Learn Piano Songs by Ear
For some, being able to play a piece of piano music by ear (or after just having heard it) is a natural ability that comes easily. But for many, including some who have studied music, playing by ear is a skill that takes a great deal of time to cultivate. Still, with some ear training, and knowledge of how to play the piano and its scales, you can train yourself to go home after hearing a tune and play it without sheet music.
Contents
Steps
Training for Note Comprehension
- Learn the musical scales on the piano. There are 8 notes in a scale (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,a), and it starts and ends on the same note.
- If you can't or aren't willing to memorize the scales, then here's a whole/half step formula that is used in every scale. The notes follow this format in the whole/half step formula: whole step from Bb is C, whole step from C is D, half step from D is Eb, whole step from Eb is F, whole step from F is G, whole step from G is A, half step from A is Bb, and we’re back at the top.
- Familiarize yourself with the notes on the piano. Sit at the piano and play each note/key in a scale until you feel confident that you can identify each note.
- Using tuning forks can be a great way to familiarize yourself with certain notes. There are many sites on the internet which play tones that mimic tuning forks.
- Really, any instrument that you know to be in tune can be used to familiarize yourself with the sound of each note.
- Practice recognizing the individual notes. Whether it means having someone play notes for you while you try to identify them, or using the wealth of internet games available for note and key training, practicing the ability to identify individual notes within a song is key to learning a song by ear.
Identifying a Song's Musical Notes and Tempo
- Choose a song that you'll be capable of learning. While this doesn't mean giving up on playing your favorite songs, it may mean finding one that's not quite as difficult as Beethoven's 5th Symphony.Try to find a slow song with a basic structure that doesn't have notes changing in quick succession.
- Many pop songs have background piano music that can be easily imitated.
- To check if it would sound good on the piano, check out some covers of it on YouTube or somewhere else on the Internet.
- Identify a single note within the song. This is your starting point for deciphering a song and further identifying other musical notes. You can look for the root note (the pitch upon which the notes are based) or you can use the first note, depending on which is easier to identify.
- Generally, identifying and referencing the root note is a little more complicated than doing the same for the first note or any other single note in the song. As it tends to be an equilibrium for the other notes of the song, you must already have the ability to recognize that equilibrium.
- If you have a recording of the song, it's very easy to figure out notes using a piano or pitch pipe.
- If you can't identify a note in the song, try finding a few of the song's notes through the internet. Once you've done this, you can move on and begin to identify others on your own.
- Identify the intervals, and thus the individual notes surrounding the note you've identified. You can use intervals (the difference in pitch between each note) to identify notes based on the root note or the first note of the song - whichever is easiest to identify.
- Don't be concerned about having to immediately figure out every single note from that one point on. Taking a break and analyzing that series of notes is the most effective way to learn the song.
- Using Intervals is difficult for many people who are just beginning to identify notes by ear. So, make sure to familiarize yourself with the sounds of notes with Part 1, especially if your having trouble.
- Begin practicing the identified notes. Do it as many times as needed to get that particular piece of the song right. Knowing each piece well will help you learn the entire song more quickly.
- Writing the identified notes on a sheet of paper can be a good way to record the notes.
- You can simplify playing a song by playing only the part for your dominant hand. Once you've mastered the portion for your dominant hand, you can integrate your non-dominant hand into the song.
- Find the song's tempo. This can be easily done by adjusting a metronome's beat to the rate at which each note is played.
- If you don't have a metronome handy, you can tap your foot to keep time.
- Try playing along with a recording of the song. This can help you make sure that the notes are correct and that you're playing at the correct tempo.
- Clapping your hands for a minute or two to the tempo can be a great way to adjust your mind to the rate that the notes need to be played.
- Play the song. Identify the notes of another section of the song by repeating steps 2-4. After repeating steps 2-4 for each section of the song, string each section of the song together. Practice the entire song as one piece at the correct tempo. With practice, you can expect to be able to play the entire song fluidly.
Tips
- Remember, practice makes perfect.
- Keep in mind that you either know the scales, the step formula, or both. You will need one of these to identify intervals between notes.
- Start by identifying the root notes if they're easier to identify.
- If you don't succeed, remember that some are more musically inclined than others and it's no biggie. That's why they make sheet music, after all.
- For those who have the musical training, Part 1 will probably be unnecessary. Go ahead and skip ahead to part 2 if you are already of capable of identifying notes by ear.
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