First step is learning scales, finger movements, rests and picking technique. There is no substitution for practice. Once you become more aware with the fretboard then you can start turning the music in your head into audible sounds. Again, there is no real substitution for practice. Set aside time each day just as you would going to a music lesson with a teacher. With time and practice, you become the artisan.
a good practice I've noticed is singing (along with playing) scale degree's. singing the 1 then the 2 back to 1 then the 3 back to 1, etc… then trying to sing 'ahead' before you play the note. it builds your frame of reference. this in combination with standard interval practice is key.
Something that has helped me is to sing the notes you want to play. I'm not talking singing loudly, but just loud enough that you can hear yourself. What got me to try it, is watching a few live performances from bands like Metallica for instance. If you have ever watched them live, you will notice that Kirk will always be singing the notes he wants to play, especially during a solo. He may not be singing loud enough for anyone to hear him, but watch his mouth when he plays you can see him doing it. He's not the only one, there are many that do it, he is just one sticking out to me right now.
The way you get around your issues is through working in very small time frames and taking a good deal of breaks. You'll ears will become tired after a certain point. Hope this helps. - Andrew
It is nothing to feel bad about! It is one of the hardest things to do ever! Just keep going, it gets better. I don't always "nail it" but I get closer and closer the more I try.
i have always found that singing and playing the line together in unison keeps me sharp and on top of the pitch and knowledge and the beauty of a melody/// a melody can show you other choices(of your own) that music and your instrument has to offer. CARLOS GUITARLOS L.A.,C.A.
This is more important than any theory, if you can't play what you hear, OR if you can't play what you hear in your head, then you can not create music. Many do not realize that there's more to it then just theory and practice and shapes... listening is just so important when playing guitar.
It definitely helps to listen to the song over several times. If you do this until you can go through the song in your head then when you go to solo to it you'll certainly have that 'feel' that andrew's talking about for when the changes are coming.
Im 18 and been playing since i was about 13. just now starting to work on ear training and playing by ear. I really, no, REALLY wish i would of made playing by ear my priority when i started playing. I've only been working on learning by ear for about a week and i've already noticed a huge improvement in my playing, sure i have lots of trouble with learning by ear and its not as easy as just pulling up a tab or some sheet music, but the rewards are well worth it.
I've been playing guitar for about 6 years and drums for about 12. In just the four videos I've watched of yours so far, I've come to an incredible amount of conclusions to problems I've been struggling with for years. Thank you so much!
It really helps to sing what you play. If you're working on scales, intervals, or arpeggios, sing them as you play them so you get them inside your head as well as in your fingers. Eventually you'll be able to play what you're singing. The goal is to use the guitar as a tool to express the musical ideas which are in your head. If you're playing a lot of notes without hearing them internally, it probably won't move an audience much.
Thanks Andrew, at last I've found a brilliant teacher on You Tube who concentrates on instruction, is sympathetic to the viewer and doesn't just show off his guitar skills. Thanks very much again John P.
I must be lucky ? When I was 6or7 yrs-old,I received my first guitar (1966/7) I could see the fingers playing the notes on the radio, Hendrix/Doors/Stones, all of them. When I really started guitar at12 or 13- I could find the notes very quickly-(especially what was in my head) Onward and upward ever since... A never ending journey still, And I do it for a living, sometimes :)))
I'm a guitar player, but for me is much harder to find a melody on the guitar than the piano, even though I don't play the piano, when I want to figure out a melody I have to go and look for a piano, why is that? I mean I have play the guitar for so long but is so hard for me to figure out what note is on the guitar so look it up in the piano!
You totally just broke me out of my slump I was in today. I have came to a conclusion: That, whenever guitarists are in a "slump", they aren't really. Its all in your head. Just play. Thank you man.
This is a good direction. I would add that a good understanding of the key signature you are playing in is a very important place to start. Then practice in every position every song you sit down to play. I often just play what I hear in my head and then move it around into every position I can move to understand all the nuances of the sound relationships without actually sitting down to learn each interval. I do however do intervals but I think you have to mix every approach to simplify it.
What an important lesson and piece of information! I'm lucky to find this video, I wanted to do that kind of stuff before but thought it was a waste of time, turns out it was a great practice! Thanks for clearing my mind Andrew! You deserve $500 but I'll have to donate $50 to your online free lessons man! It can't pass unrewarded!
I've found a few good guitar instructors on here but you sir are in the top 3 I've found so far. Thank you. You're grasp on how to break down the concepts into understandable ideas is a gift.
dont let the scales play you...you play the music...dont worry about cover songs...do what makes you feel great and it tottaly doesnt matter what everybody else thinks
Ive come up with some great riffs in my head and put a portion of them into playing them, but end up losing where i was going by hitting the wrong notes. But its getting better with practise. Combinding this with learning songs similar to the style I want to write really helps.
Ear training is the most important aspect of training. It's a life long study that is often over looked. Theory doesn't you get out of a chord progression you're lost in. Hearing your way out is much more useful in that situation.
A technique I have used and taught to my students is a sort of reverse engineering of scat singing. Start with simple 3, 4 or 5 note phrases in the "BB King Box". Play it on the guitar. Then scat sing it. Granted, I know we can't all be Ella Fitzgerald, but work with what you've got. Then, when you get comfortable with that, flip it around. Sing the phrase and then play it. As you get better and more confident, extend the phrases and the ranges.
You're quite right. Technique is important but freedom on your instrument and playing what you hear or feel inside of you is like singing. When you can sing on your instrument it's freedom of expression and all the great musicians and improvisors had a way of expressing themself through their instrument. They become a part of the music inside of them.
Excellent video. Sometimes it is just so obvious that we miss it. To start ear training, just start. Pay attention to intervals and adjust the key later. Then just practice. That's what I got out of this video and it's already showing results for me.
Andrew; I have been a HUGE follower of any lessons you have done in the past from other peoples questions.>any lesson you have taken time to prepare & present ALWAYS has something to be learned for me personally,my point; I HOPE that the bass lessons will continue !!! I have been trying my BEST to help another person to get some basics down, with some success & your teaching methods they are starting to break the ice here&there,I have been telling them how much I have benefited&thatyouwerethe#1
All you need is the C-A-G-E-D system. There are videos on youtube explaining it in a very simple way. It involves using the C, A, G, E, D open chords with alternative fingering so your index finger is reserved for baring. When you can bar all these open chords you can play anything in any key. And when you discover how consistent the patterns of related chords are, you can freely explore your creativity within those patterns. No more brain-strain needed!
bro. i am right there with you. i know exactly what your talking about. smoking a little weed brings out a whole new realm of creativity but only in moderation. im not trying to promote dugs but i think its incredible how you can tap into different types of thinking after just a bowl.
I enjoyed listening to you, I agree with your thoughts on working out what you hear in your head, to the fret board, sometimes you just gotta spend time on it . It might take a week. It might take 2 hours, sometimes it might take 2 mins. Listen to the song, COPY what you hear, make the tones match the song...
Earliest reference to your quote I could find: ‘[The aim of the composer should be] to express the conceptions of the mind and…to impress them with the greatest possible effectiveness on the minds of the listeners.’ Vincenzo Galileo Dialogo della musica antica e della moderna (1581)
Use an audio editing program to isolate sections of a song you are transcribing. You can only retain a certain length segment of music in your mind for only so long. Make every second count when your listening to a certain segment! - Andrew
I used to have that problem, then I started learning Gypsy Jazz. Django Reinhardt et al. A simple tune like Minor Swing or Minor Blues can really open up your ears. There are tons of play alongs on the tube. Once you get the hang of those minor keys, they are super-fun to jam in.
Hey I'm Brennan, Harris. I love music and everything about it. Love that last tune to, its a keeper. Anyone can play someone else's song. (but can u play your own) It just takes time and practice, practice. Maybe a bit of passion wouldn't hurt. I write, I play, I play harmonica, bit of piano. love to learn more piano tho. I'm 19 I've surpassed in two years guy that have played for 6. my opinion u got it or u don't. Wanta play whats in your head learn what in your head. Song Vocab! get a big one!
Oh my. I was thinking exactly the same. I'll hear things in my head at some random times usually at night though whilst I am trying to sleep and never manage to figure out what was going on in my head.
Yes indeed Andrew is sooo right.. these days recording quality is so good and the equipment is very accessible and relatively cheap that there is no excuse for not recording. I have really gotten into the habit and found it really pays off plus it kinda forces you to play better knowing you are recording it.
Self taught - cannot read music notes. Luckily, able to play by ear what I hear and transcribe to the guitar, in the right key too! Not sure how the brain does it. Not writing music. Play for pleasure. Wish has more brain cells so can understand the rest of what is happening. Making do with the limitations and learning as much as I can thru RU-vid videos. Like your presentation - straight forward and mostly easy to understand. Many thanks. Will subscribe !
"One should not think of music as a purely acoustic phenomenon. Certainly sound plays an important role, but in the final analysis it is not acoustic information but the perception of that information which defines the musical experience." Michael Schultz.
That piece of music at the end of the video is on my 2006 album. You can buy the MP3 download of that album off of my Creative Guitar Studio website. Thanks for the interest. - Andrew
An apreggio is like a scale but it only consists of the notes of the chord. E.g C7 would be C/-E-G-Bb-C-E-G-Bb-C-E-G-Bb-/C\-Bb-G-E-C-Bb-G-E-C-Bb-G-E-\C It can consist of as many octaves as you can fit into the instrument and can start and finish on any of the notes of the given chord.
Playing tasteful guitar is a learning experience that never ends. Great video. I would add one item that really helped me to develop musicality. When playing lead or backing up another player I usually sing what I am playing. I find that this gives me a frame of reference to stay in the pocket and yet to improv.
Hey Andrew , Thanks for all the great tips , someone said when the student is ready the teacher appears, and I believe thats true , Started with tunes that have been stuck in my head all the way back to childhood and now I am starting to get some more creative notes appearing in my ( minds eye ) However even when I was a kid I remember imagining lead licks and embellishments when listening intently to someone else playing guitar , so I think I had a head start, Thanks for your lessons
If someone have this it's a great skill if i have it i can really create my own style and even visualize in my head and then whistle the melody creating different solos in 3 chord patterns. Finally able to play it on guitar. Wow
The question is good. My way is to determine the key of the tune. One can do that by trial and error. Then you figure out the intervals between each note. Then you smooth out the timing and rhythm. You can figure out the intervals between the notes first and then from there determine the key. Also, learn basics on piano or keyboards, another way to visualize the notes. Learn how to compose double, triple stops and chords. These are simply suggestions to augment this video.
A very good job of teaching Ear Training instead of "Ear Training" for guitarist. In music school, the ET classes were mostly directed toward keyboardists, with the exception of choral practice.
from my point of view, the first step is to check if one knows the intervals. Since one don´t, there is no way to go around learning them all one by one: play note, sing an interval,check interval on guitar. Learn also how they are called and the diagrams look on the fretboard. use a training software too. Then try to play easy songs for kids using one sting (like on the video) or using the scale fingering. Sing every note before playing. What you can not sing you will not be able to find.
I can hum bass / chords in tune or correct relation NO PROBLEM, to get me kick started. But I have REAL problems transcribing memory to finger tips. Thanks for bringing this up. Glad I'm not alone.
Hi Jim, I'm no expert but this often happens to me, usually when I'm out in a busy street and far from home, this is where some technology can help, I use my mobile phone as it has a recorder on it, and try to sing, hum the melody or riff that I am hearing. I am usually out by at least an octave, it's not perfect but it gives you a chance, just find somewhere 'quiet' and do it. A lot of MP3 players have this function as well and are a lot cheaper than a cell/mobile phone.
For me I think it came together in two parts. First part is to find songs you like that are on par with your ability and try learning them by ear with the recording. The other part is to practise improvising over a progression and use your ears. At times you will hear what you want to do next. Just try to find it. It takes practise and may not be easy. Sometimes it will just happen and at times it won't but eventually you will be able to improvise over a progression you just heard off the cuff.
I am mostly a drummer but I developed a pretty good ear from what I learned back in high school music. There is actually grades in "aural comprehension" you can take. You start off learning intervals. The way we did this was to remember them by the first two notes of a song. Mary Had a Little Lamb is a major 3rd, Star Wars is a major 5th for eg. It goes on from there but even just being able to hear intervals makes it a hell of a lot easier. I kill it on bass in E minor inprov lol
The way I do this is I set aside some time to figure out some of my favorite movie themes by ear. Star Wars, Back to the Future, or Superman. Also melodies that really stick in my head from commercials or video games. It helps a lot.
i play what i hear like this: first, is the next note lower of higher than the current note you're playing, then approx. jump on scale to this note -> years of practice -> profit! :)
What works for me is to not to try to put it out on an instrument too soon. Hum it or softledge it onto a recorder or wav file. Keep working it in your head until its like the song that won't go away. Sometimes that takes me weeks. Then I pick up my flute or guitar and work it out bar by bar. I don't have a good ear so this is the process i found that i have to go through. Hope this helps.
You can just hum the line into any type of recorder and you will have it in its original form. From there if it gets changed you can always go back to your achived idea.
First: Great lesson, Andrew! I think it touches on a very important part of musicianship! Second: The quote you talked about at 10:25 in the video may be a condensation of this old quote: "Music hath two ends, first to please the sense, and that is done by the pure dulcor of harmony [sound] … and secondly to move the affections or excite passion. And that is done with measures of time [structure/form/proprotion] joined with the former." Roger North, The Musicall Grammarian (1728) Cont...
your sounds on the guitar are very sweet, and your teachings are very gentle and informative. You should be seriously considering the release of one guitar instructional DVD. and i'm sure you can creat some great music as well.Thanks a lot!
holy shit!!!! me too!!!! I NEVER smoke these days. well almost. maybe once every other month. its absolutely amazing how well I can focus on the guitar and new avenues of fingering and play. you can get so deep into something and figure shit out. I left myself a note to myself saying that I really needed to fix my ADD brain so I could be more like that in my everyday life :) I think I'm going to look into neurofeedback. Being able to focus like that sober would be huge!
I think the best suggestions were those provided by eddieisfiction & 11Kralle. Obviously, it is essential to be completely familiar with the sound of the intervals. Learn singing them. I am sure that any improviser who listens, when concentrated, can hear in advance to the next phrases. The problem is: how to interpret this intuitive music through your instrument? It requires a lot of practice and hours of flight. Enjoy it!
well I actually do... it happens more often when I'm just chillin' with an acoustic guitar and i play something that i like and that i know i have never heard before and i just record it....But its ok to look for inspiration in other songs....if you like metal then you should hear classical music because played with an electric guitar classical music can be very metal!!
That's actually a really great idea! Whenever I'm trying to figure out something new or just play, I'm always staring at the fret board, as if it's going to tell me something, and it NEVER DOES!! lol I'm definitely going to try it with eyes closed! Thanks for the comment!
Hey Jim, I would recommend humming the melody into the voice recorder on your phone! (if you have a Smartphone) Also super handy for when inspiration strikes, but you don't have a guitar around
You also have to be able to sing (la la la) the notes in your head. If you can't do that, it means that there actually aren't any specific notes in your head..just a general idea maybe...but try to sing it out loud first.
thank you every much! I easily but not perfectly match it without searching how to do it! half way i was ganna give up and search it how but I suddenly just play a random string and it matches it's really fun and more exciting you know? cauz as soon as you finish it without knowing how to do it... You feel like a Professional guitar player!! cauz you know it without searching it! and suddenly i just bump another 3 strings and just randomly picking some strings i just finish how to fingerstyle "what a wonderful world" XD
Hi Jim, Ya know that's a tough one as you're developing your skills... Yes! You will forget musical ideas... However, over time - as you get better & better - your, "Musical Memory," actually grows to become stronger as you (of course) achieve more skill. Over time, you'll be able to retain ideas. In the process however, simply get into the habit of constantly recording yourself! - Andrew
So let me see if I've got this right: 1. Hear riff in head. 2. Work it out on the fretboard until I've got it right. 3. Do it again with the next riff. At what point are you supposed to consider ear fatigue or a creeping inner critic? Often I really want to get the riff out, and in the process of deciding what sounds "right" I've already changed so much about the riff. Any advice? That's the real hurdle for me.
For Lil' Liza Jane, try A minor pentatonics, 3rd shape starting from the 10th fret, 6th string. Or its relative major C major would also work, I reckon. Would be interesting to come up with some sort of improvised blues solo based on Lil' Jane ;)
Doin' it by feel takes some confidence and a lot of work. If you spend some time with a metronome you will be able to execute by feel effortlessly if your using the metronome properly. Of course you have to get creative with the metronome, but there are a ton of lessons on how to use a metronome properly on youtube. My personal favorites are by victor wooten. The metronome will help develope your sense of time which will allow you to play with feel without making mistakes all over
haha i believe it doesn't matter what place you get but what music is there to that particular moment:D that's how i get the melodies/harmonies/beats in my head going- i just feel the moment does it all for you;) hope that helps!
I get that a lot. I may be trying all night to get an idea for a melody, with no result at all. As soon as I lay in bed and turn off the lights, HIDE FROM THE TSUNAMI OF IDEAS!
It's all about musical instinct and conviction to the music, unfortunately, is almost forgotten these days! Always play instinctively, or do not play at all, it's a live or die situation!
