Once upon a time, I believed you had to be born with a great ear and natural creativity to be an excellent guitarist. The truth is, these are skills that are learned and developed over time. A great musician has a great ear—they can anticipate chord progressions, play thoughtful melodies, and transcribe music they hear in their head or from other artists.
This skill will help you with all aspects of being a musician. It’s important to take just 5 minutes of your practice time each day to develop it. Here are some easy, actionable steps you can take to improve your ear.
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Why Ear Training Matters
The ability to recognize and understand music by ear is fundamental for any musician. It deepens your connection to music, enhances your improvisation skills, and makes learning new songs or writing your own much more intuitive. For guitarists, ear training frees you from over-reliance on tabs and sheet music, allowing you to play what you hear in your head, transcribe solos effortlessly, and jam more effectively with others.
A Simple 5-Minute Ear Training Exercise
Here’s how to apply and practice training your ear:
- Pick a simple melody. Think of easy tunes like "Baby Shark," "Scooby-Doo," or jingles from your favorite TV shows or commercials.
- Listen and sing it. Internalize the melody line by singing it to yourself. This is a crucial step.
- Transcribe the melody. Without cheating, try to figure out the melody on your guitar. Don't worry about the key; just find the notes that sound right.
- Analyze and adjust. Once you have a version written out or memorized, play it back and compare it to the original. Listen for any differences and make adjustments until it's correct.
Your results won’t be perfect at first. You’ll have some wrong notes, but with consistent practice, it will get easier. This method of practice is why we limit it to just 5 minutes—to avoid burnout while still making progress.
Level Up: Transcribing Solos
After some time, simple melodies will become easy. Now it's time to target your favorite solos.
- Break the solo into small sections. This makes it easier to focus on smaller portions.
- Start with the slower sections first. Sing each small phrase in your head to internalize it.
- Figure out the notes. Using the same process as before, find the notes on your fretboard.
- Play and compare. Play your transcribed melody and compare it to the original solo, adjusting until it matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Singing helps internalize the melody. It connects what you hear with your own voice, making it easier to find the corresponding notes on your guitar. It's a crucial step in bridging the gap between listening and playing.
Don't get discouraged! Start with just the first two or three notes of a very simple melody. The goal is progress, not perfection. Even finding one correct note is a win. Consistency is key; your ear will improve over time.
Yes. This exercise develops 'relative pitch'—the ability to identify notes in relation to each other. Perfect (or absolute) pitch is the ability to identify a note without any reference point. Relative pitch is a more practical and trainable skill for most musicians and is extremely powerful for playing by ear.
Conclusion
These two applications will dramatically improve your skill set as a guitar player and a musician. Don’t beat yourself up during this process. It takes time to develop from the beginning, so be patient and consistent. You will start to see results over time as you transform what you hear into what you play.
This Article is written by Travis Osterloh @ Osterlohguitaracademy.com. See his website for further information and inquiries!
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