How to Play By Ear INSTANTLY 🎹 [Ear Training Explained]
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- Today I'm giving away the secrets, and showing you exactly how I play songs by ear! This is a skill that even seems to baffle a lot of other musicians I meet.
Nearly everybody who sees me play a song by ear asks me, "Wait, how did you do that?"
Well the answer is that music is a language. You just have to learn how to "speak" that language.
I've sort of inadvertently created my own method of how to do this, just from spending so much time playing and learning about music over the years.
But today I'm going to give you a consolidated version of my ear training approach, so you don't have to spend years noodling around like I did 😜
This is a bit of a long video, but I want to you to watch the whole thing because you won't find my exact method anywhere else. If you want to learn to play songs by ear on piano I believe this is the best resource on the internet.
So get ready and enjoy this ear training explained crash course video!
➤ If you'd like to go more in depth with audio exercises, action steps, video lessons, and more... check out my full "Piano By Ear" course here: bit.ly/piano-by-ear-coreylennox
Video Chapters:
0:00 - Phase I: The Language of Music
1:30 - Phase II: Music Theory Basics
2:10 - Melodies Explained
3:35 - Chords Explained
4:44 - Phase III: Training Melodies
5:13 - Interval Training
7:46 - Melody Chunks
9:33 - Guessing (Within a Scale)
12:47 - Phase IV: Training Chords
13:10 - The I Chord
14:17 - The vi Chord
15:00 - The V Chord
15:59 - The IV Chord
16:33 - The ii Chord
17:59 - The iii Chord
19:15 - What About vii?
21:36 - Sidenote: Different Instruments
22:31 - Alternate Method for Chords
24:28 - Phase V: Finding The Key
25:12 - Relative Pitch Vs. Perfect Pitch
26:49 - Using Relative Pitch
27:49 - How to Find the Key
28:41 - The Pivot Test
31:08 - Phase VI: Putting it All Together
31:19 - Song By Ear Example
32:46 - How to Move Forward
-------------- SUBSCRIBE --------------
🎵 Be sure to subscribe to the channel for more awesome music: bit.ly/2CZEwLg
-------------- LESSONS --------------
🎹 If you'd like to be amazing at playing piano, then set up a lesson with me by emailing me here: coreyscottlennox (at) gmail.com
Teaching piano is literally my job, and I know exactly how to get you playing as quickly as possible.
-------------- SOCIALS --------------
Come say hey on your social media of choice!
📘 Facebook: / coreylennoxmusic
📷 Instagram: / corey_lennox
🐦 Twitter: / corey_lennox - Hudba
So uh... sorry my singing was garbage in this video. Shouldn't have filmed it first thing in the morning 😅
But! If you want to learn more about my full "Piano By Ear" course, be sure to check it out here: bit.ly/piano-by-ear-coreylennox
It's a step-by-step video course that walks you through exactly what you need to do to be able to play songs just by listening to them.
The course includes specific action steps, audio exercises, and worksheets... I wanted to make sure that this is as interactive and clear as possible.
So it's not just watching a bunch of lectures. You're actually learning and applying the new concepts every step of the way.
Don't believe me? On the "Piano By Ear" info page I've got real examples of people who've used my methods to play their favorite songs with NO sheet music.
One warning: I'm offering the course at the current price for the next 6 people only... After that the offer comes down and the price goes up.
So if you want to learn how to play by ear the most effective way possible, don't wait around!
Definitely not. Your singing is excellent. You possess a lot of talent to sing and play music.
My main Music is Guitar but Im interested to your all video,
Loved your voice, even in the rough
December 16 2022 . Learn guitar 🎸. What your are teaching is SPECIAL. Hopefully I can learn this . Thank you for this video.
December 16 2022 . Learn guitar 🎸. What your are teaching is SPECIAL. Hopefully I can learn this . Thank you for this video.
Corey, where were you 60 years ago when I was trying to develop my ear?!? BUT, I'm so thankful for you NOW! I'll be 85 next week and will try to put it into practice. I tried to be a music major but could not crack ear-training. I learned more from this episode and two semesters in college. So uncomplicated and practical!!
I hope you had a great birthday Robert.
That is amazing to hear Robert!! I'm so glad I was able to help finally put some of the pieces together. Happy belated birthday my man!
Very good way to teach!!! But with all my respect, I want to correct you with the note ti,,, is not ti is SI DO RE MI FA SOL LA SI…
@@blancahunt7736 Hey Blanca! I address that in my follow up video here: czcams.com/video/HmBWzpl68MY/video.html
This is exactly why I will most likely not go to college 😂 waste of time, honestly. College is overhyped
When my grandmother tried to teach me to play by ear she played with do, ra, me. Didn’t make sense to me then nor now. I took piano lessons when I was seven. Didn’t have piano at home to practice but would go to Granny’s house on weekend and practice around. My granny tried to teach me to start playing by using only the black keys. Well those didn’t sound good. When I went for my lesson I’d try and play it by ear. My teacher said if I didn’t stop playing by ear I’d never learn to play piano. I basically learned the seven notes. I find if I listen to a song several times and learn the words and melody then I can set down and pick through the notes that sound good together and play the song. Your theory makes sense. I wish others taught your way. I’m 82 years old now and can play any song I know. Guess I showed that teacher! Please everyone, listen to this man’s technique of playing by ear! He will teach you how to play the piano!
Sounds like you've figured it out on your own over the years! Yeah most piano methods start on the black keys then move to the white. It works, but it takes some time. If you're inclined to play by ear then that's always going to be quicker than using a lesson book :) Thanks for watching!
Here's what I tell my students:
Reading music is great if you have access to the music. ( with Utube and Google that is now possible, but was not always available in earlier years ) If you play only by ear, you are limited by your own ability. If you use both- then you can hear the genius of others, and enhance your own ability by that and then you open yourself to limitless, more advance playing.
Same with me - learned to play by ear w/o knowing what I was doing. Then started piano lessons, was told to drop the ear. Argh! If it weren’t for my ear I would have stopped! You need both!
I just watched over 10 different instructors and 20 hours of highly rated tutorials from all over the internet on playing by ear and improvising, and you provided the best value in the time given - as I build my course on improvising and enjoying music by ear, I'll definitely use similar methods. Thanks for providing such great value, keep up the great work!
Wow, that's great to hear Jimmy! I'm really flattered that my video stood out to you. Thanks for watching and keep the music alive my friend.
Thank you Sir.I already buy 7 pianos and 11 guitar during my live and never find the righ method after having 7 or 8 teacher.
But I am sure this time I find the good one.
You are fantastic.
Tell me about your entire course.I am really interested.
Thank you
Thankyou 🎉for your enthusiasm 😊 you love music like me and it really shows❤ You are an inspiration ❤God Bless😊
Thank you so much. Now I'm studying piano at 68 so happy with it. From Thailand.❤🎉
@@ubonwansingpanomchai2864 music is a gift from God I sing and play piano by ear and reading music is a bonus Sheila Duke
I had a music professor who kept repeating for two years, music is very difficult! Lol and he never shared anything except that it's difficult!
Thank you very much for decoding this amazing language. In 30 minutes you actually answered 60% of questions I had for many many years and was trying to find in hundreds of videos!! Thank you very very much! That's a great video! You are really good at teaching music! ❤
That's always annoys me! People make it out to be like rocket science or something, when really you can learn most of the basics in a couple hours. I'm glad I was able to help answer some of those questions. What was in the other 40%?
@@CoreyLennox ahaha! Thank you very much! Chords, composition, memorizing every single note and where it is on the instruments. How to nail the perfect pitch. Where to find sources for different musical notes, like the naming is different sometimes but it expresses the same notes. Also the different octaves vs the different levels or progression haha I guess you just need to practice millions of times until you nail it then you start speaking
@@neamaaty Gotcha! Always good to know what questions people have for future videos. The note names are definitely dependent on the specific instrument you're using. But one I can help you with is the different note names referring to the same notes. Typically that comes from the scale, where we want to have one of each letter.
So an F scale would be F, G, A *Bb*, C... not F, G, A, *A#*, C because the second one is missing the letter B. Hope that makes sense!
Corey you are a great teacher. You have a positive mental attitude, a pleasant voice, and a structured way in explaining things.
Thank you so much! I put a ton of work into these videos, so that means a lot.
Yes absolutely....
So smooth to follow & understand
This guy is too good.
Indeed, the ability to teach is a skill.
This is the exact method I use with my students! First time I've seen someone else do it. And you did it SO WELL!!
Everything you say I found out as a child. Then I had classical lessons from 9 years old till 12. Then I wanted to play Beatles and Rolling Stones and started listening by ear and play together with young friends. We learned by ourselves with what you teach in this lesson. It took us many years. I wished I had a teacher like you, it would have saved a lot of time. I am much more advanced than your lesson, still I watched it till the end. Keep on with the good work, you are very sympathetic.
Yeah it's definitely possible to learn this on your own! That's what I did too... but like you're saying, it took a LONG time to figure this all out! Keep on rocking Evita!
My friend and I, in our teens, learned an amazing amount from playing Beatles songs, he on his guitar and me with my accordion. I learned bass guitar from McCartney's bass; as a result, I got into a band and spent two happy years playing with others.
Simple and efective explanation showing the structure of one music any styles.congratulations Master!
Love this! I play advanced literature, but to hear melody and chords and play is crazy. Wonderful approach just by ear!
Been watching videos on learning piano and this is by far the best video I've seen explaining how it all fits together. Great job man. You're one heck of a good teacher. 👍
This is one of the most enjoyable videos I've ever watched! You have a very nice, natural personality.
Best theory lesson ever!
I really appreciate that! I try to be as honest as I can, but it's always a little weird talking to the camera lol
I want to say thank you from across the pond. You have done in minutes what I have been trying for the past lifetime. Your explanation is perfect. If you were here I would hug you . Over the top I know but I feel passion for music , its in me and wants to come out . I could not wait to the end iof the tutorial to let you know my feelings. THANK YOU .
I am so glad I stumbled upon your videos! You are such an amazing teacher and musician!!! Thank you so much!
I'm liking your videos man! Wish you'd do more of them😊
Took organ lessons for 5 years as a child. Always wanted to just play, not have to read, music. I didn't realize one could "learn" to play by ear. I've always wanted to play piano but was not great coordinating the left hand with the melody. Reading both at the same time was difficult. I'm finding this video fascinating. I can't wait to try this out. Thanks so very much.
WOW! This was an amazing tutorial. This totally made sense to me and I've never heard it explained like this. You make it so simple. I'm an "older" beginner. I've dabbled over the years in learning chords by memorizing them. This really gives me so many more tools. I just signed up for the course. Thank you!
Tammy since it has been 3 months since you signed up for the course how has it been?
Thanks, Corey. The subject of ear training had always been a bit of a mystery to me. Also, your explanation of the 1-5 chords was so helpful. I never understood why they were useful to know. I will check out your course.
Selina since it has been 3 months since you signed up for the course how has it been?
Very interesting. I’ve never looked at music this way before. Thank you for the great session Corey!
Of course! Glad I could present a fresh way of thinking about it
@@CoreyLennox Just Si and not Ti!?...in French....
Amazing brother! Thank you for taking the time to make this. touched on alot that i didnt thinkn about. Keep em comin
The pivot test is fab! :) would never have thought to try that before so thanks for showing me a really cool skill. You really know your stuff and it makes playing by ear so much easier. I’ve played classical piano pieces for like 15 years but trying to play by ear scares the hell out of me! I can manage playing some simple tunes and putting block chords to the melodies but that’s about it. No idea how to try to make the accompaniment more interesting. You have a really clear way of breaking down the sometimes scary world of starting to play by ear so big congrats to you! :) would definitely recommend you to other people I know that are interested in this. Thanks a mil! :) I just visited your website too And Oh my Gosh! :) Can’t believe you’re a Berklee College of Music Allumnus! :) I got to visit that college and would have loved to have studied there! :) Very impressive :) Like you, no piano teacher ever taught me how to improvise or learn to play music through listening to tracks, always had to use sheet music which is such a pain! :) Thank you for posting this video! :) It’s brilliant! :) I’m very interested in your course.
Be kind to yourself Rebecca - you are an experienced sight-reader but let yourself be a rookie ear-player. Have fun and only measure how far you've come, not how far you have to go.
When I studied in a musical school (in Western Europe in the 80s) our teacher used to play a simple melody for us, then we briefly discussed it, found the main notes and then he played it twice for us and we wrote it down. That was the best ear training exercise ever! Your video reminds me of that.
Very great teaching. I have been struggling with ear training. I have learnt alot from this video. Thank you.
This was one of the most helpful ear training videos ive watched!
You're the first I've seen so far to use do-re-mi, instead of A,B,C, which makes it MUCH easier for me personally to follow since that's how I've learned the notes since I think it's how Europe does it in general. Never seen A-B-C used around here.
Here in America, it feels like the opposite. I agree that this feels very easy to learn and remember, but I’ve never heard anyone else call them the one chord, the five chord, etc. I’ll hear, “Start with a C chord and then move to a G.” They’re the same thing, but I feel like I’d be speaking a whole different language than other musicians. Same with the melodies. It’s never “Try, ‘ do re mi do re me’,” it’s “try ‘C D E C D E.”
I’m just worried that I’ll have to do a lot of translation to speak music with other musicians.
ETA he did it himself later when showing how to pick up U2s With Or Without You. He picked out D A B G, not ii vi vii v.
Hey Miss Chris! You probably aren’t far enough along in your guitar journey to have hear of I, IV, V or that nomenclature, but you ABSOLUTELY will use it to communicate short-hand with other musicians.
For example, you can communicate a key change in a song (if, say, the singer needs to sing in a different key) quickly and easily.
If you learn to play the blues, you will become VERY familiar with the I, IV, V chords. And a shit ton of well known songs are I, IV, V.
There are tons of basic music theory videos on CZcams that can walk you through it. It is quite fascinating, really. :)
Hey Miss Chris! You probably aren’t far enough along in your music journey to have heard of I, IV, V or that nomenclature, but you ABSOLUTELY will be able to use it to communicate short-hand with other musicians.
For example, you can communicate a key change in a song (if, say, the singer needs to sing in a different key) quickly and easily.
If you learn to play the blues, you will become VERY familiar with the I, IV, V chords. And a shit ton of well known songs are I, IV, V.
There are tons of basic music theory videos on CZcams that can walk you through it. It is quite fascinating, really. :)
@@My-Channel_forever I only play piano. Do many others (in the US) use it for piano?
Do ra mi is the preferred method.Thats what we used at McMaster School of Music.
I have just begun your Play by Ear course... and am thrilled. All sorts of new light bulbs are tuning on in my head for the first time....Thank you for being brilliant you!!!!!! Claudia
Heck yeah! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying it so far, and that you’re having those awesome lightbulb moments!
By the way, I’m thinking of updating the course to make it even more fun and interactive, so if I ever do you’ve got lifetime access. Thanks Claudia and piano on! 🙌
The Best, Clear explanation of playing by ear that I have ever come across -- well, done, extremely well done~!
You are such a great teacher, Ive been listening to many of these tutorials and nothing made sense until I listened to yours. Thanks, I will definitely put the information into practice. Grear job, keep up the good work!
I'm so glad I was able to help! This stuff can definitely be a little confusing at first, but the more you practice the more it will make sense!
Hi Corey, Thank you for taking the time to make this video. For me it has connected so many questions I have had about ear training and music theory. Your teaching style is calm and pleasant too. Really appreciate this and I have already shared it. I will check out your course on ear training but this video was HUGE!! 😊
That means a ton, I'm so glad you liked my style and that I was able to help!
Since it has been 5 months since you signed up for the course how has it been?
I've been playing guitar since I was a kid, about 25 years ago. I just like jamming out chords. I understand your music theory. I've never understood it until today. You made it make so much more sense. Thank you
Heck yeah I love to hear that!
So easy to understand. you really know your stuff, thanks so much.
This summarizes everything ..you are simply the best!
You are great at explaining the piano. Thank you for the instruction. I don’t have perfect pitch either but I have a great ear for music and your explanations made complete sense.
I'm glad to hear it! Yeah most people like you and me don't have perfect pitch, BUT we still have way more tools in our toolbox than we realize!
Love the work you do aim to head. Great music and ever grateful I found this genre.
Great content! Keep up the good work!
I definitely subscribed! This was super helpful and very straightforward. Thank you!
Great teaching method. You make it sound easy, and the whole video flows.
I've learned a lot of techniques, which make every sense, without having to learn how to read music.
Thank you!
Glad I could help! Yeah I know reading music isn't for everyone. I think everyone should at least learn the basics, but playing by ear can definitely be quicker for a lot of people
Very well explained video. Got me interested. In the last six months I taught myself how to play the keyboard and have composed and done many of my own. But this is really going to help me. Thanks again
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Been playing guitar for 40 years and piano for about 6 months and have heard versions of this stuff over the years but I think I've finally found the definitive method for putting it all together. Will be checking out your course! Thanks for this!
Thank you so much! so simple and relevant
No problem!
Hi Corey, that is a pretty amazing video, I never looked at it this way. I have a lot of difficulty recognizing especially chords, a bit less with the melody/solfege, and never thought of your method of finding the right key either. I am going to practice it this way, maybe sign up for your course, first see what happens. Thanks for putting this together.
Thanks I really needed it I am I learnt in 1 week worth it
omg.. i finally found the best video that i can rely on it .thank you soooo much corey for this video
Great work! You just explained things to me that I could not wrap my head arround 15 years ago when I started playing bass.
What a fantastic service you do to music Sir♥️ Thank you so much ❤️ I am so grateful to you
Super helped me to hear from many scales. Thank you so much for this video. I'm training my ear to play by ear.
Glad I could help!
Awesome tutorial and fun put in learning music theory and ear training . Appreciated
Excellent video ! Very informative ! Thanks Much !!!
You are truly the best music teacher on youtube I have ever listened. You give all the details that all music students want to learn.
That means so much! I'm glad you got a lot of value out of this 🙂
Thank u! U not only taught how to play by ear but also how to sing!!! Really enjoyed and learned much from this video. Thanks again Corey
Incredibly concise, 30,000 ft. view of ear training. Thank you. You have a knack for teaching. I've seen this in separate videos elsewhere, but first time in one relatively short video. I especially like your tip of going for the bass notes instead of the melody when trying to figure out the chords. Alas, I'm learning guitar, and I wish the notes were laid out as clearly as the piano.
He has guitars on his wall. Maybe he has some tips!
It is a little trickier on guitar, but it's the same basic concepts. I always come back to the piano in my mind since that's what I started on!
Each fret is a semitone (half step). Sits quite east to think of them in the same way as black and white piano keys as long as you know what the stri gs are.
Corey, you are SO good at teaching music. This is another awesome video. I can’t wait to be taking direct lessons with you again.
Hit me up any time my man!
Yes. You make it simplified
This is the music teacher I needed and never had lol. This is the best way to teach how to play the piano.
excellent, thank you the the teaching, very useful !
This absolutely works it just takes a lifetime of practice to master
It doesn't take as long as you might think! But you're right, some effort and practice is definitely required!
95 years ago, this would have made me a good musician 😢😢😢😢
Excellent video! Thank you bro🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻
You're a great teacher. Thank you so much❤
Really very meaningful for all music lovers ❤️ thanks you very much for giving such sensible knowledge. Harmonization is rather tough than a melodic instrument including our own voice box.❤❤❤
This gentleman deserve unlimited subscribers my first time watching him he got me big time 🌐
I appreciate that!
You are right nobody explains like you do . Yr a good teacher .
Exactly what I’m looking for, thank you very much for this
This is so so helpful, thanks a lot!
You're welcome!
This guy deserve more subscriber and Views..
I agree 😜
This is an incredibly helpful video. I really wanted this. Thank you so much ♥️
You're welcome, glad you found it helpful!
Great overview. A few additional tips:
Learn lots of melodies on an instrument. The associations between fingers and sound are super useful even without an instrument in hand.
This "pivot test" will fail many songs, like "Material Girl" (except the choruses) because it's testing a particular mode. And of course minor key songs aren't really "centered on vi" but for beginners this isn't such a big deal. You'll eventually learn to think of minor scales as 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 instead of 6 7 1 2 3 4 5. But even the latter can be useful playing by ear. Just different perspectives.
Do Re Mi...: You can just sing/think scale degrees 1, 2, 3... Obviously singing "seven" or even "flat seven" would be clunky, but you generally don't need to sing them. You can *think* b7 in 1 instance.
Constructing the major scale: In the spirit of ear training you really should do this by ear. If you check your work and it's wrong, you've got a more pressing problem: You don't know the major scale. You need to have the major scale *burned into memory* and recognize any alterations, arguably first thing.
I'd suggest learners focus on the component scale degrees (particularly the root) for identifying chords. Thinking about the scale degrees will be critical later on identifying extensions, too, even if advanced players can recognize extensions by flavor. Attributes are just too context-dependent IMO.
A fair critique, you really know your stuff! Totally agreed on learning a lot of different melodies, that's one of the best things you can do.
The pivot test isn't perfect, but it does work in a vast majority of cases. But you're right if a song is doing something modal, or has a flat 7 or something, it won't be as effective.
Also totally agreed on thinking "1,2,3" I think I either mentioned that in this video, or maybe it was another one on my channel, but that way is far more intuitive as you pointed out. The only reason I differentiate while teaching is to keep students clear on when I'm talking about melody vs. when I'm talking about chords.
As for attributes vs. scale degrees, I do talk about both here (I refer to the latter as "humming the bass note") so people can be equipped with either method. But the reason I actually like the chord characteristics is that hunting scale degrees requires an instrument at first, whereas characteristics can be done just by listening in a lot of cases. And the more practice you get, the more durable your recognition of those characteristics are despite the surrounding context.
Sincerely though, thank you for your input, you raise some great points. I'm surprised you're on a video like this since you already seem to have a good grasp of this stuff!
@@CoreyLennox Since I learned to play by ear in the 90s (and kinda don't remember the progression of my skills very well) it interests me how modern educators teach it.
This is so very helpful!!!
This is beautiful. You are a great teacher
Thanks for making this concise and easy to understand lesson.
Very intresting and useful lesson, thanks alot❤
Great teacher awesome skills thank you for the helpful training
Your teaching skills are onpoint, amazing, I understand everything you say, I'm practicing, 🎉 and it's fun. Thank you ❤
Excellent guidance. Gratitude.
You're welcome man!
Excellent approach 👍
Oh my gosh.... Thank you. This is very good for me as a guitarist. I knew about the 1,4,5, and you gave me so many bonuses adding the 6.. I actually used my get ready for work time to watch this. Thanks. Well worth it and will watch it again. I saved it.
Good stuff, thanks! I've been struggling with intervals but this will help.
This is excellent. Im teaching myself to play piano (i read music, know chord structure and scales) but found left hand really difficult. I now feel confident to progress.
This video felt so absolutely helpful and logical, that I am thinking about getting your course. Not because I think this video doesnt cut it, but because everything you said seemed to work easily, and if you say there is value in the course on top of this video, I believe you!
Thank you. This has been phenomenal. I always feel that if I ever make it big, I am going to remember these resources and give credit where credif is due. Thank you man. This has been super helpful.
Hi thank you very much! Soo clearly and peacefully explained!
Thanks for this lesson!
VERY helpful! THANKS!
Superb tutorial, thank you!
THANK YOU!! I've been able to play by ear since I started flute, but its not perfect and these help me so much in improving my ear training!!
Am so happy i stumble to this page i know its something like this but your explanation is so so good. Superb.
Excellent video ! very informative !! Thanks so much....so well explained !!
Glad you found it to be helpful Jay!
Thanks for the help Corey
Awesome! Thanks!!
Wonderful teacher, thank you for sharing
Very beautifully explained. I teach guitar and play by ear and exactly how you train I train. God bless you Corey
Thanks for making this video!
Thank you Mr. Corey for the way you explain music theory and brake it down so one can understand the fundamentals of music theory. God bless you.😊
Thank you, I'm trying to figure out if I want to dive into learning piano, this is helping a lot! I'm getting more interested :)
This is such a clear and practical presentation!
Glad you think so!
I thought it was great and easily understood!!! Thank you.
Lovely teaching method
God bless you
I love this it's a great method, continue please.
Realy super ! Thank you so much. I learned a lot looking at this vidéo.
This is Excellent 👌 Thank you so much 🙏
thank you ! very helpfull😊