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Play By Ear App or Something Similar

ErikP.Bass

ErikP.Bass

Supporting Member
Nov 23, 2004
2,827
2,097
#1
Is anyone using an app like Play by Ear to develop the ear? I really like the idea of having an interval or melodic phrase played and then trying to play it back, call-and-response. The app has trouble tracking / picking up my bass but it does work better with guitar. Apart from playing with real live humans is anyone else using a tool / method like this that works well with bass? It’s great getting instant feedback.

Android Application - Play By Ear | IWasDoingAllRight
 
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#2
ErikP.Bass said:
Is anyone using an app like Play by Ear to develop the ear? I really like the idea of having an interval or melodic phrase played and then trying to play it back, call-and-response. The app has trouble tracking / picking up my bass but it does work better with guitar. Apart from playing with real live humans is anyone else using a tool / method like this that works well with bass? It’s great getting instant feedback.

Android Application - Play By Ear | IWasDoingAllRight
Click to expand...

I use this website on occasion. Has a lot of stuff to work with.
musictheory.net - Exercises
 
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#3
ErikP.Bass said:
Is anyone using an app like Play by Ear to develop the ear? I really like the idea of having an interval or melodic phrase played and then trying to play it back, call-and-response. The app has trouble tracking / picking up my bass but it does work better with guitar. Apart from playing with real live humans is anyone else using a tool / method like this that works well with bass? It’s great getting instant feedback.

Android Application - Play By Ear | IWasDoingAllRight
Click to expand...

I use this (the website not app) as ear training all the time. Short 3 to 5 note melodies and then try to play them back
 
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#5
Bumping this up to see if anyone has any suggestions. I’d love to be able to get this app to work and am curious if someone who is more tech savvy might have some suggestions. Open to all ideas on the topic as well.
 
#6
ErikP.Bass said:
Bumping this up to see if anyone has any suggestions. I’d love to be able to get this app to work and am curious if someone who is more tech savvy might have some suggestions. Open to all ideas on the topic as well.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, what is an app going to do for you that simply transcribing phrases from the actual music language won't. For example, if I want to learn to improvise jazz, I'm not going to spend time playing random phrases. I'm gonna study, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, etc. If I find something I like, I'll play it around the cycle, chromatically, minor 3rds, etc. Then it just ends up being part of my vocabulary.

The simple act of transcription, will teach you the intervals by default, if you pay attention.
 
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#7
Spin Doctor said:
Just out of curiosity, what is an app going to do for you that simply transcribing phrases from the actual music language won't. For example, if I want to learn to improvise jazz, I'm not going to spend time playing random phrases. I'm gonna study, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, etc. If I find something I like, I'll play it around the cycle, chromatically, minor 3rds, etc. Then it just ends up being part of my vocabulary.
Click to expand...

I get what you’re saying Spin Doctor and realize the benefit of traditional transcription and assimilation. My thought with using an app like Play by Ear is that it would work on the speed of my ear by allowing me to drill/replicate shorter segments of musical vocabulary in real time quite similar to the older jazz cats trading fours.

I’m sure the logical question would be....why not just do that then? Again, a valid point. The benefit of something like this is it would allow one to drill independently. Maybe I’m just looking for the process to be “gamified” for lack of a better term where others wouldn’t be subject to my initial failures. Hope that makes sense as to my thoughts, not that they make complete sense.
 
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#8
ErikP.Bass said:
I get what you’re saying Spin Doctor and realize the benefit of traditional transcription and assimilation. My thought with using an app like Play by Ear is that it would work on the speed of my ear by allowing me to drill/replicate shorter segments of musical vocabulary in real time quite similar to the older jazz cats trading fours.

I’m sure the logical question would be....why not just do that then? Again a valid point....the benefit of something like this is it would allow one to drill independently...maybe I’m just looking for it to be “gamified” for lack of a better term....hope that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Sure that makes sense. I guess it's an approach that I hadn't really considered, but I can see it being useful. On occasion, I've sat with my guitarist and had him show me some lines, so I suppose it ends up being the same as that app you are looking for. I still think that if you transcribe enough, you ear will get better on its own, but there are a lot of ways to come at this music thing.

Still on the jazz thing, most improvisation is made up of short phrases connected together like words in a sentence. Those kinds of phrases, that make up the bulk of the typical language can be found all over the place. Jens Larsen teaches that way pretty much exclusively.



Typically I can learn way more harmonic language by studying guitarist than studying bassists.
 
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#9
Thanks @Spin Doctor ! Sincerely appreciate your input here as always, consistently positive exchanges.

I got lost got a bit in Jens’ material, great stuff. I agree 100% on learning harmonic content from guitarists, the instruments are close enough to have a bit of overlap...whereas sax, trumpet etc. can throw a lot of hurdles ones way with content and phrasing....not that there isn’t value in studying them also.
 
#11
ErikP.Bass said:
Thanks @Spin Doctor ! Sincerely appreciate your input here as always, consistently positive exchanges.

I got lost got a bit in Jens’ material, great stuff. I agree 100% on learning harmonic content from guitarists, the instruments are close enough to have a bit of overlap...whereas sax, trumpet etc. can throw a lot of hurdles ones way with content and phrasing....not that there isn’t value in studying them also.
Click to expand...
Yeah, there is a little bit to it, but most of it just relates to basic major scales and arpeggios. Ultimately, you want to be able to move all over the fretboard. So just pick one thing from that video and work through it, however long it takes.

You don't need to work on his stuff exclusively. Just add a little bit to whatever else you are working on. Then pick one more thing. And so on. You don't have to figure it all out in a day. Or even a year. I guarantee that video will help your playing.
 
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#12
forrestlaw said:
Tenuto is the app made by the musictheory.net people... unfortunately it's ios only.

Functional Ear Trainer is another one that I think is available on both Android and ios.
Click to expand...

I love Functional Ear Trainer and use it almost daily walking the dog. I downloaded Tenuto but haven’t really explored it as much as I should. I’ll definitely be revisiting it....a LOT in there.
 

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