Trying to learn my first song by Ear

homercaholic · #1 09-01-2009, 05:21 PM

Ive chosen this song here to try and learn by ear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmab0...rom=PL&index=8

Now dont ask a guy why a guy whos bass Idols are Jason Newsted and Flea wants to learn this, but I just really like the song! Anyway, after a half hour of listening over and over again the most ive been able to accomplish is that the bass starts 1:03....

I dont know where to start?? This is my first ever attempt at learning a song by ear and so far ive gone through every note on the fretboard trying to see which one sounds right...I know its the wrong way so can someone point me in the right direction?

tom once dead · #2 09-01-2009, 05:26 PM

not trying to put you down or anything, but unless you have a really good ear, I wouldn't reccommend trying to learn a song by ear; especially if you have to go through every note on the fretboard.

I have a really good ear; and I didn't start being able to learn things by ear after playing for about 3 years.

BigOldHarry · #3 09-01-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom once dead

not trying to put you down or anything, but unless you have a really good ear, I wouldn't reccommend trying to learn a song by ear; especially if you have to go through every note on the fretboard.

I have a really good ear; and I didn't start being able to learn things by ear after playing for about 3 years.

I don't know... I was started learning by ear before my first lesson...

HOWVER, it is REALLY helpful to know basic scales and chord change patterns so you and predict where the song is going. Example: If the song is a typical rock and roll song, and you sort out that the main key is "A", then it's a good bet that it will be going to D and then likely to E...

I'm all for sitting with the radio on, noodling to tunes. Any reason to keep you hands on your instrument.

homercaholic · #4 09-01-2009, 05:39 PM

Ive gotten the VERY basics of chords and scales down but not where I want to be at the moment. I want to start learning by ear to improve my musical ear, I cant rely on tabs my entire life so I want to learn how to transcribe and play what I hear.

Tabs are made by someone, and the first person has to make them by ear (unless they come from a book) so why cant I be the one who can make them?

Ive been playing for about 3 years as well, more off then on in the past but very "on" now.

RicPlaya · #5 09-01-2009, 05:55 PM

I still learn most of my tunes by ear, even with tab it's wrong half the time and you have to fix tabs anyway so you better learn.

Your on the right path by listening to it over and over again.

I find the root notes first and listen to what other instruments are doing for reference. And this is a perfect sond to start with because it's straight forward. But play the same notes the accosutic guitar is playing and follow that around. Don't worry about all the little "diddys" the bass player is doing till you figure out the root notes, then you can work on what's called the passing notes..or that duh duh duh da...between the root notes. Key off the accoustic guitar, listen to the drums for groove and just keep working at it.

tommy gilstrap · #6 09-01-2009, 06:03 PM

A great help to figuring out chord changes in songs is being familiar with the sound of the intervals, the relationship between a note and the next note. I listened to about 30 seconds of that song and it sounds to me like a I-VI-IV-V then a I-VI-II-V. I don't know what key the song is in, but in the key of E that would be E-C#-A-B then E-C#-F#-B. Good luck and keep learning!

semajniwdoog · #7 09-01-2009, 06:10 PM

If you can sing it, you can play it. Listen to the song devide it into sections - learn one section at a time. If your having trouble finding even the first note, sing it, hum it - whatever and keep singing it until you can find it in your fingerboard. the rest of the notes are bound to be close by. The key is to hear it in your head. I've played by ear from the moment I picked up the instrument - hear it your head and it will come out.

jumbosilverette · #8 09-01-2009, 06:18 PM

HMM. i get E C# G# B

GlennPagano · #9 09-01-2009, 07:50 PM

I started playing bass about 3 months ago and I usually just take a song and jam around to it and play stuff that sounds good. Some of the Songs I have learned are the main riff of Druid by sleep, Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin (think blues scale) and Midnight Rider by Allman Brothers (think penatonic).

homercaholic · #10 09-01-2009, 08:42 PM

Im going to give it another go tomorrow, I really need to get more theory under my belt and its really starting to show when you try to go without tabs...

I can sing it, I can get the tone in my head and I think that will be a great way to match the notes with my voice. I'll keep you updated tomorrow.

Rudreax · #11 09-01-2009, 08:54 PM

Just jump right into it. You should never wait too long before you start to learn things by ear. Just play around on the bass at first until you can match the tones of your bass and the song.

owen_liam · #12 09-02-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudreax

Just jump right into it. You should never wait too long before you start to learn things by ear. Just play around on the bass at first until you can match the tones of your bass and the song.

Second that. I learnt everything by ear. Unlike some players, I find my ear to be more trustworthy than tab and the like. Only your ear can tell you how something should feel as well as what the notes are.

The more you do it, the easier it gets. My way of doing it was simply putting on the CD and playing it over and over again, playing along until the parts fell into place. I would spend hours doing it. As others have said here, after a while you can hear intervals easily and can get a tune very quickly. Now I can usually play a bass line by ear before I've even finished listening through a song for the first time!

So keep going! And going, and going, and going!

Good luck

TimoMetzemakers · #13 09-02-2009, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jumbosilverette

HMM. i get E C# G# B

Me too. By the way, I think the actual chords are:

| E | C#m | G#m | Bsus4 B |

jumbosilverette · #14 09-02-2009, 01:54 PM

Hey Timo. Very hip material on your myspace page. (end of post derail)

RicPlaya · #15 09-02-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homercaholic

Im going to give it another go tomorrow, I really need to get more theory under my belt and its really starting to show when you try to go without tabs...

I can sing it, I can get the tone in my head and I think that will be a great way to match the notes with my voice. I'll keep you updated tomorrow.

Wh8at will end up happening is you will be using a lot of thoery playing these tunes by ear and not even know it at first. If you can hear it, you can play it! One little device I found helpful is a bass trainer by Tascam. You can slow down the CD and loop parts over and over again till you can get it right. You don't need theory to learn by ear, but you will learn thoery. No method is right or wrong, have to find what works for you and the only way to do it is by trying it. I like to listen a lot before playing it, some people pick up the bass and just start playing...good luck!