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  1. #1

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    Default Playing/Learning a Song By Ear

    Well I知 slowly but surely realizing that I知 not very good at playing/learning a song by ear. I知 having a hard time, does anyone have any tips or tricks?

    Thanks DC

  2. #2

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    try mapping it out one part at a time.... Also practice your jamming techniques
    generally getting into the feel of the song will get you playing it the same. Follow the bass with your bass kick and use the snare when you hear. Hi hat will be easy and identify when it opens and how far...... Work through the song with just beats then go back and learn the fills one by one.....


    Or alteratively.

    Go buy the sheet music :P

  3. #3

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    Ok, I'm no expert, but I pretty darn sure you don't play the drums with your ears. Sheesh, maybe you should have been a bass player.

    Seriously though, I think you may be misled a bit by the term playing by ear. Sure very experienced misicians can easily play by ear because when they hear a phrase it alsways sounds very close to something that they already know how to play. If phrases are parts and tools, experienced guys just take the tools out of their giant tool box and put the pieces together. What you want to do is start collecting spare parts & tools (phrases, rudiments, etc.). Then as you're listening to songs you'll start to recognise a bit here or there as something you know how to play. Bit by bit you start to gain the compitence to "play by ear".
    Last edited by Roaddebris; 05-18-2007 at 10:28 AM.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roaddebris
    Ok, I'm no expert, but I pretty darn sure you don't play the drums with your ears. Sheesh, maybe you should have been a bass player.
    LMAO!!!!!!!

  5. #5

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    I've really seen this take effect in my youngest son who plays guitar. He has great pitch, which really helps, but as he's been playing for over three years his ability to play by ear has gone through the roof. I came home one day and he was playing Kansas' "Wayward Son", not just the rhythm part, but the solo's too. I asked him if he got that from his teacher. "No. I just picked it out", he said. I was like, "dude, do you see what's happening? You're starting to get it".

    Anyway, he's been at it hard for over three years, two of which have been with superstar teacher, and he's just now getting enough tools together to start picking apart complex solos and playing them back.

    So Sue, you've just got to stick with it.

  6. #6

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    I totally agree with Roaddebris. When I first started playing, my teacher used to tell me to write music out that i was listening to and that this would help with developing to learn music and more about what the drums were doing in the song. I used to stress out over it ALOT! thinking that I will never get this. But in time and after learning new beats etc etc and paradiddles etc, I began to listen to some songs and recognised the drum patterns almost immediately. Imagine, I used to stress out writing out a song like back in black lol...now, im listening to things like Slayer and think I know pretty much what the drummer is doing but my endurance and speed is not developed to play Slayer...yet! but alot of the drum patterns that I am hearing in the music is alot of what I am currently learning and developing.

    Dont stress, in a couple of years it will be much easier. Just keep learning your beats and paradiddles and it will all come to you eventually.

  7. #7

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    lol ey! i play bass too. bass players always cop the flack... Hehe i managed to get groupies once playing bass :P

  8. #8

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    I use to have perfect pitch. It would help me play guitar.... Drums are much easier because its just identifying the drum and the rhythm to which its played. We use to get music played to us at like 4 bars at a time. Heard only once. Write the drum part out for it on manuscript paper....

    What i would give to remember it all again :(
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  9. #9

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    I would like to offer my opinion on this subject. I also am a "play by ear drummer" and have never had a professional drum lesson. One of the things I have done to inprove my playing is to watch as many live performances as possible. When I do this, I try to remember certain groves and how the drummers performed them. Donig this helps me visualize how drum parts that I here on the radio or recordings are played. It's amazing how many of the rudiments and groves can be applied to different songs. I know this may not work for everyone, but it certainly helped me. Good Luck.....

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