sense where the chord progression is going.
I have found that since I have been playing an arranger, I have gotten a little better at this ... (I know Scott .. it's practice, practice, practice!!!) ...

Getting lyrics and chords off the net is a good idea, although it's become less a resource than it was a couple of years ago (Copywrite laws and all!!) ...

brickboo .. It's interesting how some of us find some things difficult, but others don't ... While there are hundreds of songs I'll have a problem with (even if I've played them a lot), "All The Things You Are" is not one of them ... perhaps because I've developed this very simple counter melody under the chords which kind of leads me to the next chord...
t.

I have never done this, cause I guess I'm lazy. Play the songs you already have music to, but without the music in front of you. Look at the music when you get stuck.
Starkeeper

Playing by ear is a result of having a knowledge of theory. I'd suggest getting a "chord" book, illustrating the finger positions on the keyboards. It is helpful if you can learn how to 'invert' your chords...for instance a simple 'c' chord can be played 3 different ways. From the chord book, you can learn to 'flat the 3rd' for a minor, 'add a 7th note' in the scale for a Maj7, etc. I personally can say from experience that I studied like that as a kid for years... and with arrangers, it has become a great tool. If you read and then can add this approach to the arsenal, you'll be set. My chord knowledge is deep but my reading is limited and lame, which is also very frustrating.
Good luck,
Zuki

Thanks for all the inputs.
Thanks for the link Starkeeper, I'll give it a shot, that'll be great if the conversion to midi is sorta accurate.

I do know my chords but for some songs I've listened to for the very first time, it seems that I don't have the 'intuition' to pick up the chords right away and follow other players

I guess I need to go practice

Claude

Just play country music, as I do. Then you only have to learn three chords.
DonM