Playing by ear

**grh** · 03-11-2012

How rare is the ability to play music by ear? I wan't to pay someone to help me learn how to play my own songs/compositions from a long time ago. (I can not play by ear, so I have no way to remember the music.) Is it difficult to find someone in this area?

**Phrasemaker** · 03-11-2012

I don't think I can answer the question "how rare" but I think it's pretty common to be able to remember a melody, hence the intervals that form it. The play by ear is very broad, some people can name a note they hear, others can find that note by simply hearing it and then playing it. I have come across some people who when playing notes on an instrument, are unable to make a distinction between note intervals which makes it difficult to find a melody even if not in the original key. Speaking is often melodic, I sometimes string a sentence together which makes no sense at all using words I speak naturally which will form the melodic phrase I have in mind, I then replace the nonsense with my actual lyrics, it's a method which I find useful. If you have absolutely no record of the music then it might be case of using lyrics if you have them to find the melodies, then you can get a musician to play some chords around the melody until you find the progression you want.

Good luck

Tim

**Track Rat** · 03-11-2012

I ONLY play by ear. I can't imagine sight reading.

**GazEcc** · 03-11-2012

3 tips,

Play the root note of the chords,
write them down,
try different tonalities of the chords, major, minor, sus2 etc

Problem sorta solved

**grimtraveller** · 03-11-2012

Originally Posted by grh

I want to pay someone to help me learn how to play my own songs/compositions from a long time ago. (I can not play by ear, so I have no way to remember the music.)

Do you remember the actual melodies of the songs ?

**grh** · 03-12-2012

Originally Posted by grimtraveller

Do you remember the actual melodies of the songs ?

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I have everything recorded, someone just needs to listen and be able to play the music. They are not songs, they are short compositions with no lyrics. I know this is the songwriting forum, but I did not know where this would go. Do you believe I will be able to find someone local who can help?

**grimtraveller** · 03-12-2012

Originally Posted by grh

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I have everything recorded, someone just needs to listen and be able to play the music. They are not songs, they are short compositions with no lyrics. I know this is the songwriting forum, but I did not know where this would go. Do you believe I will be able to find someone local who can help?

I'm a little confused here. What exactly is recorded and what's the purpose in someone playing the music you've recorded ? Is it for a live performance ?
As for whether you'd be able to find someone local that can help, I don't know because I don't know who you are or where you live. Even if I did, there's no way that I could know which musicians that play by ear are near you.
Thus far, you've been mysteriously vague.

Originally Posted by grh

They are not songs

Originally Posted by grh

I wan't to pay someone to help me learn how to play my own songs/compositions from a long time ago.

**moresound** · 03-12-2012

Originally Posted by Track Rat

I ONLY play by ear. I can't imagine sight reading.

I read --it's like a second language.

I can play by ear too - but it really really hurts.

**grh** · 03-12-2012

Originally Posted by grimtraveller

I'm a little confused here. What exactly is recorded and what's the purpose in someone playing the music you've recorded ? Is it for a live performance ?
As for whether you'd be able to find someone local that can help, I don't know because I don't know who you are or where you live. Even if I did, there's no way that I could know which musicians that play by ear are near you.
Thus far, you've been mysteriously vague.

They are short pieces of music some may refer as music loops/samples. The reason I need someone to play them for me is because the sound quality of the recordings are terrible. However, my music and playing is incredible. That is the reason I need to make new recordings with myself playing.

**Track Rat** · 03-12-2012

Technically, I can read music in that I can figure out note names on a page and know a whole note from a 16th, but I'll learn a new tune a LOT faster by listening than sheet music.