How to work out songs by EAR - Live Replay

In this live session, Andy will be covering how to work out songs by ear on guitar, guiding both beginners and intermediate players through the essential skills needed to identify and play songs without the need for written music. This valuable skill enhances musical understanding, improvisation, and overall guitar performance, making it a crucial step for anyone looking to deepen their guitar playing abilities. Andy will start by introducing the basics of pitch recognition and how to distinguish different chord types by sound. This includes major and minor chords, as well as more complex chords like sevenths and extended chords, which are common in many songs.

3 Steps to master working out songs by ear

These are not a do once and done, consistent repetition is needed to build an instinct. Once acquired, much like guitar skills, the principles can then be used for life!

1. Critical listening:

   • Ability to isolate Isolate individual sounds, instruments, textures of a song in your minds eye (what we often call “your ear”

2. Intervals and theory Knowledge:

   • Intervals

   • Chord construction

   • Musical keys & common progressions

   • Cadences

   • Harmony

3. Playing ability:

   • Have the playing ability to find the above on the fretboard, or program it into music production software

Part 1 - Critical listening

Isolate instruments in your mind

• Isolated tracks website

• Rolling Stones on youtube

• Fleetwood mac on youtube

Once familiar with the sounds, try and pick them out EVERY time you listen to a music.

Part 2 - intervals and theory knowledge

Intervals

• The distance in pitch between each note of a melody, notes of a chord, bass line, guitar riff or solo

Chord construction

• Major chord: root, major 3rd, 5th (notes of the major scale)

• Minor chord: root, minor aka flat 3rd, perfect 5th (aka 1, 3 and 5 of the minor scale)

• Maj7 chord: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, dominant 7th

• Cadd9: Root, major 3rd, perfect fifth, 9th interval (2nd but on top!)

• Sus 2/4: Root, 2nd or 4th, fifth (3rd is suspended aka sus chord)

• N.B. Guitar often duplicates these intervals over 5 or 6 strings. For simplicity, chord name is simplified

• When the root changes, the chord name changes e.g. Slash chords

Musical key

• Every piece of music has a tonal centre, referred to as a Key; e.g. the key of C major

  • The key of C major uses the C major scale as root notes

Common chord progressions

• 12 bar blues, but recognise in more than just blues genre

  • Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

  • Black Or White

  • Let’s Stick Together

  • Mustang Sally

• 50s chord progression aka Ice Cream changes

  • Earth Angel, Dream Everly Brothers, Stand By Me

• Pop ballad/ pop punk chord progression 1, 5, 6, 4 (I, V, vi, iv)

  • Wherever you will go, Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, You’re Beautiful, WOWY, She Will Be Loved (4 chord pop songs)

  • When I Come Around, Dammit Blink 182, Perfect A Simple Plan

• Canon Progression

  • Don’t Look Back In Anger, Basket Case

Common song structure

• e.g. A - B - A, Verse - chorus - verse 2 - chorus 2 - solo - final chorus - end

• More structure = more difficult to work out

• Less structure aka more repetitive = easier to work out!

Cadences

• Perfect/ imperfect cadence: 1 5 1 and 1 1 5 (often dominant 7th)

• Plagal cadence Sounds finished and is often used at the end of hymns. It's made up of the chords IV and I

• Interrupted cadence A "surprise" cadence where you think you're going to hear a perfect cadence but instead hear a minor chord.

Harmony

• A power chord is a simple harmony of 2 notes

• A major/ minor chord is a slightly complex harmony of 3 or 4 notes

• A melody is often harmonise by the major 3rd or perfect 4th played above or below, depending on the notes used and the chord progression played over

• Learning to copy and sing harmonies from real songs is the quickest and best way to learn harmonies on guitar

• e.g. Falling Slowly, Boys Are Back In Town

Part 3 - Playing ability

Put simply, what you can work out or “hear” in your mind, you should be able to play!

Vice versa: if you can’t play a more complex passage, the root cause is often not physical, but a symptom of not actually knowing in your minds eye how the piece goes.

Often happens to me with complex fingerstyle or solos. Unless I can sing it in my mind, I can’t play it!

5 step method to working out a chord progression by ear (aka Dreams)

1. Work out the bassline or the lowest note you can hear first

2. Map out the interval changes of this lowest note, F to G

3. For each note, ask “Is this chord major or minor?”, which is a major 3rd or minor 3rd above the bassnote!

4. Repeat this for every chord up to the repetition

5. Repeat this for any further sections

General Tips for working out song by ear

1. Choose a song that repeats often: Select a song with repetitive sections and just 2, 3, or 4 chords. It is much easier to learn a song that doesn't keep changing. Initially, it's best to start with simple, middle-of-the-road songs that involve 3-chord strumming. I'll guide you on where to find suitable songs to work out by ear further down in this document.

2. Choose a song within your ability: It's particularly rewarding when working out a song by ear becomes faster than learning by any other method, including chord sheets or TABs. Don't make it harder on yourself; start with what you can handle.

3. Use headphones when listening to the song: Headphones provide a more immersive experience than speakers. You will hear the guitars, bass, and all other instruments more clearly. Wearing one headphone on and the other off (DJ style) will allow you to hear your guitar while you're playing and compare it to the song to see if you're playing it correctly.

4. Understand musical keys: Knowing the key of a song tells us the chords that are likely to appear. These chords are derived from the major scale of the key you're in. Keys act like cheat sheets; if you know the key, you know the chords that are likely to crop up!

5. Be able to hear the difference between major and minor: All chords can be divided into two main categories: major and minor. Major chords sound happy, while minor chords sound sad. If you can't hear or 'feel' the difference between these, you'll struggle to progress further.

6. Understand 'Cadences': A more advanced concept than just keys is understanding the function of each chord in a key. Cadences help us understand and hear the function of chords more clearly.

7. Work out the bass notes first: If you want to figure out the chords in a song, start with the bass notes, as they are often the trickiest to decipher. Don't attempt to identify all the notes in the chord at once. Instead, identify the bass note first, which is likely the lowest sound played on the bass, guitars, or even piano. Each chord has a root note that names the chord.

8. Is the chord major or minor?: Once you have the root note, determine whether the chord is major or minor. If you know the root and whether it's major or minor, you can identify the chord.

9. Repeat this for each chord in the sequence you're trying to work out: Once you identify the first chord, the process becomes easier. Determine if the next chord is higher or lower than the previous one. This is why a repetitive chord sequence is beneficial. Start with a repetitive pop song.

Working Out a Riff or Melody The process is similar if you're working out a riff. However, if the riff is complex, you'll need to repeat the identification process for every note. Choose a repetitive riff that uses few notes to make the task easier. As you improve, you can tackle more complex riffs and solos. Aim to master many songs before advancing to more challenging ones.

Need Help? Practice with Others Unfortunately, many guitar teachers don't focus enough on ear training. The best way to learn is with friends—two or more heads are better than one! If you know a guitarist who is proficient at this, spend time with them. You can also meet such people at open mic nights or through online ads for jam buddies.

Great guitar teachers connect like-minded students so they can practice and jam together. I plan to do this in my upcoming group guitar workshops in the summer.

Where Can I Find Songs? You might wonder how to choose songs that are suitable for working out by ear. Here are two methods:

• Method 1: Visit my website for playlists of 2, 3, and 4-chord songs from the Beginners Course song list. Choose songs you haven't learned before. Each level of the beginner course indicates which chords are in the song. If needed, you can glance at the chord sheet or video to see which chords are used or if there's a capo.

• Method 2: Think of songs you know really well that are simple. Try to pick something with only 3 or 4 chords that repeats often. If needed, you can peek at a chord sheet or tutorial, but try to look at as little as possible. Write down the chords to help yourself.

My Top 10 Songs to Work Out by Ear Here are ten song suggestions to help you get started. All these songs have free tutorials at andyguitar.co.uk for you to check your progress, but try working them out by ear first using Spotify or YouTube (audio only):

1. "When Love Comes to Town" by B.B. King and U2 - Chords used: E and A major. Tips: Listen to the electric guitar and try to copy the riff using just the E and A major chords.

2. "I Can't Explain" by The Who - Chords used: D, A, and E (could happen in any order). Tips: The riff repeats a lot. Focus on the first riff, stop and start frequently, have a go, and compare it to the record.

3. "Seven Nation Army" by White Stripes - Chords used: No chords, all notes can be played on string 6. Tips: The riff begins on an E note.

4. "Ooh La La" by the Faces - Chords used: D major and E minor. Tips: Listen for the chord change and work out the rhythm afterward.

5. "Horse with No Name" - Chords used: Same as above. Tips: Again, listen for the chord change and work out the rhythm afterward.

6. "Fever" by The Cramps - Chords used: No chords, it's based on an E minor pentatonic scale riff. Tips: Learn the scale first, then try to work out the riff.

7. "20th Century Boy" - Chords used: The riff is based on an E minor pentatonic scale, but E, A, and B chords are featured. Tips: The riff is just 2 notes on the thickest E string, but the rhythm and order can be tricky; only 1 chord is played in the verse.

8. "Running Down a Dream" - Chords used: Em, D, A, G, and the riff is all on the thickest E string. Tips: That's enough! Though the riff can be played with just 1 finger…

9. "Misty Mountain Hop" by Led Zeppelin - Chords used: The riff is all on the thickest E string, and the A major chord is also featured. Tips: That's enough! If this is too difficult, pick a song from earlier in this list.

10. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash - Chords used: G, D, F, and A. Tips: What a great riff! The pauses and repetition make it a great one to work out by ear. Don't give anything away; give it a go first and then compare to my lesson on the website.

Where to Go from Here What may surprise you is just how much music theory is involved in playing by ear. When most people think of music theory, they think of sight reading sheet music and bad school lessons. However, music theory is crucial for improving your ear and doesn't have to involve any note reading at all. The essential music theory to learn to improve your ear and general playing includes:

• Intervals

• Keys

• Chord construction

• Cadences

• Harmony

All of this will be covered in my upcoming music theory module. Remember, no amount of theory can replace practical experience. You will only get better at playing by ear if you practice doing it regularly! Dedicate the last 10 or 15 minutes of every practice session (or around 25 percent of your practice time) to working out or improving on new songs by ear, when possible.

Connect with Andy and other AAA members between live sessions with the Andy Guitar AAA Discord community - the link is on the membership page here.

Join me here on the website for weekly live sessions where we can work directly on your playing & give the feedback needed for you to move forward and get inspired!

Every week we cover topics such as;

• How to make the most of your practice time

• Songs and exercises at your level and based on your music taste

• How you can stay motivated and maximise your progress

You can also request a tutorial for a song YOU want to learn and Andy will teach it during the session live! Each live stream is automatically available as a replay so you can catch up anytime and never miss a beat!