Learning music by ear...questions about it

[DougD]

And it doesn't matter what age you are, it's NEVER too late to do some serious ear training! The best musicians are still working on their ears, even if they've been around and established for years.

True dat

 

[T-MOST]

I developed my ear by trying to play everysong that would come on the radio. I would just play along with everything. Pretty soon you learn to hear intervals and even anticipate the chord changes and progressions. Like some one said it just takes practicing, listening and time. I still train my ear today doing pretty much the same thing. I just use CD's instead of "radio".

 

[deepBassie]

My suggestion is to listen to the songs and try to figure out the notes, using a standard tuned bass, and without using open strings. Learning the songs and finger patterns without open strings will allow you to detune your bass to the matching tuning without having to transpose your fingering.

^^^
This guy nailed it. It's even easier to do using a 5-string bass. Listen for the "root note" that the song is based in and then adjust your patterns up/down the fretboard accordingly. Example; my lead guitarist just started using "Keith Richards" tuning (open G and lowest string removed, I think) on one of his guitars when we play Stones tunes. The rhythm guitarist was lost and had to do a lot of work to transpose things using standard tuning. However, using the aforementioned bass technique allowed me to adjust real time without missing a beat. A solid technique me thinks.

 

[martyman5000]

^^^
This guy nailed it. It's even easier to do using a 5-string bass. Listen for the "root note" that the song is based in and then adjust your patterns up/down the fretboard accordingly. Example; my lead guitarist just started using "Keith Richards" tuning (open G and lowest string removed, I think) on one of his guitars when we play Stones tunes. The rhythm guitarist was lost and had to do a lot of work to transpose things using standard tuning. However, using the aforementioned bass technique allowed me to adjust real time without missing a beat. A solid technique me thinks.

I've always avoided using open strings from the beginning...I was asked to learn the song The Distance by Cake and all four tabs were wrong and the correct version I found on Youtube I still had to use my ear to figure out. No matter what anyone says Tab is really a bad crutch.

 

[UnityGain]

First off, always use a tuner. You can't be off if your always in tune.

Disagree respectfully. Tuner is great if the recording your listening to is exactly tuned to standard A 440 tuning. But a lot of them are not, particularly if they are from the pre "everyone has cheap electric tuners" days. There a little flat or sharp.

As part of ear training you should be able to tune your bass to a recording quickly and accurately. I cant tell you the amount of times I've tried to learn a song and I can't find the key or it just doesn't sound right and it turns out that the recording is a few cents sharp or flat.

I say never use a tuner, except if your afraid you've deviated so much from the norm you've ended up tuned a half step up or down, or can't find home base. So use it to set a standard, then tune to the recording. Mostly you'll be on with a tuner, but not always.

 

[deepBassie]

I say never use a tuner, except if your afraid you've deviated so much from the norm you've ended up tuned a half step up or down, or can't find home base. So use it to set a standard, then tune to the recording. Mostly you'll be on with a tuner, but not always.

This is what I did for a long time and got tired of constantly retuning for each recording. The solution; a fretless bass set to standard tuning. The only time I use the fretless is when playing along with CD, radio, TV, etc. It's always able to be in tune with a given recording as long as your finger positioning is correct. Fretless is also a great way to develope your ear. It forces you to establish better finger positioning which makes playing a fretted bass that much easier.