Learning to play by ear

I've recently been noticing a decline in my ability to learn new songs from Tab or video, so I've decided to try a new approach (well, for me it's new, but all the famous guitarists did it back when they were my age): Learning by ear! I've read that it has a bunch of advantages to it, from the sort of obvious (ear training while expanding my repertoire), to the less obvious (it'll apparently make it easier to learn songs and improve my own songwriting). There is just one problem with this. I have no idea which songs would be great to start with, when my ears are still quite underdeveloped.

I read that it's best to start with a simple song that I like, and work my way up to harder stuff, but most of the stuff I like already sounds pretty difficult. The way I see it, this causes a bit of a problem, so I'd like to know if there are any easy 70's or 80's songs that would be a good exercise in learning to play by ear. I'd appreciate some suggestions for simple songs to start with learning by ear. Preferably some 70's or 80's stuff, if at all possible.

Your ears are the most important tools you have as a guitar player and musician. I'd recommend anyone learning any instrument to learn by ear rather than use tabs.
Unfortunately if the songs you like are a bit too hard for you to learn by ear you have to find out what level your ears are at. You could start with some old blues songs and just try to strum along with the chord changes.
Then as you progress move on to something like Neil Young or Bob Dylan that has really great but fairly common progressions. Try to just figure out the chord changes at first and then if there is a specific part or lick, sit down and try to figure that out next.
This can be a very tedious and patience testing process. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts other than keeping at it and practicing over and over again.

I find it interesting to try to figure something out and then check it against an accurate tab to see what I may have missed or got wrong. Even if you think a song is beyond your grasp to figure out by ear, give it a try first. You'll learn more from it when you go to the tab.

To figure out chords, I'll use the bass strings or power chords to sort out the chords. Then figure out major/minor/seventh/etc. Here is where some theory knowledge can help because it narrows things down and you aren't just shooting ramdomly in the dark.

Another things that's fun to do is have your guitar at hand while watching TV. Try to figure out what key a show's theme song is in, figure out the melody, etc. Do this with commercials too. You're not doing this so you can play the song later, it's just an exercise in training your ear and being able to learn a song by ear and also play by ear. I remember being in a guitar store and a kid was playing the theme from the "Ren and Stimpy Show".

Henrik Linde: Yeah, I know that my ears are supposed to be one of my best tools as a guitarist, which is why I want to try to learn some stuff. That way, they'll have to become better :) I already know Bob Dylan's probably most famous tune, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", though I usually play the Guns N' Roses version of it (same chord progression, just tuned down a half-step and heavier overall sound), but that's all I know by him, but I might dig a bit deeper into him, and maybe some Dire Straits if they're not too hard...

Maggior: That actually sounds like a good idea. I think that generally, I'm being too modest about my own abilities, so I always think "Damn, that sounds hard" every time I hear something I like. As I found out last night, while trying to learn Slash's solos to Knockin' On Heaven's Door (instead of just improvising something when playing it), the first solo is actually easier than it first sounded. Just like the solo to Motley Crue's "Without You", it sounds a bit more complex than it really is, because of the quick successive bends in different positions (in Knockin', that is. Without You just requires a slide, which I realized after hours of trying to get it to sound right, even when playing by tabs).

I'll try and listen closer when I get the chance. I know there's one Aerosmith record and a lot of 80's Rock that really provokes that "this is what I want to do"-feeling. If only I could remember which of their albums it is... I can recognize it when I hear it. So starting with some of those songs might be a good place to start.

As for figuring out the chords, that would be even easier if I knew exactly how to tell what key a given song is in. I could probably deduce that from the Chords as well, but it would be handy to know how to do both :)

Hey Kasperow.
If you remember song title but not the album you can try Wikipidia. Usually at the bottom of thier respective pages, they list albums and song.
For example,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantera
Hope this is of some help.

Hey Kasperow.
If you remember song title but not the album you can try Wikipidia. Usually at the bottom of thier respective pages they list albums and song.
For example,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantera

Also, youtube is getting more and more albums and top hits. Some with lyric that can be a help.

Hope this is of some help.

Sounds like a plan Kasperow! Just like everything else with guitar, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it. And the better you get at it, you can start to do it in real time and play what you hear in your head. That's the holy grail! Perhaps I'll get there one day myself :-).

Back when I was your age (God I sound old!! - it wasn't all that long ago...) we either had to buy tab books, learn from another player, or learn it by ear. We'd mash the rewind button on a tape player to keep repeating a section to get a part down or record a portion of a song 10 times in a row on a tape. Oh, the good o'le days :-). There was no slowing things down or a/b repeat.

BTW, did you have that performance you were building the setlist for yet? How did it go if you did?

Wow... I just noticed something amazing! I really am underestimating my own capabilities. I just played through the few acoustic songs I know the Rhythm for (because I didn't have a lot of time and I had my Martin right next to me), and the amazing thing here is: I usually find acoustic guitars harder to play than electric ones, and I could get pretty close to shred-speeds! Normally I can barely play Sweet Child O' Mine's intro on acoustic!

What did I do differently this time? I followed a piece of advice I got from a professional guitarist at a Guitar Workshop this Sunday, that I had completely disregarded because I had lots of time for practice Monday and Tuesday this week, so I wanted to spend that time on better fretting-hand technique so I could play better. Stupid idea, I know now. The suggestion he gave me, after seeing me struggling with playing some fast licks, while he just played a basic 12-Bar Blues, was: Relax. Simple as that. Relax completely. Get rid of all tension. Loosen the grip on the pick and use as little movement as possible while picking.

So I tried today with my Martin Acoustic and... it worked. Not only did my picking speed improve, he also helped me get a better grip on the pick so I can use Pinch Harmonics mire easily too. I wonder if that'll also improve my fretting hand's speed :) This guy spent maybe an hour and a half talking to me and some other guitarists, and in that time, he took me further than my private teacher has managed to do in the last 8 months! Was it scary soloing over a professional guitarist's playing? Heck yeah. Did I learn from it? HECK. YEAH! Isn't it funny how something that simple can make such a huge difference?

Compart1:I remember parts of a few of the song titles. That might be enough to help me find the album I'm talking about. Much of it sounds more Bluesy than many other Aerosmith albums, but it's just so well-made that it keeps provoking that "This is what I want to do!"-feeling, if you know what I mean :)

Very cool Kasperow!!! That's great that you were able to make that leap.

Joe Perry of Aerosmith is an awesome guitarist. What I hear a solo in my head, it often sounds like a Joe Perry solo - think the "Walk This Way" solo.

I never got into their 80's stuff, but back in the 70's (Toys in the Attic, Rocks, Get Your Wings, Aerosmith), they absolutely ROCKED!

Once I get my chops up a bit speed and technique-wise, I'm going to try and tackle some Aerosmith tunes.

Originally Posted by: maggiorSounds like a plan Kasperow! Just like everything else with guitar, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it. And the better you get at it, you can start to do it in real time and play what you hear in your head. That's the holy grail! Perhaps I'll get there one day myself :-).

Back when I was your age (God I sound old!! - it wasn't all that long ago...) we either had to buy tab books, learn from another player, or learn it by ear. We'd mash the rewind button on a tape player to keep repeating a section to get a part down or record a portion of a song 10 times in a row on a tape. Oh, the good o'le days :-). There was no slowing things down or a/b repeat.

BTW, did you have that performance you were building the setlist for yet? How did it go if you did?

Yeah, I did it and had some fun with it (and annoying the neighbors by cranking the volume. And yes, I mean CRANKING the volume). Most of the song went over with them pretty well, especially Knocking On Heaven's Door, Whole Lotta Rosie, Smoke On The Water and Sweet Child O' Mine. Not surprising, though, since they're all pretty upbeat and famous tunes... And then there was "I Used To Love Her", which, despite the lyrical dissonance, actually went over with them pretty well... I suppose it's the upbeat nature of the song that did it :)

Judging by the talk afterwards, it seems I'll be doing it again sometime. Hopefully the neighbors won't be complaining in the morning next time, although we could easily hear them singing along to Knocking and Smoke... Don't complain if you indulge :) Next time I'll just have to learn a few more songs. Maybe even consider adding a few pop classics, just to appease my pop-loving audience... With my newfound capabilities (increased picking speed thanks to a professional's advice, and increased fretting hand speed thanks to Rocksmith 2014's mini-games, it should be possible to learn a few more songs before mid-April, even if it's just to the point where I can play the rhythm guitar parts :)

Originally Posted by: KasperowAnd then there was "I Used To Love Her", which, despite the lyrical dissonance, actually went over with them pretty well... I suppose it's the upbeat nature of the song that did it :)

I'm not a big GnR fan, but that song always cracks me up. The music and melody sound like a syrupy pop tune, but the lyrics are dark and distrubing ("...and I buried her in my backyard...").

Glad it all went over well!! Certainly if the neighbors are singing along, they shouldn't be complaining!!

I'd love to hear some of what you've been doing if you can figure out how to make a recording somehow.

Originally Posted by: maggiorI'm not a big GnR fan, but that song always cracks me up. The music and melody sound like a syrupy pop tune, but the lyrics are dark and distrubing ("...and I buried her in my backyard...").

Glad it all went over well!! Certainly if the neighbors are singing along, they shouldn't be complaining!!

I'd love to hear some of what you've been doing if you can figure out how to make a recording somehow.

Yeah. It's probably the catchy pop song-like melody that does the trick.

Good news: There's an upcoming "talent show"-like ever at my music school, where all students are invited to come and play some stuff if they want. My teacher told me this earlier and asked me if I wanted to try it, and why not? I can play for friends and family, why not take the next step and show other musicians what I can do in a Live-Concert context? My teacher is going to ask another of her students with similar tastes in music (although he's more Rolling Stones while I'm more Guns N' Roses) if he wants to try playing together! I hope he accepts, so we can find out what song(s) to play (I don't know how many songs we are allowed to play). There is a small dilemma, though... Our teacher wants us to just play some 12-Bar Blues jamming for our entire slot, while I want to play an actual song, preferably some GNR or Aerosmith, since Slash and Joe Perry are my two main "Guitar Gods". And we have no clue what he wants to play, except for something simple with chords he can strum. So it's gonna be fun figuring out that puzzle. I'm sure we can find a way to make all of us happy (Aerosmith does have a bunch of 12-Bar Blues on the Draw The Line and Honkin' On Bobo albums, after all, and most likely other albums as well).

I also saw that there's a rehearsal room available at the school, possibly for free since there was no price or contact info anywhere. If we decide to try playing together, we can probably use that to rehearse the stuff we settle on. My teacher also talked about asking a song-teacher if he has any interested students. If so, it could be fun to add in a Drummer and a Bassist, just to have full backing! Otherwise, I'll just play Knocking On Heaven's Door. Alone. On-stage. In front of dozens, if not more, strangers...

It could also be fun to just say "screw it, we'll do an original song" and see if we can come up with something we can all settle on :)

At least I'm looking at my first chance to play for strangers, since I started playing guitar by my own will :) Last time I did that was before I even cared about music, and just had to because it was an obligatory part of school.

Sounds like you are onto something with potential - could be fun!! I'm surprised that you teacher is suggesting a blues jam. With what I'm doing, they discourage that. The problem is that a blues jam is more entertaining for the players than the audience.

Just remember that it's about making music with others. I can tell you from first hand experience that even if you are playing a song that isn't that interesting to you, it is still a great experience. Van Morrison and The Black Crowes aren't in my music library and I've only heard their music on the radio, but it's great fun playing their music in a band.

Keep us posted!!

Originally Posted by: maggiorSounds like you are onto something with potential - could be fun!! I'm surprised that you teacher is suggesting a blues jam. With what I'm doing, they discourage that. The problem is that a blues jam is more entertaining for the players than the audience.

Yeah. Blues Jams are lots of fun to play, but I would get bored to death after a short time listening to one live. I suppose the only reason she suggested a Blues Jam is that she knows I'm at a high enough level to be able to solo over a 12-Bar Blues progression, while he's at al lower level, though I've heard him play while waiting to be picked up, and he's a pretty good Rhythm Guitarist. His lead playing, however... It needs some work. Then again, we've all been there, and I can use a solid Rhythm Guitarist to back me up on some of my own songs too (could be fun if I could get to play some of that stuff :D ).

Originally Posted by: KasperowYeah. Blues Jams are lots of fun to play, but I would get bored to death after a short time listening to one live. I suppose the only reason she suggested a Blues Jam is that she knows I'm at a high enough level to be able to solo over a 12-Bar Blues progression, while he's at al lower level, though I've heard him play while waiting to be picked up, and he's a pretty good Rhythm Guitarist. His lead playing, however... It needs some work. Then again, we've all been there, and I can use a solid Rhythm Guitarist to back me up on some of my own songs too (could be fun if I could get to play some of that stuff :D ).

Not all lead players are good rhythm guitar players, but it's important to be good at both IMO. So good for him...he's on a good path. Everybody wants to learn lead, but rhythm playing is a lot of fun too.

If you guys connect musically, it could work out well since you could develop your skills together, which makes it easier to play together.

Agreed. Especially since in most of the stuff I like, there's often only 1 guitarist, and even when they have two guitars, the Lead still plays the Rhythm Riffs on most occasions. I know Joe Perry and Slash both do it a lot (yes, I love using those two as examples. I love their playing).

I don't know what this other guy's ultimate goals are, but if he's up for it, this might be the beginning of a potentially successful band :) My teacher also knows that the best way to improve is to jam with others, so she'll probably manage to convince him to at least try it.

I also just watched some old video clips I had stored on my phone, from my pre-Les Paul days. I can honestly say that I've improved since then... in every way imaginable.

All I can really do now is wait and find out if this guy wants to try it or not, and in the meantime, practice some stuff and try learning some songs by ear. Early Aerosmith should be simple to figure out. They had a whole lot of 12-Bar Blues, so how hard can that be? It'll be a good start before I move on to their more famous stuff like Cryin' or Train Kept A Rollin'.

A good way to improve on ear ,is listen to black sabbath tunes.very easy to figure out, thats what my old teacher had me do. Cause most of all there songs ,are barr chords 5 chords.same chords different chord progression..maggior that was great advice,on keeping Guitar on hand while watching tv.and try and play what ur hearing.when i wacth tv ,i always have a Guitar in my hand, and do the same thing u we're saying, and if i hear a chord progression

Ill solo over it,once i find the key,by usein bass lines ,like u said..G3.

Originally Posted by: axe2A good way to improve on ear ,is listen to black sabbath tunes.very easy to figure out, thats what my old teacher had me do. Cause most of all there songs ,are barr chords 5 chords.same chords different chord progression..maggior that was great advice,on keeping Guitar on hand while watching tv.and try and play what ur hearing.when i wacth tv ,i always have a Guitar in my hand, and do the same thing u we're saying, and if i hear a chord progression

Ill solo over it,once i find the key,by usein bass lines ,like u said..G3.

I haven't really heard a lot of Black Sabbath, but the few songs I've heard with them sound pretty simple, once I figure out the tuning used. I think that with Black Sabbath, the solos are going to be harder to figure out than the riffs, actually. But, at the same time, it'll be well worth the effort, since some of their songs have some pretty cool solos in them :)

If I had a tip to give is to learn to hum notes. When you strike and A Note or Chord on your guitar, hum it. Do the same with an E and so on. Not sure it is an official technique but it help me match the note I could hum to a location on the guitar.

I mean, I did this decades ago but I still use it when I want to to noodle through a song. Actually, I almost never use tabs and kind of hated them from the get go.

Back in the shredder 80's, all the guitarists I hung out with thought tabs were cheating (aren't guitar player rules just awesome!). Also, I think tabs don't teach you to hear the song. You know the notes but it may not translate to the melody as well.

Back on with my '80's guitarist' friends, we would joke that you could tell someone who learned by tabs because they lacked the song's feel.

Ok, so now that I've bagged on tabs, I actually think they are one of the tools in the learning arsenal but they should not be the only or even the primary tool.

Kasperow > Relax...yep....that is the ticket. Some guys even barely touch the strings. I'm a little more heavy handed in some ways (I love a deep and digging bend) but being able to let physics do the work and not your hand is really important.

I've taught a coupla people in my day and I noticed that to a person, they all wanted to give the neck a death grip. I'd tell them to do an experiment: Hover your hand over the low E string (second fret) but don't touch it. Start picking the open string. Then slowly lower your finger on to the string (which will flat out at first) but continue to apply very light pressure only until the string rings true. Then stop. You will realize how little pressure it takes to make the string ring.

Originally Posted by: JeffS65Kasperow > Relax...yep....that is the ticket. Some guys even barely touch the strings. I'm a little more heavy handed in some ways (I love a deep and digging bend) but being able to let physics do the work and not your hand is really important.

I've taught a coupla people in my day and I noticed that to a person, they all wanted to give the neck a death grip. I'd tell them to do an experiment: Hover your hand over the low E string (second fret) but don't touch it. Start picking the open string. Then slowly lower your finger on to the string (which will flat out at first) but continue to apply very light pressure only until the string rings true. Then stop. You will realize how little pressure it takes to make the string ring.

I just tried this, and it's true. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to fret a note cleanly. I'm starting to improve a lot in that aspect, which is actually very important, as it means I waste less energy, which by extent means that I'll be able to go on for a lot longer than if I play like I used to (which often got pretty close to "choke the guitar to death"...)

I also, for some unknown reason, managed to play a couple of christmas carols by ear just now... I don't know why. I haven't heard them since christmas and it's a little out of season, I'd say... Approximately 9 months or so... But on the bright side, I managed to play something I heard in my head just fine :)