There’s no doubt that music is not only a science but it is an art as well yet there are so many musicians who are so bogged down by music notation and the other complexities of professional musicianship that they forget the fact that music which is played from the soul is often the best kind. And this journey begins in imbibing one simple skill: playing by ear, whether one plays the guitar or even the piano.
So here is a list of tips that one can follow in order to learn how to play music by ear:
Tip #1: Tune your instrument at concert pitch
If you keep your instrument tuned at concert pitch especially in the case of a guitar, your mind begins to register the sounds associated with each string, and one can so easily retune his guitar by ear as ones moves forward.
Tip #2: Relearn songs with music notation
People with classical training need the help of music notation, and perhaps, one of the ways by which one can unlearn this habit is by relearning to play these songs by ear. Start with the simplest tunes you know.
Tip #3: Hum while practicing scales
Another way by which you can ‘tune’ your mind to play by ear is when you practice scales, and if one sings or hums the note while doing so, then it will only be a matter of time when you know what sound will be produced before you play a note.
Tip #4: Listen to what you are playing
While most people focus on getting the timing and the chord progression right, one must take the time to listen to what they are playing as this will really change the way they play from a robotic approach to one that allows one to improvise to a great extent.