<lookwhereallthistalkinggotusbaby@yahoo.com> wrote in a message
> I've always been amazed how somebody can sit down and tune their
> guitar without a tuner? Or how somebody can sit down and hear a
> fairly simplistic riff in a song and fret it on their axe within a
> minute or two?
>
> Now, I'm sure it took a lot of practice to get to that level, but what
> steps did these guys take in their practice to get to that point?
> What exercises will help me identify notes, chords, key I hear in a
> song within a minute or two? Perhaps it's not as easy as they make it
> look, but I want to get there. I understand playing mechanics pretty
> well now, but when it comes to tone, I'm lost like the wayward
> son. :-)
I think some of it is a natural talent. I started playing the drums, at age
6, by ear only. It wasn't until a few years later, when I took up trumpet,
that I learned there was any other way to learn a song. Although I read
music when playing the trumpet, I could also sit down and play a Chicago
tune just from what was in my head (without having played it before) ... not
perfectly right out of the gate, but I could figure it out in a few minutes.
I started on the guitar the same way. The mechanics of playing guitar are a
bit more involved, so taking lessons and reading music provided the details
on that. Once I learned how to play, again, picking things up by ear came
easily.
Having known a lot of musicians in my life, I have known some that couldn't
play be ear to save their soul, I've known others that did it from the day
they started playing and I've known some who were able to develop the skill
over time.
I think a good way to practice might be to start with tunes that are fairly
simple. You don't need to be trying to pick a single guitar part out of
something that was recorded on 64 tracks, Find some music you like that is
just guitar, bass & drums and try to work out the guitar part.
I would also think your familiarity with the song, as well as your
familiarity with playing the instrument, play a significant role.
Mark Bedingfie…
Hotfoot
