Play the Songs You've Always Wanted!

Playing by ear is a highly desired skill that many people want to possess, both musicians and non musicians. Playing by ear is a wonderful skill to develop and one which is often neglected in the classical tradition, where players can become reliant on having the sheet music in front of them. Do not confuse memorizing a sheet music with playing by ear. Not every piece of music is available in sheet music, so how do you play the pieces / songs that are not available in notation?

I encourage my students to read music and also to play by ear; to improvise – bringing out their creativity. It gives them the best of both worlds; with a bit of ear training under your belt, a limitless repertoire of music opens up to you. The key of C Major is just the basic to lay the foundation; the pitch of some songs might be too low or too high. There are eleven more keys to learn that will help you transpose to a pitch that will suit your vocal range.

At this stage, we are simply using the basic triads (three-note chords) built on Chord I (C major), Chord IV (F Major), Chord V (G Major) and chord VI (A minor). Advanced or experience players will use seventh chords for coloration and other embellishments. I want to keep it simple for a start - just have fun. The letters represent the chords and they change exactly over the words as you sing, feeling the strong beat. Another thing I can teach you is to know which chords to play when you are in a particular key.

For example: As a beginner in the key of C Major, these are the basic chords / triads - Chord I (C major) Chord IV (F Major) Chord V (G Major) & Chord VI (A minor)

Always start by playing the chord of C Major to establish your tonal base. The first note of the song is one of the three notes that form the triad. "Happy Birthday," starts with an anacrusis (an upbeat) so the first beat is on 'birth.'

"Amazing Grace" also starts with an upbeat, so your first beat is on "- maz." A 'slash' after a chord simply means, repeat the chord. I give my students the opportunity to create accompaniment styles as part of their adventure.

"Three Little Birds" is a reggae song by Bob Marley. Usually, the chord patterns of most reggae songs including this one play on the offbeats. It's all yours to explore, maybe you will discover something new.

This song has a simple chord progression, making it an easy choice for beginners on the keyboard. The chorus and the verse carry the same chord progression. I would like you to start your ear training by playing the verse with these same chords.