Play Piano By Ear: Tips To Teach Yourself
Being Diversified
If you are able to play piano by ear, there is no need to carry sheet music around with you everywhere you go, because it is all in your head. You are able to play nearly every song you hear, and are able to jump in and improvise whenever you want. This is any musicians dream! But what is the difference between memorizing and improvisation?
Improvisation
Those who play piano by ear have the ability to improvise with ease it would seem. Improvisation is a whole new world, but this also takes practice as well as learning musical theory. Knowing full scales and chords is the first step to improv. The important chord to remember is the C chord, and the many variations thereof. There are major, minor, diminished and flats, to name a few.
Many songs are played off the simple C. Learning music theory will seem complicated, but once you master each chord and their variations, watch out! The sky is the limit. You will be able to sit down and play along with anyone.
Memorization
This is self explanatory. Anyone who can play piano by ear has a terrific memory and can learn a song virtually note for note. Memorization is great, and once you put this skill together with improvisation, you will be called the master!
Teaching Yourself
I will assume that you have basic knowledge and skills on the piano already and are ready to take yourself to the next level. If you have natural ability, teaching yourself to play piano by ear may not be necessary. What, you say?
If you are able to listen to a song and play the basic melody, you are already playing by ear and some fine tuning is all you need. Here is how to get started.
Note By Note
Here is a drill I practice every day, just to keep my ear tuned, and it will help you master the art of improv even faster. Sit at your piano or keyboard, close your eyes and strike a key. Without looking, guess what note you played. Now look. You may be surprised if you got it wrong, or delighted if you were right.
Work your way up and down and around the keyboard, striking notes at random. You will tire easily at first, because this will take a lot of concentration. Limit these drill sessions to five or ten minutes at a time and gradually increase your time spent.
With a lot of practice, and I mean lots, you will be able to identify each note instantly. This is how to learn to play piano by ear. Note for note. Then start playing full chords. You will also need to master harmony as well. You will be on your way in no time!
copyright by Lauren Paltrow
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