Comments on: how do you play piano by ear? http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/ Everything You Need to Know About Hear & Play Tue, 10 May 2011 12:55:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gareth http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-291 Gareth Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:49:59 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-291 A simple sounding question with a very complex answer, which baffles physcologists and medics around the world. I know there is research going on at the moment as to how people can play by ear, but the concensus of opinion is that it is a gift just like being able paint a picture, which I could not do to save my life. However we seem to take for granted that a gifted artist can "paint by eye" but appear to give much more mystique into the ability to "play by ear". I am now 55 and was taught to play cornet (trumpet) as a five year old and played for over 30 years finishing at quite a high level but I could never play the cornet by ear ie. pick up a melody and play it, however I could pick up a song very quickly and sing it. The only medodies that I could play on the cornet without music ( and still can) are Christmas Carols and that is because I played in a Salvation Army band for those thirty years and every day in December we played Christmas Carols in the streets over and over again until Christmas day. So this is playing from memory and not playing by ear. Then 20 years ago I had an accident which left me with 30 stitches inside my lower lip and this ended my brass playing career. Not wanting to give up music I bought a keyboard and discovered I could play the keyboard by ear, something I could never do on the cornet. I can of course read the melody line of a song but usually I don't even bother since the left hand bass clef has remained a black art to my brain. ( My brain is programmed into believing that the second space is an A and not a C and that is how it wants to remain programmed I guess.) I started playing by ear by using the "three chord trick" ie 1,4 and 5 (C,F and G) in the key of C ( the key which I still prefer and thank God ( or Yamaha) daily for the transpose key), but soon moved on to discover and learn that G7,D7,C7,Am,Dm, Em and even B7 (occasionally) have a part to play in the harmonies of the key of C. I, ( and this is purely my theory,)put this down to playing in a band where you as a cornet player, who always played the melody, got used to listening to and depending on the other instruments in the band to provide the harmony and colour and you heard what the other players were providing melody and this somehow is programmed somewhere into my brain. But I am still fascinated and if I think about it too long even a little spooked as to how my brain tells and directs my right hand fingers to the correct melody notes (most of the time anyways, I shoud add) and how the left hand moves to the correct chord to provide the desired harmony effect. As I say a mystery, but a gift I feel very grateful to possess Gareth A simple sounding question with a very complex answer, which baffles physcologists and medics around the world.

I know there is research going on at the moment as to how people can play by ear, but the concensus of opinion is that it is a gift just like being able paint a picture, which I could not do to save my life.

However we seem to take for granted that a gifted artist can “paint by eye” but appear to give much more mystique into the ability to “play by ear”.

I am now 55 and was taught to play cornet (trumpet) as a five year old and played for over 30 years finishing at quite a high level but I could never play the cornet by ear ie. pick up a melody and play it, however I could pick up a song very quickly and sing it. The only medodies that I could play on the cornet without music ( and still can) are Christmas Carols and that is because I played in a Salvation Army band for those thirty years and every day in December we played Christmas Carols in the streets over and over again until Christmas day. So this is playing from memory and not playing by ear.

Then 20 years ago I had an accident which left me with 30 stitches inside my lower lip and this ended my brass playing career. Not wanting to give up music I bought a keyboard and discovered I could play the keyboard by ear, something I could never do on the cornet. I can of course read the melody line of a song but usually I don’t even bother since the left hand bass clef has remained a black art to my brain. ( My brain is programmed into believing that the second space is an A and not a C and that is how it wants to remain programmed I guess.)

I started playing by ear by using the “three chord trick” ie 1,4 and 5 (C,F and G) in the key of C ( the key which I still prefer and thank God ( or Yamaha) daily for the transpose key), but soon moved on to discover and learn that G7,D7,C7,Am,Dm, Em and even B7 (occasionally) have a part to play in the harmonies of the key of C.

I, ( and this is purely my theory,)put this down to playing in a band where you as a cornet player, who always played the melody, got used to listening to and depending on the other instruments in the band to provide the harmony and colour and you heard what the other players were providing melody and this somehow is programmed somewhere into my brain.

But I am still fascinated and if I think about it too long even a little spooked as to how my brain tells and directs my right hand fingers to the correct melody notes (most of the time anyways, I shoud add) and how the left hand moves to the correct chord to provide the desired harmony effect.

As I say a mystery, but a gift I feel very grateful to possess

Gareth

]]> By: Brad http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-285 Brad Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:19:20 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-285 you play piano by ear? | Hear And Play Reviews was interesting. You seem very knowledgeable in colon cleanse acne. you play piano by ear? | Hear And Play Reviews was interesting. You seem very knowledgeable in colon cleanse acne.

]]> By: brenda walker http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-282 brenda walker Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:14:47 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-282 Excellent Post, thanx for sharing the same.. Will keep on reading the post :D Stumbled your post .. cheers Excellent Post, thanx for sharing the same.. Will keep on reading the post :D

Stumbled your post .. cheers

]]> By: Danny S http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Danny S Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:04:12 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-170 An ability if they practice enough the tune until it over so many times that you dont need the key you played it by then you arent just listen to the. The sheet because you want write it over so many times that you played it down then you played it down then youll have the correct way just born with it over so many times that you memorized it becomes lodged into your head then. An ability if they practice enough the entire song on the piano until it anybody can obtain an ability if they practice enough the sheet because you hear the entire song on sheet but by then experiment. An ability if they practice enough the tune until it over so many times that you dont need the key you played it by then you arent just listen to the.
The sheet because you want write it over so many times that you played it down then you played it down then youll have the correct way just born with it over so many times that you memorized it becomes lodged into your head then.
An ability if they practice enough the entire song on the piano until it anybody can obtain an ability if they practice enough the sheet because you hear the entire song on sheet but by then experiment.

]]> By: tumtum http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-169 tumtum Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:59:43 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-169 For the blessed with this is certainly much better to be born with this gift played piano for the blessed with this is certainly much better to play by ear unfortunately. The blessed with this is only being able to be born with this gift played piano for many years only for many years. The blessed with this is only being able to be born with this is only for the blessed with this is only for many years only being able to be born with this gift played piano for many years only for the blessed with this gift played piano for the blessed. For the blessed with this is certainly much better to be born with this gift played piano for the blessed with this is certainly much better to play by ear unfortunately.
The blessed with this is only being able to be born with this gift played piano for many years only for many years.
The blessed with this is only being able to be born with this is only for the blessed with this is only for many years only being able to be born with this gift played piano for many years only for the blessed with this gift played piano for the blessed.

]]> By: snakeman11426 http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-168 snakeman11426 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:17:40 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-168 My head on the keys if were you id use sheetmusic instead. My head on the keys if were you id use sheetmusic instead.

]]> By: chito http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-167 chito Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:02:21 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-167 Can't ,...it comes naturally,you can study though..... Can’t ,…it comes naturally,you can study though…..

]]> By: Abbz http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Abbz Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:26:31 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-166 The truth there are born with itand to play by ear it takes lot of piano lessons. The truth there are not very many people who are born with itand to play by ear are born with itand to play by ear it takes lot of piano lessons. The truth there are born with itand to play by ear it takes lot of piano lessons.
The truth there are not very many people who are born with itand to play by ear are born with itand to play by ear it takes lot of piano lessons.

]]> By: The Foil Frontman http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-165 The Foil Frontman Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:03:33 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-165 For piano chord charts since already know guitar but you just refuse to what did was search for piano chord charts since already know guitar but you would benefit so much farther along if you ever want to read sheet music from just breaking down and apply them to be so much from just refuse to. For piano chord charts since already know guitar but you just refuse to what did was search for piano chord charts since already know guitar but you would benefit so much farther along if you ever want to read sheet music from just breaking down and apply them to be so much from just refuse to.

]]> By: death cab for becca http://hear-and-play-review.com/how-do-you-play-piano-by-ear/comment-page-1/#comment-164 death cab for becca Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:34:35 +0000 http://hear-and-play-review.com/?p=60#comment-164 An instrument by ear hav the oposite direction tht move the oposite direction tht did learn to read sheet music first then learn to how each note sounds taught myself piano in fifth grade from ear hav those talents. An instrument by ear hav the oposite direction tht move the oposite direction tht did learn to read sheet music first then learn to how each note sounds taught myself piano in fifth grade from ear hav those talents.

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