How to Learn Tunes

Martin Sheridan · #1 12-20-2007, 10:36 AM

A few years ago I found a CD and book called How To Learn Tunes.
I'm wondering if any of you have any other sources or ideas.

I'm trying to better develop my ears to hear changes and keys.

Dan Conwell · #2 12-21-2007, 01:30 PM

I think this idea came from Jamie Aebersold. One of the best things I have done is to put on a recording and try to sing the roots of the chords. After I get the roots, I move on to the arpeggios. It's a good way to use drive time and has been a great help in learning tunes.

bankerwithabass · #3 12-21-2007, 01:48 PM

So learn the harmony, melody, rythmic patterns and good ol' repitition.

locolobo85 · #4 12-21-2007, 01:55 PM

Staight ahead with the ear is best choice.

Second is using Audacity to slow a track down without changing pitch. You're still using the ear to find the notes.

Next is to seek out the written note.

Shovelbone · #5 12-21-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locolobo85

Staight ahead with the ear is best choice.

Second is using Audacity to slow a track down without changing pitch. You're still using the ear to find the notes.

Next is to seek out the written note.

Since you mention Audacity.... I was wondering, can you actually isolate the bass line using Audacity? Or does it jsut slow the track down without changing the pitch?

Dave Speranza · #6 12-21-2007, 06:29 PM

Step 1: get an online music subscription service, I have rhapsody, $10/mo for unlimited listening

step 2: find 3 or 4 (or 9 or 10) recordings of your favorite tunes. listen to them over and over. learn to sing the melody and the lyrics

step 3: play along with the recordings. if you do this enough you will get to the point where you will know the changes before you even pick up your bass, you will just have to find the key. if you really listen to the bass enough you can probably start guessing which key the tune is in by hearing where the open strings are being played.

locolobo85 · #7 12-22-2007, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shovelbone

Since you mention Audacity.... I was wondering, can you actually isolate the bass line using Audacity? Or does it jsut slow the track down without changing the pitch?

You can't completely isolate it out of a stereo track. You can use the eq to boost in the mix or cut it.

dkziemann · #8 12-22-2007, 11:35 PM

You want to really learn a tune? Sing it over and over and over until you think your ears will fall off and you can't breathe. When you can sing it without using the music, then you know you've internalized it. Listen for chord changes and instead of just singing pitches, sing Roman Numerals (I-IV-iii-VI) etc. Try and sing the melody. Internalize everything! Listen to as many different recordings as you can. When you think you're ready, try playing it. One thing though, when you are listening DO NOT HAVE YOUR INSTRUMENT WITH YOU!!!!!! The more you can do without the instrument the better you will be when you do have it. Oscar Peterson once said that he has to play a tune about 150 times to really know it. All styles, all 12 keys, all tempos, etc.

It's a pain but it's worth it.

canshaker · #9 12-22-2007, 11:37 PM

I load a song into protools. Then I divide the song into sections (intro/verse/pre-chorus/chorus/bridge, etc.). I turn on "loop play" and play one section at a time. Each section is on infinite repeat until I hit Stop. After I learn 1 section, I move on to the next. When I get THAT one down, I play the 2 together. I keep doing this, adding a section at a time until I have the whole song down. This has been the fastest method I have ever tried.

ALSO..

The Ampeg standalone software (by IK Multimedia, makers of Amplitube) has a place to load in mp3s to play along with. You can adjust the song's time and pitch independently of each other. (i.e. you can slow it down/speed it up without affecting the pitch, or keep the tempo while changing the key.)

Jason Hollar · #10 12-23-2007, 08:23 AM

I use the jack-hammer method of constant repetition!

Singing the lyrics (if any) helps me a great deal.

Naturally, I try to learn the head on the bass and I do reference Real Books & such if I can't figure it out by ear.

Martin Sheridan · #11 12-23-2007, 11:27 AM

Thank you all for your tips.

What brought this up was that twice in the last week I played with a piano player who just starting playing without announcing the song title or even the key. I found that my response was mixed, some I played very well and some I didn't.
The ones I played well were the result of having played the same or similar structures such as a I, VI, II, V movement.

I started playing bass rather late(28), played a lot for a few years and then became absorbed in my day job and my playing slowed to the point where I was only playing once a year.

I moved to Mexico last year and have played more times than in the last 25 years combined. I want to get to where I can hear the chord changes to anything and that means practice.

Yesterday while looking for another book I found Jerry Coker's book called Improvising Jazz. In appendix D he has a "collection of tunes according to their characteristic progressions". For example, songs begining on the II7 chord.
The idea is to play and sing the changes in all 12 keys.

The other book I was thinking of is David Baker's How To Learn Tunes. He does the same kind of thing and it has a play along CD.

There is also RealBook.com which gives the tunes by chord progressions either using the Roman Numeral system or the key you want to learn it in. It also tells you the key the song is written in. It doesn't have melodies, but it has a piano track so that you can play along.

My recent experience brought me up quite abruptly regarding my shortcomings. that you can't always count on knowing the song by heart or count on any help from the piano player. In this case the piano man has been playing daily for over fifty years, it's all he's ever done. He views the songs as easy, "don't worry you'll hear it, watch my left hand etc". I've leaned to read their left hand pretty well, but getting to the new chord a half beat behind doesn't make it, sometimes they have the fifth or the third in the bottom, the songs moving right along...any way you've probably been there. The resulting experience that night was that I came home thinking that there would be no worse hell than to get stuck with a piano player who played tunes you didn't know and didn't bother even calling out the key. There are two solutions. One is to play with people who are considerate enought not to pull that stuff and the other is to develop the ear so that you can always hear where you are going. Both are good approaches, I guess.

I am almost computer illiterate so thanks for sharing the programs.

jgbass · #12 12-23-2007, 12:13 PM

Martin,

I don't think you could go wrong spending some time with David Baker's book How to Learn Tunes. I have this on my shelf as something I want to spend more time with. I have used it occasionally, and it is a good workout on common chord progressions. It also has lists of tunes that have more or less the same chord progressions. I also like the information about form. I think that is also esential. I want to get to the point where I just naturally, intuitively anticipate what the next chord is and have knowledge of the form.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #13 12-23-2007, 12:47 PM

With my students at the U., I use the following method. The "preliminary exercises" are especially important. I find that once these are internalized, playing the tune on the bass is always much easier.

(sorry - posted this earlier in the wrong thread. WTH???)

Michael Eisenman · #14 12-24-2007, 01:04 PM

Chris,

Would you please explain your Execution phase, steps 3 and 5? I'm not sure about some of the terms you use: inside walking line vs. straight 8ths, two-note shell voicings.

Thanks and happy holidays,
Michael

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #15 12-24-2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by low.eadg

Chris,

Would you please explain your Execution phase, steps 3 and 5? I'm not sure about some of the terms you use: inside walking line...

Just a basic walking line where the root of the harmony lands on the downbeat of the harmonic change and is approached in a conventional manner; basically a walking line that outlines the changes in a traditional and conventional way.

Quote:

vs. straight 8ths

In this case, a basic garden variety bossa type groove.

Quote:

two-note shell voicings.

Either a 10th ( Root up to 10 when 4th to 1st string) or a 7th (Root up to 7 when 3rd to 1st string), played as a pizz double stop within the framework of the harmonic rhythm of the tune. In addition to helping bassists hear the chord qualities of the changes, these types of voicings also create nice guide tones lines on the top string that can be useful when working on approaches to soloing. Hope this helps.