A "correction" that is itself incorrect. There's nothing wrong with "sadder"--it's perfectly correct English.
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How do you learn by ear?
- Thread starter v1paul
- Start date
A "correction" that is itself incorrect. There's nothing wrong with "sadder"--it's perfectly correct English.
Put on a CD in the living room. Turn it up nice and loud. Then go into a bedroom and listen. You'll hear the bassline come through while the rest of the song is somewhat muted. Then pick out the notes on your bass. You'll be surprised at how quickly you make progress.
It's easier than this...
Learn what what the primary (root) note is in the song.. play a game with yourself.. put the bass down.. turn on the radio.. name everytime the root note is played...
I'm always amazed at the number of bass players who can't tell you the "home" note of a tune (average players - not obsessive TBers).
I could go on and on .. this is a first step most of us blow by trying to noodle complexity.
T.
Learn what what the primary (root) note is in the song.. play a game with yourself.. put the bass down.. turn on the radio.. name everytime the root note is played...
I'm always amazed at the number of bass players who can't tell you the "home" note of a tune (average players - not obsessive TBers).
I could go on and on .. this is a first step most of us blow by trying to noodle complexity.
T.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,736
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- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
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Singing along with this has turned me from zero to hero in terms of my ability to detect pitches.
(I have no affiliation with these people, just an enthusiastic user.)
Singing along with this has turned me from zero to hero in terms of my ability to detect pitches.
(I have no affiliation with these people, just an enthusiastic user.)
My quickest path to learning a tune by ear is
Identifying the roots, I do that by listening mostly to another instrument if there is one that is playing the roots like ryhumn guitar. Once you know the roots then you can add all the passing notes. this is what I do, there is not right or wrong answer, whatever works for you.
In addition to memorizing the sound of the intervals, I would recommend memorizing the sound of common chord progressions. Learn what makes a I-IV-V-I distinct form a vi-ii-V7-I, etc.
when i listen to a new tune, I usually pick up on the chord progression first, which leads me in a very practical way to the available choices the bass line could be.
when i listen to a new tune, I usually pick up on the chord progression first, which leads me in a very practical way to the available choices the bass line could be.
The first note is the hardest. The usual suspects are G, A, C, E and D. Finding the rest of them is just trial and error. +1 to playing to the radio. Play through the commercial jingles and every song that comes on. Try to learn the song as it comes up. You get better with time.
KO
KO
I think it really depends on the sort of music you are trying to learn by ear. Some music is easy learned by ear because the bass notes are distinct and memorable. Some music is the opposite, the bass is obscure and the notes are indistinct and not engaging.
What worked FOR ME was learning my scale forms and arpeggios. Singing them as I played them in practice was pretty huge too.
Also learning intervals was a big deal too, so +1 on that commen. Outside of that, just practicing it is always an asset. The more you screw it all up, the more you're starting to get the hang of it and the screw ups will lessen..
I'm from the school of thought that thinks playing by ear can only be developed to a certain degree. Most people just have it. I know, I've been called crazy tons of times, but I think it's true.
Playing by ear is essential to doing music, please don't be fooled.
Also learning intervals was a big deal too, so +1 on that commen. Outside of that, just practicing it is always an asset. The more you screw it all up, the more you're starting to get the hang of it and the screw ups will lessen..
I'm from the school of thought that thinks playing by ear can only be developed to a certain degree. Most people just have it. I know, I've been called crazy tons of times, but I think it's true.
Playing by ear is essential to doing music, please don't be fooled.
If you can hear it and just play it..you will learn thoery from the songs themselves, versus learning theory to play songs. If you can hear it, you can play it..or at least know what the bass player is doing and can work toward playing the specific technique.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Lot's of good observations and suggestions above. Here are some of mine:
Just do it. Playing with the radio is a great one, and can be challenging until you reach a proficient level of experience.
Grasping progressions and melodies/basslines by scale degree is utterly essential for musicians. Simply put it means that given the key, you can sing any part of the music, (melody, bass, vocal harmony, lead fills, chord roots, etc.) on numbers, and you can name chord qualities instantly.
Getting that scale consciousness requires study. You will need a teacher who can do it and can teach it. Most can't, BTW. Teaching it involves a lot of singing and will require good notation reading/writing skill.
The "Just do it" advice will get you halfway there, if you proceed with easy songs. The problem is that knowing which songs are "easy" and finding them is not always easy, especially because our tastes are often well ahead of our playing skills.
Try mid 60s to early 70's pop music: beatles, stones, kinks, yardbirds, byrds, monkees, beach boys, etc. Most of it is easy--in that the bass work is straight forward and the song structures are pretty much all AABA. Country music from the 70's is a good bet, too.
I recommend getting a partner. Find a guitarist who sings and knows a lot of songs. It doesn't matter what kind of songs or how much lead they can play. Then, meet with your partner weekly and play. Learn every song he/she knows, and make up your own bass part. You can later learn a signature lick or two if needed. The point here is to make music and build you own bass lines from the stuff you already know. You will have someone playing chords and singing. This demands you learn ensemble skills, too.
Just do it. Playing with the radio is a great one, and can be challenging until you reach a proficient level of experience.
Grasping progressions and melodies/basslines by scale degree is utterly essential for musicians. Simply put it means that given the key, you can sing any part of the music, (melody, bass, vocal harmony, lead fills, chord roots, etc.) on numbers, and you can name chord qualities instantly.
Getting that scale consciousness requires study. You will need a teacher who can do it and can teach it. Most can't, BTW. Teaching it involves a lot of singing and will require good notation reading/writing skill.
The "Just do it" advice will get you halfway there, if you proceed with easy songs. The problem is that knowing which songs are "easy" and finding them is not always easy, especially because our tastes are often well ahead of our playing skills.
Try mid 60s to early 70's pop music: beatles, stones, kinks, yardbirds, byrds, monkees, beach boys, etc. Most of it is easy--in that the bass work is straight forward and the song structures are pretty much all AABA. Country music from the 70's is a good bet, too.
I recommend getting a partner. Find a guitarist who sings and knows a lot of songs. It doesn't matter what kind of songs or how much lead they can play. Then, meet with your partner weekly and play. Learn every song he/she knows, and make up your own bass part. You can later learn a signature lick or two if needed. The point here is to make music and build you own bass lines from the stuff you already know. You will have someone playing chords and singing. This demands you learn ensemble skills, too.
The saddest chord of all is C# major.
When the guitar player shows you a new song he wrote, and it goes:
A major barre chord, B major barre chord, C# major barre chord, you will understand that C# major is the saddest chord in the universe.
(The above is 100% true but unrelated to the major/minor "sad" chord idea. BTW, when the above scenario happens, it's a good time to leave the band.)
Advice to the OP: Play along to the radio (or step up to the 2000s and play along with pandora.com.) My technique for picking out a run is that I mentally assign scale notes to the pitch, and run it over and over in my head until it's right. (Duh duh duh duh duh DUH duh.... slowly becomes E g g# a E c a... and before you know it, you've got Black Dog.) I'm not good at picking out every interval the first time I hear it, but if I run it through my head about 20 times, I can usually get them all.
When the guitar player shows you a new song he wrote, and it goes:
A major barre chord, B major barre chord, C# major barre chord, you will understand that C# major is the saddest chord in the universe.
(The above is 100% true but unrelated to the major/minor "sad" chord idea. BTW, when the above scenario happens, it's a good time to leave the band.)
Advice to the OP: Play along to the radio (or step up to the 2000s and play along with pandora.com.) My technique for picking out a run is that I mentally assign scale notes to the pitch, and run it over and over in my head until it's right. (Duh duh duh duh duh DUH duh.... slowly becomes E g g# a E c a... and before you know it, you've got Black Dog.) I'm not good at picking out every interval the first time I hear it, but if I run it through my head about 20 times, I can usually get them all.
Vetchking Here:
Take your favorite record. Get one that is not 5 minutes. 3 minutes is good. Some Beatles songs are 2:15.
Play the song over and over........ Try to learn it note for note.
After 50 times you will be close. The problem is you might never want to hear the song ever again.
But, By God you'll play it note for note.
Repeat the process.
Here's a tip Learn all the top 40 songs. Man in 2 yrs.
You'll be a Killer.
Later
Take your favorite record. Get one that is not 5 minutes. 3 minutes is good. Some Beatles songs are 2:15.
Play the song over and over........ Try to learn it note for note.
After 50 times you will be close. The problem is you might never want to hear the song ever again.
But, By God you'll play it note for note.
Repeat the process.
Here's a tip Learn all the top 40 songs. Man in 2 yrs.
You'll be a Killer.
Later
+1 for the suggestion, -10 for the font.
When I want to learn a song, I put it in a CD and play it in my car's audio over and over again.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,736
- 8,941
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Sure you wanna go there Sparky? You dint come out in such good shape last time...in theory...
but not in practice.
as a bass player should know.
SING IT (yes I'm screaming)... and sing everywhere, every chance you've got, every song or melody or nuance you hear.
Take notice of (by level of importance IMHO):
1) rhythm (tempo, beat, phrasing, etc.)
2) contour (rise and fall of pitch)
3) the actual notes... this will come easier as you progress
Hope that helps
Take notice of (by level of importance IMHO):
1) rhythm (tempo, beat, phrasing, etc.)
2) contour (rise and fall of pitch)
3) the actual notes... this will come easier as you progress
Hope that helps
+1 on this. Dont limit ear training to just on your bass. When I dont have my bass, I still try to sing everything I hear; commercials, car horns, the tones a store plays when you walk in, etc. Many times I sit with my bass watching TV and try to play everything that comes on.
Starting out though, you can work on nursery rhymes or things that are familiar to you. Adam Nitti addresses this nicely here
