OT learning songs by ear

[mobass]

I really want to learn to play songs by ear. It's been frustrating for me. Does anyone have any tips to transcribe songs by ear?

 

[bovinehost]

I'm not sure about the question. To me, learning 'by ear' means just listening to it, figuring it out on the fly based on the chord changes or riffs or whatever.

Transcribing is something else entirely.

FTR, I learn EVERYTHING by the seat of my pants.

Inasmuch as I know anything at all, of course.

 

[fly]

i used to just sit down with the radio on,and have a go at whatever was playin'.........

it'll come to you..............you just gotta practice

 

[mobass]

I'm not sure about the question. To me, learning 'by ear' means just listening to it, figuring it out on the fly based on the chord changes or riffs or whatever.

Transcribing is something else entirely.

FTR, I learn EVERYTHING by the seat of my pants.

Inasmuch as I know anything at all, of course.

I'm talking about learning to play songs by ear, and writting them down on staff paper as I go along. What is the difference between that and transcribing?

 

[Aussie Mark]

I'm talking about learning to play songs by ear, and writting them down on staff paper as I go along. What is the difference between that and transcribing?

I'm not sure. You listen to the song, work out the note/chord/riff, then write it down on a staff or any piece of paper. Sounds to me like you already know how to do it. I suspect your question is more along the lines of how to get better at it, or how to do it quicker. The answer to that is to do it more often until your ear improves and your speed of transcribing the notes onto a staff increases.

Or, have I missed the intent of your question?

 

[silverburst]

There is some software I have used that makes transcription a little easier. It will actually play it back after you've entered the notes, so you can see if you got it right.

 

[mobass]

I'm not sure. You listen to the song, work out the note/chord/riff, then write it down on a staff or any piece of paper. Sounds to me like you already know how to do it. I suspect your question is more along the lines of how to get better at it, or how to do it quicker. The answer to that is to do it more often until your ear improves and your speed of transcribing the notes onto a staff increases.

Or, have I missed the intent of your question?

the problem i'm having is actually figuring the song out in the first place.

 

[Musicman Nut]

I really want to learn to play songs by ear. It's been frustrating for me. Does anyone have any tips to transcribe songs by ear?

Well when i was 7 and got into playing bass my Father was a Session Bass Player in Toronto at the time who read as well as by ear. His advise for me was to listen to every sound I heard including birds and try to copy exactly what i heard, as dumb as i thought that was it sure paid off in years to come, cause now I don't have to ask keys, if i hear i know what key we're in.

But for bass it takes many years to get to the point you can hear the changes coming before they are there, you don't really need to know the song per say, I'm speaking from a Country Blues Back ground.

But learning songs now I rarely use my bass I just listen to it and chart it, even signature bass lines. Hope this helps.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

There is software that will slow parts down while keeping the pitch. There is also the Tascam Bass Trainer CD-BT1 that will do that as well and you can loop parts. It is very helpful to figure out basslines. But practice is really the key. The more you do it, the better you get at it.

Like it was mentioned above, having notation software can help to verify if you've got it right when you play it back in the computer. Then you can also have beautiful charts.

 

[Kirby]

There are several ear training cd's or you can make your own by having someone play piano or guitar lines and you then hear & repeat them on the bass. A call & response if you will. Bottom line, the more you do it, the easier it gets. As with everything, it just takes time, effort & practice.

 

[KennethB]

You just gotta keep working at it. It's as simple and as hard as that.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Practice is the key, and playing along to CDs, radio or TV jingles also helps. Tascam make a MP3 based trainer these days, which takes the CD tool a step further.

 

[phatduckk]

practcie, practice practice. i learn everything by ear. whats been good for me has been to just learn how to play a lot of songs... even if theyre with tabs etc. eventually youll get to the point when you hear a riff and think "hmm, starts w/ the same note that xxx starts in, goes to the second note in that other riff i know" etc

its experience. just learn a ton of songs no matter what method you use and eventually your ear will develope.

a big thing is to not rush. chill out, slow down, figure out a passage, nail it, move on. rushing f's things up a LOT.

 

[Jim_F]

I agree -
Practice, practise and more practise - the more you do it the easier it gets!

I tend to pick out he root notes first and take it from there. Also I find myself humming along to bass lines when I hear them - maeks it easier to work them out when I sit down with my bass.

 

[adouglas]

the problem i'm having is actually figuring the song out in the first place.

What exactly do you mean by that?

Do you mean you can't find the root note of the chord? Or do you mean that when you listen to a bass line, once you've got the root you can't figure out what the next note is (i.e. you can't identify intervals)?

You are aware that there are certain really, really common chord changes and patterns, right? e.g., the I is usually followed by a IV or a V, almost never by a II or a VI....and I-IV-V is the basis for just about any three-chord rock, blues-rock or country song.....


It's not uncommon for bass lines on recordings to get buried in the drum mix. You neverr notice that until you really start trying to figure out what's being played.

What everyone has said here applies. just keep at it, listening and trying stuff out.

I'd add one thing, though...it REALLY helps if you know your basic scales, so you can at least limit the number of possible places where the bass line can go. By basic scales I mean major, minor, pentatonic and blues, in every position, everywhere on the neck.

 

[Freddels]

To help develop your ear I would suggest working on your scales. Play them in thirds, fourths, etc. While you're at it, slow it down and say the note name and sing the pitch while saying the note name. By singing the pitch and doing it with intervals, you will develop your ear. Also, by learning your scales you will be able to make an educated guess at a note based on the key of the tune.

 

[PocketGroove82]

Getting good at transcription is just like getting good at anything else.
You must start simple and work your way through that stuff until you are capable of hearing more difficult intervals, more complex chords, tougher rhythms, and faster tempos.

So if you are having trouble picking out a tune, I think you may be trying a tune that is too difficult for your ears at this time. Studying ear training and harmony can help you beef up yours ears and your musical, harmonic mind, making it easier for you to hear a chord change or a leap in the bass line or melody.

I would suggest finding the easiest music you could possible find, like silly Barney for Kids tapes, and try to transcribe those first....or get a classic/standard blues album and work on that, since the form is standard and not going to get in the way of you hearing the changes.

1. figure the key sig/time sig write it with 4 or 8 measures to the bar
2. figure out the bass note for the measure one.
3. figure out the quality of the chord over the bass one, write it out.
4. continue till no more measures remain.
5. learn the melody and write it out.

OR, you could learn the melody first as that can give you clues as to figuring out the chords.

To really transcribe a tune you can't just figure out the bass line and call yourself done. I used to just write out the roots for myself, but then when the guitar player or piano player forgot HIS chart (or didn't bother to make one,at all) they all would mock how lame my "bass player chart" was.

I won't let that happen again.
Transcription is tedious work but the payout is great because your ears improve, the connection between your mind and your fretboard sharpens, and then you can play the damn song!

 

[bovinehost]

I used to just write out the roots for myself, but then when the guitar player or piano player forgot HIS chart (or didn't bother to make one,at all) they all would mock how lame my "bass player chart" was.

"Oh, you forgot (or didn't make) your chart and then make fun of mine?"

Uh huh, like I'd give them a copy of mine.

Anyway, transcribe "Mustang Sally" about 40 times and you're done.

 

[angryclown5]

Learning by Ear

+1 for the Tascam Bass Trainer. It has a whole bunch of effects that I never bother to use, but the looping device is worth the price of the unit by itself.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Everybody has already given the advice I would give you. I will add this though; playing by ear is an absolute must! In my 30 years of playing professionally with artist and just about every other music situation 95% of the time I’ve been given a tape or CD instead of a chart to learn the material. That has been my experience your mileage may vary.


… It’s sort of funny, as a keyboard player the first thing I figure out on any song I have to learn is the bass part. Once you have the bass part down that really narrows down what the possible chords can be.