You know what youre doing by ear?

I have a question for those who play music on the piano or keyboard by ear, do you know what you are doing when you are playing by ear? is it something you analyze, for example playing by ear and saying, I just played a progression of I, VI, II, IV, V, I in the key of A ???

I don't really keep exact track of the chord progression when I play by ear(especially if I'm not writing it down), or think about the limited knowledge of theory I have, because I'm mostly just trying to pick out the right melodies and chords. And if the song I'm trying to learn isn't exactly something I want to write down and memorize an exact arrangment for, the next time I play the song I probably won't play it in the exact same way, and will probably use different chord substitutions or even play it in another key.

But for those of you who don't really keep good track (or don't care to) of what exact chords/ chord progressions you're playing by ear, or if don't always have a great understanding of what you are playing by ear, how do you figure out the left hand part? That is the trouble I have, in figuring out the left hand part, is since I'm not analyzing what I'm playing with the right hand, then how will I know what appropriate root notes to play with the left hand? would you listen to the recording to hear what it sounds like in the bass and play how you feel it should sound(or maybe invent your own), or would you look and analyze what your right hand is doing and say 'i'm playing a variation of C chord with the right hand, so I'll go ahead and play the root note of C with the left hand'? How to play the left hand part has been a source of much interest for me lately.

thanks for reading, and all suggestions and help would be appreciated.

thanks, Ty Steel

Yes.

I'm about as conscious of the Roman numerals most of the time as I am of the part of speech of each word in this sentence - aware of it as a gut level, not som much consciously naming it.

You have a much better chance of getting the right chords if you understand them. Just as you have a much better chance of constructing a grammatically correct sentence if you understand grammar at some level. Perhaps not at the level of being able to assign the correct labels on each part of speech, but to know that you say 'I am', not 'I be' or 'I is'.

hand?

You don't figure out chords form the melody. You get the melody by listening to original melody, and the chords by listening to the original chords. Sometimes the chords end up being obvious enough from the melody, but given that there are at least thousand ways of harmonizing any given melody, if you want to play it right, you have to listen for the original chord progression. If you hear a C chord being played on the recording, then you play a C chord.

Yes.

No. I don't think about numerical change names while I'm playing. I don't think of the names of chords often either. I have a mental picture of the chord based on how it sounds, its harmonic context, and how I am voicing it at the time. The mental image is vague and unspecific. It's not something that can be taught or intentionally learned. It's something that comes to you with experience.

Occasionally I have to think about those things at an abstract level. Last night I played in a combo that played traditional mainstream jazz. I use different voicings for that kind of music than with other jazz forms. I had to consciously *not* play lots of raised ninths and other altered chords, and I had to remain 'inside.' I had to use more traditional voicings to fit in with the group. That's something a lot of pianists never quite get right. They learn only one style and play whichever style they learned without regard to the music form being played by the group they play with.

A voicing is a collaboration of both hands. I do not think about them separately.

hand?

You eventually learn to play what your mind hears is the correct sound. Initially that's an exercise in applying your knowledge of changes and voicings, which you learn with study and practice. It becomes second nature with experience.

Al Stevens

I know what I'm doing in the sense that I'm creating something which I think sounds good, but I don't really think of the mechanics of it, like whether the interval is a III or IV or whatever. I am aware of what key I'm playing, and I know what chord progressions/voicings work for me and what don't. I let me ears be my guide, rather than analyzing the mechanics.

I have performed certain songs many, many times live, and I doubt that I've played them exactly the same way twice. However, switching keys may confuse your bandmates or vocalists if you don't warn them.

If you're really listening to what you're doing, the more you play, the more you'll find that the way you play chord voicings, fills, riffs, etc. will become something that doesn't really require conscious thought.

Let your ears be your guide as to what to do with the left hand. With enough experience, you'll hear whether it works or not. Don't be afraid to try anything, and don't worry about hard and fast rules - there are none. The important thing is how the tune flows, including the left hand/bass line. Once again, the more you play the more you'll develop a sense of of how to complement the right hand.

Marc, aren't most melodies broken or arpeggiated chords? Wouldn't you also label some single note melodies as being chords in a song? Like for example, let's say this series of single notes was being played by the right hand:

C, E, G, D, F, A

Wouldn't you say this is a C and a D minor chord, or would you say it's just a melody since no root notes are being played by the left hand? in the context of figuring out the chord progression of a song, would you say that calling something a chord can only be defined as two tones or more played simultaneously?

>Sometimes the chords end up being obvious enough from

Another separate question I'd like to ask. when playing accompaniment with arpeggiated or broken chords, I have heard that passing tones, which lie between the main chord tones, can be added in the accompaniment. My question about this is, shouldn't the passing tones relate to the chord, or can any of them be used? For example, I'm playing accompaniment using a broken Bb chord in one part, and I added a passing tone of E in the mix, but that note doesn't necessarily relate to the scale of a Bb. Would something like that be OK, or should I find a passing tone that relates more to the chord?

I play the chords I hear in my head. If I need to build a bridge between chords, I know how to progress between them (because I've heard it done so many times). If I'm really familiar with the piece, I play the transcription of what I've heard that I liked before, close to note for note.

I also have the blessing of living near Detroit. I get to go to Baker's Keyboard Lounge where I get to listen to Dr. Don Mayberry play string bass, and I learn all kinds of progressions from that (he is awesome).

If I want to sit and analyze my chord progressions I certainly can, but I'd rather just play them.

Gary (does this answer your question?) Rimar

I've been practicing more at playing by ear in the last few months (I started off playing from sheet music), and I feel I'm getting better and more organized at it. I do think of the importance of the I, IV, V chords when I play any song by ear, and how tension is created and resolved with these chords. . I also try to figure out what the first chord is, as it is usually the key signature, and it keep that chord in mind though the entire song.

Anyway, I do find it interesting that you mentioned keeping it in the same key signature, though you mentioned in an earlier paragraph

' but I don't really think of the mechanics of it, like whether the interval is a III or IV or whatever',

so to ask out of my own curiosity, how do you know if you are actually staying within the key signature, if you aren't paying attention to the actual mechanics of it? When you talk about playing a song in the same key, are you mostly talking about knowing what the tonic is and resolving on the tonic?

for instance, if you are playing a song and the first chord is E and the key signature is E, while playing the song would you make a conscious effort to avoid and restrict yourself from playing melody notes or chords which aren't related to the key of E, or are they all fair game if they sound good to you?

Thanks for your reply, as I would also like to thank everyone else who has taken the time to help out with my question.

For what it's worth - when I first started learning tunes from the radio as a kid (i.e. mid-late 60s) the magic was learning a I to IV progression. I could hear this everywhere. If you hear patterns I am convinced that it's hard not to organize these sounds in a 'theoretical' basis even though it's 'your own theory'. Because I never had a theory class I made up my own rules. Next progression was I III IV (E G A - like in Back in the USSR.) I learned the value of dominant chords, and blues progressions. Then minor blues. Then blues with turn arounds like the Allman Bros. version of Stormy Monday. Learned minor 9th chords - hunted and pecked for modal 11th chords when I heard Herbie Hancock's 'Maiden Voyage'. etc. I learned descending bass lines from the Beatles and from Blind Faith tunes. Once, I heard a cool chord I tried to apply it. I can't imagine not cataloging the sounds you find.

After I got an engineering degree and had some time, I started reading theory books and learned the sound of ii V I progressions (or at least what to call it) basic cadences etc. Later, Mark Levine's Piano book codified melodic minor harmony for me -and upper structure dominant chords.

I had heard these things before - but naming them is powerful and now I have them organized in my 'inner hearing' so that I can pull up sounds.

Hopefully this perspective will be helpful. Larry

Key is easy. I know exactly what notes are in the key of, say, Ab major. I'm not going to accidentally play a choird that isn't in the key - only when I *hear* that the chord is not diatonic. But while I'm conscious that, say, Fm is in the key, I'm not always thinking of it by number. Any more than I'm thinking of the melody note by name.

to you?

I play the chord I hear. If the chord I hear is in the key, so will the chord I play. And if the chord I hear is not in the key, neither will the chord I play.

Well not exactly. It depends on what you mean by ear. If I am trying to pick out a tune off of a CD by ear, I do hear intervals. I can easily hear II-V-I but I dont have perfect pitch so I have to 'find' just one of the chords , then I know the rest because I already know the interval progression. Now if I am improvising I often think about the circle of 4ths always thinking about where V is hoping to come up with a nice modulation to IV somehow. That is just the basic thing I guess. But with either one of these 'by ear ' situations I dont really analyze it any more than that. Except for maybe when I play a 'substitute' type of chord I might stop and think about where it could resolve.