This is true. I play a lot of fill in gigs.:
At one time fill ins made up 60% of my year. If you desire to be a pro this is a good skill to develop. But, pros dont make much money so why would you desire that???
When I started doing them I did NOT have a good ear at all. I developed my ear by continuing to do those types of gigs. And I still only have good relative pitch, not "perfect" pitch. Boy talk about being "out of your comfort zone". + I was introduced to styles and artist that I now love, that I might never had heard of.
Now When somebody asks do you know: insert weird old tune I've never ever heard of, Or just screams out in the middle of a Pop song "Raggae" I play it any way.
I listen to a lot of different music all the time, and I've come to the conclusion that you just cannot know every song that there is to know.
I come down on the volume about a click and a half and listen through the Top, 1st verse, and 1st chorus, that will set you up usually-(usually that is) for the next verse and chorus any way.
Important: Keep those ears on, Make eye contact with the other players, Guitarists will usually make sure your aware that a Bridge/Key change is about to happen. The Drummer (if he competent at all) will get your attention to let you know if a stop, time change, style change or a more syncopated rythmic variation is about to happen (usually its just a loud HEY!). Most important of all. Study and write your own grooves!!! Be CREATIVE!!! Study as many styles of music as you can, and dont be afraid to "sit out" a section if you must. This will help you immensly in "Faking" a song in front of an audience, as it builds your vocabulary... If you can instantly or at least reasonably quickly, tell what the groove should be, at least to you, and what key its in. Even if you dont play the notes in the excact order as they were played on the record you can at least give it a "proper feel".
++++1. And consider how the Nashville system is a graphic representation of relative pitch. I don't have perfect pitch but do have strong relative pitch - somewhat by luck, but also through a lot of training by conscious use over the years - and it makes a huge difference in being able to learn quickly. Kudos to leomonster 1973 for developing his ears - the more you think this way, the better you get at it! And +1 on listening to all kinds of music - it gives you exposure and vocabulary to draw on - both for structures and feels - when the going gets weird.
