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Ear Learning
Information
This group is for those interested in learning to play what they hear. All levels welcome - hope the advanced can help the beginners. TAB'ers are welcome too, whether looking to change their ways or simply interested in the discussions.
Members: 22
Latest Activity: Apr 10
Discussion Forum
So how do you memorise/internalise a pitch? 1 Reply
Subtly different from hearing a phrase and then finding it on the guitar - what about hearing a single note and 'knowing' what it is?That 'knowing' could either be being able to name the note…Continue
Started by Derek. Last reply by ganon Apr 10.
Might as well forget it.... 17 Replies
No, not a verdict on this ear learning programme - but the title of Del's Ear Learning Phrase # 4. It's from a Bob Wills' CD and the song is "We Might As Well Forget It Anyway". When I heard the…Continue
Started by Derek. Last reply by ganon Jul 19, 2011.
Science and Ear Learning II 17 Replies
For a while I've wondered if the "ear learning" we are discussing is just another path to memorizing. But ganon's and Kathy's and Derek's posts kept me open to the possibility that it is an all…Continue
Started by Jim Wing. Last reply by Derek May 18, 2011.
Granger's Fiddle Tunes for Guitar 12 Replies
As promised, here are the 2-phrase tunes that I found. Thought short ones might lead to getting 'a few under the belt' quickly, but by no means feel limited to these. And, short does not necessarily…Continue
Started by ganon. Last reply by Derek Apr 27, 2011.
Comment Wall
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Comment by mike emm on March 28, 2011 at 11:01am -
count me in...you've convinced me that it is the right way to go. Thanks
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Comment by ganon on March 28, 2011 at 11:13am -
Just to get things started, and for those who have never tried - here is an extremely simple tune to try it out on, and a bit of blueprint to help reduce the search space. It is a 'fiddle tune' with standard AABB structure, but the A's and B's are only 4 measures long - so there are only two 4-measure phrases to learn. It can be played as a one chord song (D). The melody is played entirely on strings 3,4,5 and only uses frets 0, 2, 4. So, you can simply sit the left-hand at second position and flop your 1st and 3rd fingers around until you find the melody.
Two suggestions
(1) listen and hum or sing along the melody 30 - 100 times before you even try to play it.
(2) When you try to play it, do it from what is your head, not from 'playing along'. If you don't get it, listen some more and repeat.
(bonus hint) the first phrase begins on the A note on the 3rd string (2nd fret), the second phrase begins on the open d string.
Have fun!
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Comment by Derek on March 28, 2011 at 12:35pm -
I'm up for this. I'm not too bad at transcribing with the guitar in hand, playing along to stuff, but doing it this way feels like it ought to be the way to go!
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Comment by Doug Lindhout on March 28, 2011 at 12:43pm -
I'm in. I'm tired of being a slave to tab...
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Comment by Kathy Barwick on March 28, 2011 at 1:46pm -
Can I join too??? This is my favorite topic (thanks Ganon!)
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Comment by ganon on March 28, 2011 at 4:37pm
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All (and to those yet to join) - welcome, I hope we'll have fun and make lots of progress together.
@Kathy - you are more than welcome here, not only as an 'advanced ear', but as godmother of the group; without your wonderful guidance (and infinite patience) over last year, I never would have started the group. As a little enticement to others who may be peeking in, I'd like to put up a quote from you that I saved a while back:
'When I stopped using tab with my banjo students, in over 2 years of teaching solely by ear not one EVER wanted to subsequently learn to read tab, though I endorsed it as a source of information. Since they were largely able to rip stuff off from recordings, they didn't see it as useful.'
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Comment by ganon on March 29, 2011 at 7:10am
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Great comment Mike, we now have group symbol ;-)
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Comment by Wayne on March 29, 2011 at 7:19am -
I'll give it a try.
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Comment by ganon on March 29, 2011 at 7:33am
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Hi Wayne, good to see you here. Since you are quite familiar with my 'pre-ear' playing, I'll give you a reference point: My video of 'Corner House' was recorded 2 days after I started playing it, but after 3 weeks of intense listening/chording/and scat-singing or humming the melody. I am getting to that magic transition point where I can learn simple tunes faster by ear (if properly pre-prepared) than I can from a cold start with TAB). And the products are completely different beasts, no question which is better.
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Comment by Kathy Barwick on March 29, 2011 at 8:28am
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I saw a suggestion once that you learn a tune by ear for every one you learn via TAB... or some such. I think it was in a flatpick-l discussion.
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Latest Activity
Marc Schlotthauer replied to Todd McFarland's discussion What brand do you play?"My gear is much better than my skill - for straight flatpickin', I play a Martin D-18 Authentic 1937. My go-to guitar for just about everything else (and it flatpicks just fine, thank you) is my Huss & Dalton D-RH with a Red Spruce top.…"
Derek commented on Derek's video
Ragtime Annie
"Hey Craig. Thanks for the kind comment. The credit for this version should really go To Steve Kaufman who's arrangement it is. Good luck with your bluegrass studies, it's wonderful music and great fun to play. I look forward to…"
Craig commented on Derek's videoRagtime Annie
"Derek: Mike above is teaching me blue grass and showed me this site. Fantastic rendition by you of this great song. Thanks for sharing. I'm off to Mike's to practice!!!!"
Clyde J.Ortego replied to Todd McFarland's discussion What brand do you play?"I play a Silvertone Acoustic from back in the Sixties."
Mike FlatPickingBuddy replied to Todd McFarland's discussion What brand do you play?"I have a Guild Bluegrass D40 made in the original factory at Hoboken that has been with me since 1964
I also have a Martin D18 made sometime around 1994 and a 1977 or earlier Yamaha FG336SB"
Derek commented on Derek's videoRagtime Annie
"Thanks Mike. I have to prove to myself that I can play the material as written but once I've done that I start to allow myself some leeway to have fun and drop in my own bits. There's not too much space to do that in SK's version of…"
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