Best Way To Train You Ears?

[batchmister1]

I have no training on the keyboard but I want to learn more so I can play melodies and harmonize. I have been reading music theory. What is the best way for me to train my ears in order to be able to harmonize, play melodies, and be able to PLAY BY EAR?

 

[zacanger]

Ads in guitar mags notwithstanding, you either have a good ear or you don't.

 

[Crumbles]

Ads in guitar mags notwithstanding, you either have a good ear or you don't.

You're talking about perfect pitch. Anybody can learn relative pitch, which will pretty much be all you need.

 

[rayc]

The Melon has it.
There are a few progs available for ear training of relative pitch.

 

[travelin travis]

Ads in guitar mags notwithstanding, you either have a good ear or you don't.

that's completely wrong man. forget that perfect pitch crap and spend some time learning intervals.

batchmister1, some things that will help you along are learning intervals, learning to sing intervals by ear, chord construction, chord progressions, melodies, harmonies, and most importantly, incorporating it all into your playing. always spend some of your playing time noodling/experimenting (and writing!). it helps in so many ways.

 

[studiomaster]

Listen to songs and try to match it's key on the keyboard. It can get you a feeling of how each key sounds like....Once you know how each key sounds like, you could create different melodies and harmonize it.

 

[Lt. Bob]

And all these methods lead to the actual way of training your ears ..... play a LOT ..... and keep playing ...... for years and years ..... the training never stops and you can always improve until you're dead as a can of figs.
When I moved to Florida this last March .... I was already imporvising at a pretty high level ..... and I've been playing for over 40 years. But, to my surprise, I've been playing almost every night since I've been here and it's all improvisation since I never met or played with anyone here ever before and my chops have improved greatly even though I didn't expect a great difference in that area because I thought I was playing near my potential .......... WRONG!!! ...... now I don't even know what my potential might be .... it'll be interesting to find out.

So no matter who you are .... play lots and lots and that'll get you where you want to be.

 

[andycerrone]

that's completely wrong man. forget that perfect pitch crap and spend some time learning intervals.

batchmister1, some things that will help you along are learning intervals, learning to sing intervals by ear, chord construction, chord progressions, melodies, harmonies, and most importantly, incorporating it all into your playing. always spend some of your playing time noodling/experimenting (and writing!). it helps in so many ways.

I'll second that. I've taken music theory 1,2, and 3, and one thing you need to know and to be able to hear are your intervals. Know your scales, and how chords are constructed. You should be able to play a song and be like, "i'm going to jump up to the 5th to bring the song all together" and know where to go. Piano is a great way to learn, since it's pretty simple with notes and to be able to see things like arpeggios, the structure of Major and Minor scales, etc. Good luck!

 

[andycerrone]

Listen to songs and try to match it's key on the keyboard. It can get you a feeling of how each key sounds like....Once you know how each key sounds like, you could create different melodies and harmonize it.

Hey, how are those Tr-8 Monitors? I was considering getting some.

 

[studiomaster]

Hey, how are those Tr-8 Monitors? I was considering getting some.

They're great monitors man...atleast for their price.

 

[andycerrone]

They're great monitors man...atleast for their price.

I'm in the process of getting some Alesis MKII's Active, but if it doesn't fall through, those are probably the ones I'll end up with.

 

[Nicole_Rose]

And all these methods lead to the actual way of training your ears ..... play a LOT ..... and keep playing ...... for years and years ..... the training never stops and you can always improve until you're dead as a can of figs.
When I moved to Florida this last March .... I was already imporvising at a pretty high level ..... and I've been playing for over 40 years. But, to my surprise, I've been playing almost every night since I've been here and it's all improvisation since I never met or played with anyone here ever before and my chops have improved greatly even though I didn't expect a great difference in that area because I thought I was playing near my potential .......... WRONG!!! ...... now I don't even know what my potential might be .... it'll be interesting to find out.

So no matter who you are .... play lots and lots and that'll get you where you want to be.

that is very good advice.

 

[Anfontan]

And all these methods lead to the actual way of training your ears ..... play a LOT ..... and keep playing ...... for years and years ..... the training never stops and you can always improve until you're dead as a can of figs.
When I moved to Florida this last March .... I was already imporvising at a pretty high level ..... and I've been playing for over 40 years. But, to my surprise, I've been playing almost every night since I've been here and it's all improvisation since I never met or played with anyone here ever before and my chops have improved greatly even though I didn't expect a great difference in that area because I thought I was playing near my potential .......... WRONG!!! ...... now I don't even know what my potential might be .... it'll be interesting to find out.

So no matter who you are .... play lots and lots and that'll get you where you want to be.

I have to agree, I was in a band 20 some years ago where the singer would randomly start a song at a gig-out of the blue-that I didn't have a clue about. I quickly just followed the vocal melody and they led me into the next chord progression, it greatly helped my improvising skills and was a leason well learned.

 

[TragikRemix]

yes, you can very good relative pitch. learn a song that you are very familiar with, however you need to learn it. then just play along with the CD or whatever.

then try learning other songs, just by ear.

my sisters boyfriend has perfect pitch- it is amazing. honestly, the sickest thing i've ever seen.

 

[studiomaster]

I thought no one had perfect pitch. Maybe it's close to perfect, but not absolutely perfect.

 

[andycerrone]

I thought no one had perfect pitch. Maybe it's close to perfect, but not absolutely perfect.

People that have perfect pitch often have other "issues", such as they may be socially awkward, and often perfect pitch will end up consuming the persons life because they have a hard time dealing with the idea, and everytime they hear notes and things they hear it differently than us. I know 2 people with perfect pitch, and they've both got their extremely character traits.

 

[daav]

I've learned to get around on the keyboard by the folowig method:
Learn the major chords
Learn minor chords (drop the 3rd a half step).
PLay around with scales, but if you are like me, they aren;t as easy to memorize as the chrods.

Add the 7th to the major chords, with a 7th, you now know 4 of the 7 different notes of the major scale. it isn't too difficult to stretch beyond that to pick out the other notes.

As for learning to pick up melodies, my ear sucks too, but gets better and better the more i play and learn more about theory as i get better at playing.

Daav

 

[easlern]

I'll agree with learning piano. 90% of what I know about music (however little that may be ) I learned through piano lessons. You'll be picking out harmonies and intervals in no time. Well, maybe with a little practice. . .

 

[andycerrone]

I've learned to get around on the keyboard by the folowig method:
Learn the major chords
Learn minor chords (drop the 3rd a half step).
PLay around with scales, but if you are like me, they aren;t as easy to memorize as the chrods.

Add the 7th to the major chords, with a 7th, you now know 4 of the 7 different notes of the major scale. it isn't too difficult to stretch beyond that to pick out the other notes.

As for learning to pick up melodies, my ear sucks too, but gets better and better the more i play and learn more about theory as i get better at playing.

Daav

Here's some help.

You know how it's C major, no flats, and it goes up?
Well it goes in this order..
B-E-A-D-G-C-F

B flat major has 2 flats (B and E), E flat major has 3 flats (B-E-A) A flat major has 4 flats (B-E-A-D).. catching on? F flat major is the only one that doesn't follow that rule. It has one flat (B). The sharps is reverse, sorta. I could explain it, but I'm in need of a shower. Hope that helps somewhat!