| Playing by ear is the ability to play a
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| | playing by ear. The Suzuki method of
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| piece of music (or, eventually, learn an
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| | musical training, for instance, claims
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| instrument) by simply listening to it
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| | that learning music is the same as
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| repeatedly. The majority of self-taught
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| | learning a language; it's acquired by
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| musicians began their education this way;
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| | years of hearing it, eventually coupled
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| they picked up their instrument and began
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| | with formal training. Just like we pick
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| playing an easy melody from a well-known
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| | up our language by listening to our
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| song, slowly picking out the notes as
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| | parents and subsequently attending
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| they went along. And even after these
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| | school, we can learn music by playing by
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| musicians master their instruments or a
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| | ear and later taking formal lessons.
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| particular song, playing by ear still
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| | So can the average person ever hope to
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| plays a large role.
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| | play their piano by ear? Maybe not to the
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| Many pop and rock bands don't play or
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| | degree that some extremely talented
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| write their songs based on sheet music,
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| | musicians do, but anyone can learn enough
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| they figure the songs out by playing by
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| | about the basics of playing by ear if
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| ear. It's even common among
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| | they learn the following skills:
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| non-musicians. Ever sit down a piano and
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| | Being able to hear a tune and have a
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| mindlessly pick out the tune to "Mary Had
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| | general sense of the contour of the
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| a Little Lamb"? What about grabbing a
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| | melody -- when the tune moves higher or
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| guitar and suddenly finding yourself
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| | lower as the song progresses.
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| playing the opening licks to "Smoke on
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| | Learning to chart that melody contour
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| the Water"? That's playing by ear. You're
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| | either on paper or in their memory.
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| able to play part of the song just
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| | Learning to match the melody to
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| because you've heard it so often.
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| | appropriate chords.
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| Playing by ear is a valuable technique
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| | Playing by ear is really a combination of
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| for many musicians; learning songs based
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| | of three factors:
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| solely on hearing them is a great way to
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| | 1. Using your tonal memory to recall
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| understand song and chord structure. In
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| | music you have heard:
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| fact, a great number of rock and pop
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| | 2. Using your ears and fingers to help
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| musicians learned to play their
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| | you reproduce what you recall;
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| instruments this way. Instead of picking
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| | 3. Using "melody contour" (the "shape" of
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| up a book or taking lessons, they
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| | the tune), "chord structure" (how to form
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| concentrated on figuring out the notes
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| | the chords on the keyboard to match the
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| and rhythms to a song until it was
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| | tune), and "chord progressions" (the path
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| mastered. Then they moved on to another
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| | chords take as they move through a song).
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| song. And another. Gradually, they
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| | Obviously, the first 2 steps you can take
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| learned their instrument just by playing
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| | more or less by yourself -- you can
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| by ear -- and in the process learned how
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| | mentally rehearse recalling a particular
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| to effectively structure a song in that
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| | tune; you can sit at the piano for hours
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| particular genre.
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| | and through trial and error pick out
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| Playing by ear is also beneficial in
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| | tunes, chords, and rhythms. But the real
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| helping a musician develop his or her own
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| | key to playing by ear is learning how to
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| style; sure, they'll at first mimic the
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| | chart the shape of a tune, learn how to
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| style of the song they're imitating, but
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| | construct chords, and then determine the
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| the amalgamation of the music that
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| | likelihood of chord progressions -- in
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| they're playing by ear will help them
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| | other words, which chord comes next.
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| create something distinctive, something
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| | When you get an understanding of step
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| indicative of them only.
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| | three, you will be in a MUCH better
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| Though classical musicians are generally
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| | position to understand and profit from
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| educated based on tons of music theory
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| | steps one and two!
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| and sight reading, some methods rely on
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