I get the sheet music off the net n then play the guitar chords at the top of the bars and come up with my own tune.

Debs - when I start klearning something, sure, I use the sheets, but I try to learn the notes by heart - sometimes the tempo is just too fast to keep up with both your fingers and the notes... You start playing automatically...

I play about half by ear and half by sight reading.

I play about half by ear and half by sight reading.

About the playing by ear thingemadodad. I am kinda capable of playing by ear somewat. I;m a really good sightreader just like..well..look up the page...ya. Anyways..is everybody who sends msgs here an adult? Well, nobody has to like answer that or anythin. Just wondering if a musically inclined person would like to correspond with me.
jazzluver_88@hotmail.com

i can play by ear..... it is sooo easy

I heard my 29-year-old brother play Fur Elise once, and I learned to play it by hearing it that one time. It took a while, though, and I had to have my keyboard play it a couple times, but now I can play it very good. I can play Yankee Doodle, Mary had a Little Lamb, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, and one of my clarinet pieces, Cardiff Castle, by ear, too. (Fur Elise was hardest!)

Evereyone who said i`s easy and stuff...
I don`t mean to sound rude, but if you`re only starting piano or haven`t finished the course, I suggest you don`t do it. Reading sheet music is a far more valuable trait in piano playing than playing by ear. You`ll need it like hell in order to carry on, trust me.
Playing by ear is fine when you want to tab a song of some kind that may not be availible, but I beg you... Don`t do this with classical pieces. You just get mixed up no matter how hard you try.
Plus the time it takes to learn something by heart using sheet music is a lot less than just guessing...
So please, please, please learn to read music first... I have some experience since I`m already done with music school...

Hey Guys,

Actually playing by ear is a lot easier than it seems. I have been doing this since I was 3. The reason why people can`t do this is because of how they were taught and what they weren`t taught. Quite frankly there hasn`t been anyone that knew how to teach this skill until now. There is no program that can compare to it. Check this guy out at www.anykeymusic.com and be sure to go to the "Play Here" and "Your Potential" pages.

Hopefully this helps you all!

I can sight reading and play most pop stuff by ear, the classical stuff is impossible by ear.
I suggest you do the same. Sight reading`s great when you`ve got a nice book with the proper score there for you, but if you only learn to sight read then when someone puts a fake book in front of you you`re done for.

If you learn scales, theory and practice sight reading you`ll be alright. The scales will give you the ability to improvise in any key, the theory along with the scales will give you the ability to work out any chord and the sight reading is a practical skill which all pianists should aquire as soon as possible. And every now and then turn on the radio and play what you hear.

It`s all well and good practicing Mozart 24/7 but he`ll just teach you how to play parrot fashion, you need to be able to play what you hear and play what you see - that`s the sign of a great musician.

Remember perfect practice makes perfect,#

Pete.

Site reading is good but to maximize it, musicians should first be able to play by ear. That way they`ll understand what they`re playing....Actually the Mozart and classical stuff is also easy to play by ear. But that`s when you`re taught properly. Not every program, course or teacher that claims they can teach you how to play by ear knows how to really teach you. But the guy at www.anykeymusic.com definetely knows how.

I just found this site and have enjoyed reading the posts.

As to whether you should learn to read or `play by ear`, consider whether or not you should first learn to read or SPEAK english.

Nature`s way is for us to SPEAK first...read later.

If your interest is to correctly play music of the master composers, learn to read it...no exceptions.

However, if you want a personally recognizable sound through your music, forget reading; learning to `play by ear` and lightly improvise is the best way to develop your unique musical sound, conserve `brain power` and apply musical decorations within your arrangements.

I wish you all the joy playing piano can bring!

Mike
(professional `self taught` musician/instructor - 36+ yrs.)
http://www.pianomagic.com

I play by ear I used this simple program called piano-by-ear check out the web-site @ piano-by-ear.com

ear is the way to go better improvisation

only problem...if you`ve NEVER HEARD IT but listen once and you can pick it up...

this method is very useful and very convinent in gospel

yep, i can play by ear. its a nifty talent. but you should really learn to play by sight reading at the same time, otherwise you willl end up like me, having problems reading music easily. i always have to hear somebody else play it first