ear training

[sausage]

hi. i've been interested in ear training since i started playing, as most musicians are. i really have absolutely no idea where to start. a lot of my friends learned to play guitar strictly by ear (as they were a little less fortunate, couldn't do the internet thing). i've (only a few times) tried listen to a song, and try to learn a riff or anything from it, to no avail.

any suggestions on what to do? i really can't afford a teacher yet, i'm seventeen with a very low income job. i've read stuff around the internet, but they all say basically the same thing, and i get very frustrated, very easily, trying to learn riffs and whatnot and can't get a single note. perhaps some in depth information? internet, books, or some simple song suggestions greatly appreciated.

[Wolfgang]

Its really got to do with experiance, the more you do it the better you get, theres no magic answer. As long as you understand theory and scales it just requires practice to play by ear

[sausage]

well, that's the other problem. i don't know any theory. i do know all the basica scales, and a few others, but that's about it. i guess i really should practice those more often. i've been playing about a year and a half, by the way.

[Wolfgang]

just memorize your scales modes and chord shapes find some songs you want to play figure out what key its in and play to it. and don't use tabs

[Mettra]

Originally posted by Wolfgang
and don't use tabs

I would have said 'use tabs sparingly'.

Use tabs sparingly.

[dudetoby]

try using these, ive just started with them.

http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer

http://www.ossmann.com/bigears/

also go to www.wholenote.com then go to basics, then ear training.

this will help you with your intervals.

toby

[wild_axeman]

musictheory.net

[Choysaucex85]

in the whole note.com site

what is it that makes the F and the G help establish a C in ur mind in the C F G C cadence?

is it like some type of progression or part of the scale?

[wild_axeman]

what is it that makes the F and the G help establish a C in ur mind in the C F G C cadence?

is it like some type of progression or part of the scale?
Yeah it is a I IV V I progression in the key of C

chords in the key of C :

I ii iii IV V vi vii*
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim
^The C Major scale contains those notes (C D E F G A B) and all of the chords in the key contain notes from the scale too (every other note in the scale to be precise).Chords can have anywhere from 3 notes (triads),4 notes (seventh type chords) or more,with the rest of the notes from the scale tacked on to make even fancier chords.There's some lessons on this site about it and some new lessons were recently posted on the subject too.

The I IV and V chords are the Tonic,Subdominant and Dominant chords.
The Subdominant leads well to the Dominant and the Dominant leads well to the Tonic.In fact the Dominant to Tonic establishes the key. So in the C F G C what you have is Tonic to Subdominant to Dominant to Tonic and so C as Tonic is apparent throughout and is firmly established by the V - I cadence.Firmly establishing the Tonic establishes key.So that V - I bugger is an important thing to study.

[Ghost]

Wow, thanks for all the links guys :D

[SSkindog]

Originally posted by Mettra
I would have said 'use tabs sparingly'.

Use tabs sparingly.

why the caution on using tabs?

[Garth]

because using tabs is like cheating. you wont learn anything by using them except how to play that song (it could also be wrong)

[fuzzynumbskull]

there's a few books out there... Monster Scales by David Celelntano. he explains everything, its a good book to buy if you can find it.. what you can also do is sing out the notes when you play them... you know, like do re mi fa sol la ti do... yes, its gay, but it works.

-amy