Learn to play by ear while sitting at your computer
Friday, November 27th, 2009
As a classically trained music student, I use to wonder why anyone would need to play by ear when there’s sheet music? Don’t know how that got instilled in me, maybe my piano teacher told me that so I would continue taking piano lessons, huh? Maybe that kind of thinking may hold water if you’re always going to play classical music where every note is spelled out for you. I quickly found out the value of playing by ear years later when my husband volunteered me to be the interim choir director at the church we were attending.
Admittedly, I was a little nervous at first because I hadn’t played for many years since my last piano lesson. When I graduated from what was then known as the High School of Music and Art in New York City, I never thought I would ever play the piano again except for my own entertainment or if we had guests over. It’s like riding a bike , right? Sure, at least I thought so.
Then the aha moment came. I asked for copies of the sheet music so I could learn the songs and I was handed an audio tape. What’s this, I asked? These are some of the songs the choir sings. Great, but where’s the music? It’s on the tape I just gave you. Some of our songs are not on the tape so if you need, you can ask Lily to sing some of the songs for you and you can just pick it up, right? Um. Right.
It was at that moment I was going through my mental rolodex trying to remember who it was who told me it was totally unnecessary to play by ear so I could call them up and give them a piece of my mind.
What to do, what to do? To make matters worse, my husband had done such a great job of selling the church leaders on my ability to play based upon his recollection of my performances at piano recitals and having sat through hours upon hours that I devoted to practicing year earlier.
To make a long story short, I sucked it up and learned to play by ear since 95% of the music performed by the choir I was volunteered to lead was not available on sheet music. It was ‘nightmarish’ at first and got easier with time and lots more practice, but it sure would have been a lot easier if I hadn’t been so snooty and learned to play by ear earlier on.
I stumbled upon this site that shows you how you can learn to play by ear while sitting at your computer utilizing a method very similar to how I taught myself how to play by ear. Check it out.
Still playing after all these years. You can too!
Yvette
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