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Making a recognisable tune is our first aim. Technical points & exercises, are tackled along the way as they become relevant. If you're a complete beginner, some exercises will be unavoidable. A chromatic scale will be one of the first.
| Lessons often start with the student playing a CD or other medium of the music they'd like to play. It could be jazz, rock, folk, blues, classical, or something rather more modern. It really could be anything. Perhaps you have a TV theme in mind....Usually, the next step is to decide what within the music is the part you wish to learn. It could be you'd like to play the melody. Or perhaps you just want to play along with your favorite music with harmonies. Here you will need to listen more carefully as the chords change but in it's own way can be easier & more rewarding than going for the melody. |
Beginners to playing by ear.. |
(though not necessarily beginners to their instrument) |
At the start James will play the note/s on another instrument (the same instrument you are playing, mind. You'll have plenty of time to try to find it on yours. Being able to play a chromatic scale on your instrument will greatly help you in this task. Whatever key your piece happens to be in, you WILL play the note we're after if you do yuour chromatic scale & listen carefully to each note asking yourself if you're lower or higher than the one being played to you. If you don't manage to find it, you'll be told where it is & asked to play it. Then you'll be asked to listen carefully to verify in your own mind that these 2 notes are indeed the same. Sometimes this is the point at which you start to recognise 2 notes that are the same & 2 that are not. On playing the second note you'll be asked if you think it's higher or lower than the first & then how far apart you think it is (very close – very wide). Once you've established that you'll be in a good position to hunt for not no 2 - & so on. You'll get quicker at finding the notes played by James, but eventually you'll be asked to try to find them straight from the audio file being played. Once you can do that, you'll need a lot less help & will start to be able to self teach. |
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Chords |
(Guitar & Piano) |
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Finding chords is a little harder than finding single notes. You'll be played a few chords over a passage of your music. 2 or 3 perhaps. You'll be asked to say which ones sound like they fit & which don't. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not, but the more you do this exercise the quicker you'll get & finding the first chord. You'll be shown how to spot where the chords move & to identify these changes & to spot when the same chords are coming round again. Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4 chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll usually be cycling a verse or a chorus.Finding chords is a little harder than finding single notes. You'll be played a few chords over a passage of your music. 2 or 3 perhaps. You'll be asked to say which ones sound like they fit & which don't. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not, but the more you do this exercise the quicker you'll get & finding the first chord. |
You'll be shown how to spot where the chords move & to identify these changes & to spot when the same chords are coming round again. Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4 chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll usually be cycling a verse or a chorus. Finding chords is a little harder than finding single notes. You'll be played a few chords over a passage of your music. 2 or 3 perhaps. You'll be asked to say which ones sound like they fit & which don't. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not, but the more you do this exercise the quicker you'll get & finding the first chord.
You'll be shown how to spot where the chords move & to identify these changes & to spot when the same chords are coming round again. Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4 chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll usually be cycling a verse or a chorus.
Finding chords is a little harder than finding single notes. You'll be played a few chords over a passage of your music. 2 or 3 perhaps. You'll be asked to say which ones sound like they fit & which don't. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not, but the more you do this exercise the quicker you'll get & finding the first chord. You'll be shown how to spot where the chords move & to identify these changes & to spot when the same chords are coming round again. Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4 chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll usually be cycling a verse or a chorus. |
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Finding chords is a little harder than finding single notes. You'll be played a few chords over a passage of your music. 2 or 3 perhaps. You'll be asked to say which ones sound like they fit & which don't. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not, but the more you do this exercise the quicker you'll get & finding the first chord.
You'll be shown how to spot where the chords move & to identify these changes & to spot when the same chords are coming round again. Most verses or choruses have just 2 – 4 chords so it’s not that daunting. We’ll usually be cycling a verse or a chorus.
Rhythm
| You’ll also have to try counting beats to your music. It’s important to identify the ‘one’ in a 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 typical rhythm. This is where most chord changes will happen. |
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Often a 5 minute break can be negotiated as it can be rather intense. I usually break the brain ache a little with some exercises, which are not as important to me as to most music teachers because they can destroy a students enthusiasm, but I would say do them just a little, especially when you need a break from listening. But stop as soon as you feel the slightest bit bored! I won’t dwell on exercises but will show you what to do. |
& so back to your CD. It rather depends what you’ve brought in, but we can now aim to get you to do one of a few thing: 1. Play the tune |
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| I try to introduce arpeggios at this stage to give you a few more notes to play over your chord sequence than just the root note. Any note in the chords arpeggio should sound fine if you play notes from the correct arpeggio at the appropriate chord. |  |
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A lesson may also find you playing a tune we decide upon. If you have an idea of one that’s always best. There are no barriers – you can play any tune on any instrument. You’ll be asked to try to find each and every note in your tune. Help will be given when you need it. First I’ll tell you when you’ve hit the right note. Eventually I’ll be hoping that you can tell me. |
Those who can
already easily ‘sing on their instrument’ – ie play
it to make a tune in their heads as if they were singing, we can develop
more subtle aspect to music making. Tone, control, harmony, rhythm, depth
& damn soulfulness.
| Understanding chords & progressions is important for any mono-tone instrument & any time spent on a chordal instrument will help you. Even having 10 minutes out of your hour can be well worth it. Just let me know. Or you can buy extra time to try any instrument you like... |  |
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If you fancy a go at piano or guitar but don’t have one, you can still have a go at your flute or fiddle lesson to see if it feels like ‘you’ before you have to go out & buy one. |
| HOME | Weavers Hall, Bank Close, Newburgh |
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