I play bass since 5 years but I still don't know to recognize a note or tune my bass by ear.
Do you have any tips or trainings?
Do you have any tips or trainings?
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Ear practice
- Thread starter Samuel J. Lagueux
- Start date
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
Learn your intervals!
Not just how to name them but how to identify them sonically, singing will be essential here. Don't feed me poopie about how you cannot sing, this is how you learn that too.
Singing, combined with interval training, will improve your ear immensely. I know I am just some ******* on the internet but if you stick with this I guarantee fantastic results and lots personal of satisfaction.
Not just how to name them but how to identify them sonically, singing will be essential here. Don't feed me poopie about how you cannot sing, this is how you learn that too.
Singing, combined with interval training, will improve your ear immensely. I know I am just some ******* on the internet but if you stick with this I guarantee fantastic results and lots personal of satisfaction.
Nothing works better than getting right into it and trying to learn songs. It will take a while, and you'll feel like you're not getting anywhere, but you have to start small and build from there. I've learned that the best way to be able to learn something and play it by ear is to internalize that you want to play. The best way to internalize something musical is to be able to sing it, so we'll go through that method below.
Pick a really simple song, with a really simply bassline. Take any pop song with a definitely bass in it, for example. Play that song on something like Youtube, and try to sing the bass notes. Repeatedly start and stop a song to repeat a single note if you have to. If you not completely tone deaf you WILL eventually figure out what not it is. Repeat this until you have a progression down that you can sing.
Then, sing the progression to yourself and play notes on the bass that match what you're singing. Again, it will take some time but eventually you'll get the right notes.
Rinse and repeat for each progression in a song. I can't stress how this might take time but it's necessary.
Pick a really simple song, with a really simply bassline. Take any pop song with a definitely bass in it, for example. Play that song on something like Youtube, and try to sing the bass notes. Repeatedly start and stop a song to repeat a single note if you have to. If you not completely tone deaf you WILL eventually figure out what not it is. Repeat this until you have a progression down that you can sing.
Then, sing the progression to yourself and play notes on the bass that match what you're singing. Again, it will take some time but eventually you'll get the right notes.
Rinse and repeat for each progression in a song. I can't stress how this might take time but it's necessary.
Just get into ear training. There are a lot of different apps for smartphones and tablets if you have something like that available. That is an easy way to get into it. I also do some work for an ear training software for computers (iPad app is coming) besides my studies. It's called EarMaster and it might be quite helpful. Check out this video i made in collabaration with EarMaster, where some professional musicians and students talk about their relationship and opinion on ear training in general:
You can download a free trial of EarMaster at Invalid Link Removed if you want to give it a try.
You can download a free trial of EarMaster at Invalid Link Removed if you want to give it a try.
Why is this in "Bassists"? It should be in "General Instruction," where you'll find lots of discussion about ear training.
