Advance Listening Tips?

santucci218 · #1 03-03-2010, 12:17 AM

Honestly, I really care about music. My Music, others music, I have been taking it more seriously to find my own voice in music, and recognize others as well. I work in a music store. Me and my ex guitar teacher share cd's. I give this guy the oddest stuff to check out. He comes back and its like he knows it better than me! He doesnt just hear a vocal melody, or a song, he hears like, the theory, like everything going into the songs. It's insane! I envy it so much. I'm talking for music I have already listened to 1,000 times to music thats new to my ears. I really need to learn how to listen better. Can you guys give me some help?

MNAirHead · #2 03-03-2010, 12:30 AM

What is the message trying to be conveyed?
What are the notable elements?
How is activty structured?
how is melody/countermelody/rhythem/chart constructed?
What elements does it have?
What is it like that you already know?

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We then move to the details

santucci218 · #3 03-03-2010, 12:31 AM

seems like a ton to apply whilst listening!

dalconthenovice · #4 03-03-2010, 02:28 AM

chords are whats hardest for me when it comes to listening but after practicing my chord tones over and over (sigh) and over repetitively over a period i time and listening to chords via this instrument simulator i have that started because a bit easier

another one is knowing EXACTLY what note is being played, i always seem to have to jump back in forth to find the key before i can figure out the rest (help help! i can't find the key!)

but i feel like in most playing situations your going to know the key, and its not unprofessional to ask, chord tonalities can with just practice practice practice
when you know what key the song is in and your trying to develop melody or play the melody you got to just be aware of intervals theres thousands of amazing ways to practice being able to know the intervals just by hearing it
the rest is just knowing the structure of the song which really isn't as hard as people make it most songs even to this day follow some like I, IV, V format or something to that degree

those questions up there? just knock em down one at a time, when jammin do a backtrack just think about one of those things at a time till ya knock em dead!

dalconthenovice · #5 03-03-2010, 02:31 AM

by the way if you have two ears? make use of both of them (i actually don't have two ears so i gotta make use of ONE but i still get the job done!)

bass349 · #6 03-03-2010, 03:07 AM

I believe the more you transcribe MUSIC (not just basslines) the more obvious the answer will be. Learn to play and sing melodies, solos and root notes. Transcribe some drum grooves, horn lines, vocal harmonies etc. Learn and really understand basic diatonic harmony (as a starting point). Get inside the music! The more you do this the more your ears will develop, and the easier all this stuff starts to become

Also, a good set of cans (or in-ear type headphones) helps!

santucci218 · #7 03-03-2010, 10:03 AM

so you pretty much all agree that dissecting songs is the best way to just be able to hear them as they are in the future?

bass349 · #8 03-03-2010, 07:19 PM

Well i'd hazard a guess that it's more that you need to develop your ear - the best way to do that (imo) is to transcribe music. I have absoluteley no idea realistically where your ears are at. Can you hear a progression and know what it is without picking up an instrument? Can you hear different chord qualities (maj, mi, sus etc) as you're listening to a tune? Could you rhythmically write out the drum groove and/or rhythmic synchopation after hearing a few bars, know the time signature etc? could you sit down with a reference pitch and transcribe a bassline or melody away from your instrument?

If your answer to all those questions are yes, then id say that that you simply need to develop your critical listening a little more - ie, not listening to music as background music, but listen with an open mind and critical ear. However, I think (absolutely no disrespect intended!) if you need to ask this question the problem may be deeper than simply listening critically

hope that all helps and gives you some food for thought!

- Andy.

dalconthenovice · #9 03-04-2010, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

so you pretty much all agree that dissecting songs is the best way to just be able to hear them as they are in the future?

if you wanna learn how to play by ear like the mastas? thats how ya do it, eventually the "breaking it down" thing just happens instinctively

JimmyM · #10 03-04-2010, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalconthenovice

if you wanna learn how to play by ear like the mastas? thats how ya do it, eventually the "breaking it down" thing just happens instinctively

+1. and don't just transcribe bass parts, either. do other instruments as well. horns are especially great to transcribe since you can learn a lot about soloing from it.

Jim Carr · #11 03-04-2010, 01:19 AM

Do you read music? Can you play piano? Can you read a lead sheet? Have you studied ear training (sight-singing/dictation), harmony, instrumentation/arranging, counterpoint, analysis, music history, etc. etc. etc.???

Music is long, life is short.

santucci218 · #12 03-04-2010, 11:44 AM

this seems like a ton of work, haha. What reading i could do, its gone. I can not play piano external to very slowly figuring out a melody i know on guitar with the notes. hardly any ear training. no arranging external to my own music. no counterpoint. not much history.

*facepalm*

JimmyM · #13 03-04-2010, 11:53 AM

of course it's a lot of work! whatsamatta, ya skeered?

music genius does not happen overnight. wish it were easier, but it's some pretty solid work you have to put in.

Jim Campbell · #14 03-04-2010, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

this seems like a ton of work, haha. What reading i could do, its gone. I can not play piano external to very slowly figuring out a melody i know on guitar with the notes. hardly any ear training. no arranging external to my own music. no counterpoint. not much history.

*facepalm*

if it was easy,what would be the value.....i would listen to stuff from guys that you normally would not......i've heard people that say they hate country,so guys like buddy miller and jerry douglas get overlooked in the process.....

a lot of guys let their skills atrophy,but you can get them back.....i put mine away for decades but i manage to get through charts now that i would not have dare to attempt a year ago.....you get out what you put in......you may not reach the heights of some of the guys here but with a little work you can be better today than you were yesterday

santucci218 · #15 03-04-2010, 10:51 PM

guess i need to teach myself to read before anything else.

What am i getting myself into? haha.