How to start playing by ear

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but too many people try to learn how to play by ear while sitting on the bench 🎹

This path often leads to failure, but it doesn't mean you’ve failed. You just started halfway up the mountain and maybe got some hazy directions that sent you WAY off-trail 🥾

Don't give up. 

The prize is worth the pursuit—and it's available for EVERYONE to claim 💎

You could spend a year learning 50 songs from sheet music or YouTube tutorials, and it won’t come close to the benefits you'll receive from learning just one song all by yourself. 

Most people who are great at playing by ear started young and learned through such an organic process that it's difficult for them to explain how it happened to others. 

This makes it hard to learn from them, but only for now. Build a solid foundation, and you can learn from anyone. 

Although I would have loved to have this skill when I was younger, in many ways, I'm grateful I didn't acquire it until after I graduated college (with a degree in music). 

I can actually remember what it was like to develop the ability (as an adult) and how challenging it was from the outset with no direction—which leads me to my purpose: 

MAKE MUSIC EASY 

100% of people who follow my advice will find the trailhead and reach the top. 

Try, and I guarantee success 💯

If we call it what it is, “playing by ear” is “learning by listening,” and it starts with just that—listening 🎧

To be a good musician, you have to become an excellent listener. 

Here are the first 3 steps to get started. 

Step 1

Close the piano lid! Choose a song you like and put it on repeat for 1 hour as you go about your day. Make dinner, do the dishes, get the kids ready for school, or whatever you gotta do. Just be around the song. 

Step 2
When you have 10 minutes to focus, grab a pencil, notebook, and headphones. Listen closely to the song and write down “The Cast.” The Cast is every instrument you hear. 

Try to capture them in the order they caught your attention. If several instruments enter at the same time, you can make a note of that. Every instrument plays a role in telling the story, and anything that made it to the final recording is worthy of your attention.
If it's a large cast, you won't catch everything on the first pass. Keep listening until you feel confident you’ve heard them all. 

Step 3
Capture timestamps for each section. For example, Intro (0:00), Verse 1 (0:12), Chorus (0:46), etc. Don't get hung up on what to call a new section. 

If you're unsure, write Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc. You may find that some parts sound very similar, if not almost identical. Make a note of this. 

If you're unsure when the sections change, think of the experience of reading a novel. Anytime it feels like there is a new chapter in the story, write down the timestamp. 

Step 1 is passive listening. Steps 2 & 3 are active listening. 

There are more steps to take before determining specific notes and chords, but this will keep you entertained for a few days. 

Choose a few more songs and master the process through repetition. 

If you get nothing else out of this post, try to at least try to dismantle the idea that you need to be at your instrument to improve. Also, don't spend all your time copying someone else answers. 

If you want to learn more, sign up for our free 90-minute Listening workshop on Saturday, Feb.17.

We'll walk through all the steps of Active Listening with a song.

Cheers 💫

—Tony