Play By Ear

[kelley]

I was curious if anyone who visits our forums plays music by ear? I am self-taught and learned how to play by ear in the early 90's. I wish that the iPhone was around back in those days - the RelativePitch app would have been an invaluable tool to me and helped me learn a lot quicker!

I had been playing violin and flute for years. I was very comfortable reading sheet music so when the time came for me to take on piano, it came very easily. We had the sheet music for the songs from "The Sound of Music" and I learned through repitition how to play the songs without reading the sheet music. And then one day I started playing other songs without needing the notes in front of me. The first song I learned how to play by ear was "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx.

It's a fun skill to have and I need to get back into it. I haven't tickled the ivories of a piano in at least a year!

[Big Ears]

I'm gradually picking little things up here and there. I always loved the version of 'Cruella deVille' played by The Replacements on the Stay Awake album of Disney covers (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stay-Awake-V.../dp/B000002GFM ). I could never work out what the chord was that they were playing throughout the progression. Recently cottoned on that it was a dominant 7th. Odd that I've played that chord so many times and yet never really 'heard' it before.