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About Ear Training

Many people have a misconception about what "playing by ear" is. This is such a misconception, that it turns "playing by ear" into a magical, seemly impossible ability to accomplish as a musician. This is all just a music stereotype. It is unheard of for someone to pick up an instrument that they know nothing about and magically hear sounds from a song and are somehow able to play it back on the guitar. Anyone who says they play by ear, knows something about their instrument or at least music itself.

Playing by ear is simply a way of recognizing musical sounds and applying these sounds to the rules of music to learn to play songs much faster. Just as you are about to tell the different between the sound of a dog barking and a jackhammer, you can train your ear to tell the difference between chords such as majors and minors.

Ear Training - Lessons

How To Play By Ear 1 - A Definition
It is important to know WHAT playing by ear really is. There is such a misunderstanding when it comes to this subject in music.

How To Play By Ear 2 - Recognizing Sounds
Learn how to tell the different between simple chords like majors and minors. This is easy.

How To Play By Ear 3 - Recognizing Complex Sounds
Learn how to tell the different between more complicated sounds found in jazz, blue grass, and country. These chords sound way different than any other chords.

How To Play By Ear 4 - Recognizing Complex Sounds II
There are some chords that are very hard to tell what they are by just listening to them. This lesson will explain which chords those are and some advise what to listen for.

How To Play By Ear 5 - Picking Out What Key
The first step in learning a song, is finding the key of the song. By establishing the key, you have narrowed down many chord choices for the song.

How To Play By Ear 6 - What Chords To Use
Step two is learning how to narrow down chords to find out what chords to use when trying to play a song by ear.

How To Play By Ear 7 - Finding Chord Progressions
Step three consist of determining the chord progression of the verse, chorus, and bridge. These usually remain consistent throughout the song.

How To Play By Ear 8 - Progression Intervals
This is a lesson that tries to explain how to hear different chord and note intervals. The purpose of this is to be able to distinguish chords easier in songs when listening to them to play by ear.

How To Play By Ear 9 - Real Life Example
This lesson is a real life example on how to hear a song, break it down, and play it using all the key concepts that you've learned in all previous lesson videos.