Everyone can also learn to play by note. Some can go farther than others. In any event, musical comprehension is expected to accompany this note playing. But eventually the note player reaches his limit. He will do well to investigate what ear playing can contribute to his further progress.

How to Start Playing Music By Ear

Take the time to listen to your favorite songs and recordings. Then try to sing or whistle the melodies. The ability to do this is the first step, and a repertoire of tunes learned in this manner will serve as a storehouse of pieces to be played by ear at the piano.

Then, the student should play the tunes that he knows over and over again and in a variety of ways: use the left hand as well as the right; play the tunes with both hands together one octave apart; play them starting on different pitches or, in other words, in different keys.

Use a Piano

Any tune can be played beginning on any note on the keyboard; but it is easier to begin on some notes than on others. Try beginning on various notes, and you will find that there are three different notes with which you can begin which will not require you to use any black keys.

Do not expect, however, to play the tune right off. If you can do this, the piece is too easy for you. Play as far as you can and then try to find the next note. If you do not find it in a few tries, you will probably save time by going back to the beginning and thus come onto the difficulty with a running start. If it still does not come, play up to the note that you cannot find and then sing or whistle the correct pitch. You will then be able to match the tone you are singing. If it still does not come, lay it aside until tomorrow or some other day. Try some other piece and you may find that you can play this piece another time without any difficulty.

Criticisms for Learning to Play Music By Ear

Many people criticize the learning of music when it is done by ear. The chief criticism of the approach to playing the piano by ear is based on the contention that students using this approach never learn to read music with facility, even when they begin the study of notes. The opposite result is true, however. The note reader tends to play note by note, while the approach through the ear nurtures a grasp of the entire phrase and clusters of notes. When this skill is transferred to the visual sense, it will facilitate faster reading of music.

Jimmy Cox
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/how-to-start-playing-music-by-ear-quickly-89528.html

Playing by ear is the ability to play a piece of music (or, eventually, learn an instrument) by simply listening to it repeatedly. The majority of self-taught musicians began their education this way; they picked up their instrument and began playing an easy melody from a well-known song, slowly picking out the notes as they went along. And even after these musicians master their instruments or a particular song, playing by ear still plays a large role.

Many pop and rock bands don’t play or write their songs based on sheet music, they figure the songs out by playing by ear. It’s even common among non-musicians. Ever sit down a piano and mindlessly pick out the tune to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”? What about grabbing a guitar and suddenly finding yourself playing the opening licks to “Smoke on the Water”? That’s playing by ear. You’re able to play part of the song just because you’ve heard it so often.

Playing by ear is a valuable technique for many musicians; learning songs based solely on hearing them is a great way to understand song and chord structure. In fact, a great number of rock and pop musicians learned to play their instruments this way. Instead of picking up a book or taking lessons, they concentrated on figuring out the notes and rhythms to a song until it was mastered. Then they moved on to another song. And another. Gradually, they learned their instrument just by playing by ear — and in the process learned how to effectively structure a song in that particular genre.

Playing by ear is also beneficial in helping a musician develop his or her own style; sure, they’ll at first mimic the style of the song they’re imitating, but the amalgamation of the music that they’re playing by ear will help them create something distinctive, something indicative of them only.
Though classical musicians are generally educated based on tons of music theory and sight reading, some methods rely on playing by ear. The Suzuki method of musical training, for instance, claims that learning music is the same as learning a language; it’s acquired by years of hearing it, eventually coupled with formal training. Just like we pick up our language by listening to our parents and subsequently attending school, we can learn music by playing by ear and later taking formal lessons.

So can the average person ever hope to play their piano by ear? Maybe not to the degree that some extremely talented musicians do, but anyone can learn enough about the basics of playing by ear if they learn the following skills:

Being able to hear a tune and have a general sense of the contour of the melody — when the tune moves higher or lower as the song progresses.

Learning to chart that melody contour either on paper or in their memory.

Learning to match the melody to appropriate chords.
Playing by ear is really a combination of of three factors:

1. Using your tonal memory to recall music you have heard:

2. Using your ears and fingers to help you reproduce what you recall;

3. Using “melody contour” (the “shape” of the tune), “chord structure” (how to form the chords on the keyboard to match the tune), and “chord progressions” (the path chords take as they move through a song).

Obviously, the first 2 steps you can take more or less by yourself — you can mentally rehearse recalling a particular tune; you can sit at the piano for hours and through trial and error pick out tunes, chords, and rhythms. But the real key to playing by ear is learning how to chart the shape of a tune, learn how to construct chords, and then determine the likelihood of chord progressions — in other words, which chord comes next.

When you get an understanding of step three, you will be in a MUCH better position to understand and profit from steps one and two!

Duane Shinn
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/is-it-really-possible-to-play-the-piano-by-ear-118910.html

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Although there are lots of piano software courses available from the internet, there are only a handful that are respected and offer value for money, at the time of writing this I only recommend two piano software courses and I have chosen these on my experience as a piano and keyboard teacher.

Piano software courses and online piano lessons are the modern way to learn how to play the piano. Learning to play the piano is not exactly easy whether you use software or a teacher but using software is cheap, easy and you can do it anytime you want.

Here are three reasons you should start using piano software:

<b>Have piano lessons at a time that suits you</b>

Balancing your work time and free time has always been problematic for busy people, and going to a piano teacher is just out of question. If you use a piano software course to learn to play the piano, it certainly won’t help you with your time balancing act, but it will help you to learn the piano when it suits you, because it’s always available when you want it to be.

The brilliance of piano software is that you can take it anywhere in the world with you. If you have group piano lessons and you’re too busy to attend, then that’s not only going to set you back but could potentially set the rest of the class back. If you have to miss your piano lessons when using piano software, it doesn’t matter; it’s constantly available on your PC or laptop, ready to go when you are.

Everybody can find some quality free time at sometime in their busy lives and if learning piano is your thing then using piano software is the way to go.

<b>Inexpensive</b>

You are going to make a major saving if you use piano software rather than a piano teacher. You will easily pay up to twenty five pounds per hour for piano and keyboard lessons which for one lesson is more expensive than a complete piano software course. Many piano software sites give you the option to download complete piano courses to your computer as soon as your payment has been processed which is normally straight away. There are probably about a handful of what I consider really good piano software courses available from about twenty pounds.

<b>You are in charge</b>

There really is no excuse for not learning to play the piano when you use piano software because you make all the choices. Piano software courses are ideal for beginners, they are simple to use and very convenient. You can also come across some great deals on new and second hand pianos and keyboards whilst you download you piano software course.

I think we can be of the same opinion that piano software is a great development in piano tuition. It will help countless people at least have the chance of learning to play the piano, but the one thing that hasn’t changed since the piano was invented is that if you would like to play a piano you have to practice and practice and then practice some more.

Mike Shaw
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/piano-software-is-the-new-way-to-learn-how-to-play-the-piano-751263.html

If you want to get some inspiration, then watch a good pianist at work or keyboard player, there are plenty of videos available on youtube to inspire you. When a pianist plays the piano well, the listener can be drawn in to a very different world created by the expressiveness of the performer. Learning skills in general can be improved when learning to play the piano and children can benefit from this at school. Piano lessons can also help to have a better understanding of science and mathematics.

<br>It doesn’t have to be expensive</b>

Piano lessons are now available to the masses not least because of the technological advancements of electric pianos and keyboards. Not too many years ago, if you wanted to learn how to play the piano your only option would be to buy an expensive piano. It’s easy to learn to play the piano online these days, and you can buy a used keyboard for next to nothing. You don’t have to spend a fortune when you are just starting to learn the piano or keyboard. An expensive piano is not going to make a lot of difference to a beginner.

<b>Improve your hand eye coordination</b>

When you read sheet music, eye to hand coordination comes in to play and this process will improve dramatically the more you practice. You may be surprised at how fast this improvement will be.

<b>Choose your own practice time</b>

When you take piano lessons with a teacher, you will normally attend once a week at the same time on the same day. If you learn to play the piano using a piano software course then you can choose your day and time of day when you have lessons. You can learn in the morning, afternoon or evening. You don’t have to wait for a particular day to have your piano lesson. Everybody has busy and quiet times so do more when you’re quite and take a break when you are busy. So if you don’t want to be tied to a teacher, online piano lessons is the way to go.

It’s already been mentioned that to learn to play the piano properly you need a piano and piano lessons. There is also a third crucial requirement when learning to play the piano and that is you. Even though the process is considerably easier than it was you still have to practice. A piano, piano lessons and practice equals a great piano player.

Mike Shaw
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/beginners-can-learn-to-play-the-piano-online-707474.html