again - how to "hear" chords, scales?

[fraublugher]

Time is your only obstical [tortoise and the hare] , just keep working at it.
Your head might be full of information , but with music the application of the info doesn't come for years later.
Before you know it [literally]you'll be sliding natural 6's and .... what was that , did i just invent the neopolitan 6 , no , but it sure is fun to play.
Don't stop.

 

[thehangingmist]

thanks! i wish there was a progressive list of songs to learn by ear in the order of harmonic and melodic difficulty lol

 

[bassinplace]

Doesn't matter. Just pick out stuff you like. Keep it fun and challenging! I'm working on some Esperanza Spalding right now. Her lines are just...wow.

 

[David Jayne]

I'm guessing you read really well and know a thing or two about theory......?



I have exactly the opposite problem you've got--I can hear my way through just about anything except maybe a big-band gig, but I can't read the charts to save my life.

I really think it boils down to how you first learned to play. In my case it was by spinning records and just figuring it out, for fun. I can play Spain easily--I've heard it lots of times and have internalized the melody--this is how I've always done it. I've got Coltrane solos memorized but couldn't write them out(can't play them either, lol). But you could say I'm in a rut--I never learned proper theory, or reading., because I could always cheat my way through by hearing stuff.

Seems to me you have the opposite problem, no?

Maybe you need to put the charts and pencils away for awhile and simply force yourself to figure things out by ear.

 

[elgecko]

thanks! i wish there was a progressive list of songs to learn by ear in the order of harmonic and melodic difficulty lol

Start with a 12 bar blues.

 

[smeet]

Starting with the blues is a good idea. I recommend jazz changes, like Tenor Madness or something similar. Write the changes out in a few different keys (maybe Bb, F, C for jazz, A, G and E for rock). Write out the chord tones for each chord and be able to find them all over the neck. Learn to walk through the changes. Improvise over a recording using either the blues (or minor pentatonic) scale, or the chord tones of each change.

And really look over the miles.be site given earlier. The eartraining app on there is great, and some of the articles on eartraining and transcribing are very helpful and thought-provoking.

 

[thehangingmist]

Start with a 12 bar blues.

Starting with the blues is a good idea. I recommend jazz changes, like Tenor Madness or something similar. Write the changes out in a few different keys (maybe Bb, F, C for jazz, A, G and E for rock). Write out the chord tones for each chord and be able to find them all over the neck. Learn to walk through the changes. Improvise over a recording using either the blues (or minor pentatonic) scale, or the chord tones of each change.

And really look over the miles.be site given earlier. The eartraining app on there is great, and some of the articles on eartraining and transcribing are very helpful and thought-provoking.

did work on all of that through last year

 

[Zootsuitbass]

Not so hot for learning to hear harmony but..

I LOVE pick up tunes app on my phone. I just wish they had more tonics..

 

[thehangingmist]

looking for a bunch of songs with regular chord progressions with major and minor chords and simple melodies etc
should find out more about pop music now!

 

[elgecko]

Here's another very common chord progression.

Santana - Europa

 

[thehangingmist]

Here's another very common chord progression.

Santana - Europa

thanks i should probably figure out the whole album, the melodies solos and the chords

 

[angryclown5]

Your response to the Europa suggestion might point toward a source of your difficulties. It sounds like you might figure out the structure of a piece and then move on too soon. Rather than figuring out the whole album, it might be better to really work on the tune (or any tune really) until you know it backwards and forwards.

Dig into the harmonic structure, understand where the chords move and how the melody relates to the chords. Learn where the tune is diatonic and where it veers off into chromatic alterations.

Learn to play the chord progression on the bass. Once you can play the chord progression, loop it and work on playing the melody on top, as well as the bass part below.

Want to dig even deeper? Ask yourself if you know the tune well enough to play it in public. If you had a backing track could you play the entire melody convincingly from beginning to end? How about a solo section? If you have a looper could you stack bass part, chords, and melody? And then bass, chords and solo?

Hope this helps.

 

[thehangingmist]

Your response to the Europa suggestion might point toward a source of your difficulties. It sounds like you might figure out the structure of a piece and then move on too soon. Rather than figuring out the whole album, it might be better to really work on the tune (or any tune really) until you know it backwards and forwards.

Dig into the harmonic structure, understand where the chords move and how the melody relates to the chords. Learn where the tune is diatonic and where it veers off into chromatic alterations.

Learn to play the chord progression on the bass. Once you can play the chord progression, loop it and work on playing the melody on top, as well as the bass part below.

Want to dig even deeper? Ask yourself if you know the tune well enough to play it in public. If you had a backing track could you play the entire melody convincingly from beginning to end? How about a solo section? If you have a looper could you stack bass part, chords, and melody? And then bass, chords and solo?

Hope this helps.

Think ur right about that
I should get to really being able to play a tune all by my self rather than just knowing bits of it.