Have you ever wanted to play a song you heard before and play it on the guitar by ear EXACTLY when you hear it? Of course you would and I’m here to tell you exactly how to do it.
Disclaimer: Now at first this won’t be a overnight thing where you will be able to play every song you play by ear exactly when you hear it, all without practicing but eventually you will.
How On Earth Was I Doing All This Without Practicing?
I remember just recently, I was playing Ozzy Osbourne’s song Crazy Train on the guitar. And as I’m playing it for the first time, I was hitting all the right chords exactly as I’m hearing it, as I was playing it and listening to it from a YouTube video.
So how on earth was I doing this? Quite simply because of my experience of playing other songs from the past. Because in the past I used to play songs by route and by tab and by chords.
I would first learn it by tabs and chords and then by route, meaning I would memorize the patterns of those chords I saw in the tabs and in the sheet music and then play it after that, without having to look at the music on paper or online anymore.
You see I was able to see the patterns (the chords and notes) in the songs on the guitar. And not only that but I could see them in my mind also. I was able to, over time, HEAR where the notes or chords were on the guitar. And my ear began to guide me where to play it on the guitar.
If it was on the 9th fret, my ear would tell me it was on the 9th fret. And I knew from the sound of it that it was. If it was on the 5th fret my ear would tell me. My ear would tell me where to play it on the guitar no matter where the note or chord was on the guitar. My ear would tell me what area on the guitar to go to.
I was able to do all this because over the years I was HEARING the notes, chords, I was playing from tab, and sheet music, and also when I was playing YouTube videos. Heard them so much that I could literally hear them in my mind, even when I didn’t have my guitar.
In time I was able to take off my training wheels so to speak and one day I said to myself, what the heck are you doing looking at sheet music for? Or tabs? or learning songs from YouTube? When I’m already hearing where the notes, chords are on the guitar! All I gotta do is just put my fingers where the notes are.
And that I did on other songs. I said, maybe this will work on other songs and to my amazement it did. I was surprised. Now after I played a couple more songs I seen on some songs, I was able to play them by not looking at anything. But I also noticed that on some songs, I wasn’t able to nail down some parts of the songs by ear.
But I knew I was on to something and if I just kept practicing and then reading a little more tabs and sheet music and watching a little more YouTube videos, I would someday be able to play ANY song by ear.
But first I had to see how it operated, how the techniques worked and how they were done by by looking at notes. I had to see how they, the musicians did their bends, how they did their hammer ons, how they did their pull-offs, how they did their vibrato, etc. And how they did their chords and single notes and the inflections they used, when they played them.
Because sometimes when you play with techniques, it can change the keys of the song, as your playing them on the guitar. And also how they play the chords and single notes can change the key of the song into a higher pitch in the song, making the sound go up or down in the song.
Because sometimes when the musicians you are trying to imitate are lightly playing the chord in sections of the song, and sometimes they are playing it a little harder in the song, which in turn makes it sound higher or lower in different sections of the song.
Play Along To Songs On The Radio And YouTube
The reason I’m telling you all this is because this is what you need to do to get better at playing the guitar by ear. You’re gonna need to start listening to your guitar, the sounds coming out of it, the high sounds of it, the low sounds of it as you’re playing the guitar.
This is the only way you’ll get good at this. Of course this is accomplished by playing along to songs that you hear on the radio and YouTube and then playing them on the guitar. And then matching the right notes and chords, techniques and playing them on the guitar.
Of course if you’re a beginner or even if you’re not a beginner, you will not be successful doing this but in time you will be successful. You may stumble and be goofy doing this but you will get good at this in time because most people don’t play along to songs and play the guitar at the same time. Which is why they never improve much.
Most of the time you will see them playing songs without playing along to them on the radio or YouTube. Such as they are playing bits and pieces of the song they are playing on the guitar, but only playing what’s in their mind.
Friend, if you want to get good REAL quick then you’re going to have to play along to songs and play them on the guitar at the same time. This is how Jimi Hendrix got so good at the guitar, real quick.
This is how Eric Clapton got good. This is how Jake from Greta Van Fleet got so good, real quick because they all listen to the radio AND played along to songs on the guitar at the same time.
Now am I saying you need to do this all the time? No, but you should do it sometimes, If you want to excel real quick at the guitar.
You also need a good bluetooth speaker also, such as the AXXESS Portable Bluetooth Speaker. And it doesn’t even cost that much, you’ll be shocked how much it costs and it will really help you play along to music while you play your guitar, which can be found on Amazon by clicking here.
LOTS of people love it. And you can use it to accelerate your guitar playing faster and better and then in turn, to greatness.
ALL you gotta do is bluetooth it to your cellphone and your good to go and then you’ll hear it though it’s speaker, the AXXESS Portable Bluetooth Speaker, that is.
Just pick whatever song you want to play on YouTube or whatever media you use and you’ll be playing it all through the AXXESS Portable Bluetooth Speaker!!! Great for you!!
So all I’m saying basically so far as a summary is:
- Play along to songs on your guitar, from the radio and YouTube etc. (the whole song, not just parts of the song.) This will in turn make you real good at the guitar.
- Play chords on all areas of the guitar and remember what they sound like. Now this doesn’t have to be accomplished real quick but just remember what they sound like AS you’re playing along to songs on the radio and YouTube. [You’ll find that you WILL play chords on all areas of the guitar if you play a lot of songs on your guitar.]
- Also remember what your single notes sound like as you’re playing along to songs on the guitar.
- You must, and I mean you must remember how other songs you have played by tab or sheet music went, meaning where were the chords and single notes being played on the guitar fretboard …remembering that will cause you to know how the song you are now playing are playing the same chords you played in the past of songs you played in tab and sheet music. [Meaning is the song you are now playing, does it have the same patterns (the same chords in the same areas on the guitar) of other songs you have played before?]
Play in different areas of the guitar
So that numbered summary I just wrote will let you know what I’m teaching. Do these and your guitar playing will excel through the roof, believe it.
Play The Guitar Fretboard In Your Mind
Another tip I can give you is this: Learn to picture the guitar fretboard in your mind. And once you have the picture in your mind begin to also have the moving picture in your mind of playing the guitar with you seeing the chords and single notes moving around on the guitar. Seeing them moving around from fret to fret. Even when you’re out and about on the town shopping or going to football games or even when you’re working or chilling at home or wherever you are, practice doing this.
When you do this tip I just gave you, of picturing the guitar fretboard in your mind, you will begin to see that when you play the guitar for real, you will already know what to do and there will be no hesitation of what to do.
You will also find that you’ll get quite good at playing the guitar in your mind (in your thoughts) that it’s almost as if you’re playing it for reals.
And then it will make you want to pickup the guitar real bad and start playing it with a frenzy because it will cause you to say: I can’t wait to pick up the guitar so I can try out what I have thought in my mind, of playing the guitar.
It will make you get excited because you’ll want to see it for real and see it come to life, right before your very eyes. And you’ll want to see if you really did nail it in your mind. And then you’ll want to see if you nailed it when you’re playing it for real. You’ll want to see whether you got it right or not.
Sometimes you’ll get it right and sometimes you won’t get it right. And sometimes you’ll get parts of it right in your mind. But you’ll also find the more you practice this in your mind the better you’ll get at playing it right. Not only in your mind but also you will get better when you’re playing it for real.
And not only will you see the riffs and chords and single notes and solos in your mind, you will HEAR the riffs and chords and single notes and solos in your mind also.
And this will help you when you’re playing the songs in your mind and also when you’re really playing it for real with your guitar, because the songs will sound so good, it will make you want to keep playing the guitar in your mind and also when you really do play the guitar.
And not only will you see the riffs and chords and single notes and solos in your mind, you will HEAR the riffs and chords and single notes and solos in your mind also.
Aim for getting it right on the guitar after thinking about how the song goes in your mind, to when you play it for real.
At first it will only be about 30% of the time and then 40% of the time and you will then work your way up to 80 to 90% of the time, of playing the songs right.
Till you get so good that you’ll reach pro level and nail them 100% of the time, just like other pro musicians do. I’ve seen Jimi Hendrix do this on TV where musicians were playing on stage and they wouldn’t let Jimi Hendrix know what they were doing because they turned their guitar to where he couldn’t see what they were doing.
Because they were having fun with him by playing a game with him to see if he could play what they just played before a large audience. And when they would play their music on the guitar, he would still nail the songs and play them all by ear.
Even though he couldn’t see what they were doing on the guitar. Because he could see it in his own mind what they were playing. And then he translated it to his guitar and played it all correctly.
If you’re having trouble learning the guitar fretboard, trying to grasp to understand it, then I HIGHLY recommend that you get this book and it doesn’t even cost that much, AND it helped me learn the fretboard real good, as I had no clue, when I was a beginner, check it out on Amazon by clicking here and you’ll be on your way to learning it.
Just remember when you get the book, to play up and down the neck of the guitar with the E-shape barre chord and it will make your guitar playing way easier, you’ll have so much fun!!!
Time Is On YOUR Side!
Time is on YOUR side when learning all of what I’ve said so far in this article. You don’t have to let time control you. You control it. Because when you practice guitar, you only need 20 minutes or more a day when your practicing the guitar.
Did you just say only 20 minutes or more a day?…. yeah I did. Alot of people don’t know that and it hurts them. It doesn’t help them. Well what do you mean? Well I’ll explain.
You see, when you think you need to practice 5 hours a day. And you don’t live up to it and be able to keep it, you’ll feel bad and give up wanting to play it. Because you’ll come to the point where you’ll say, what’s the point. I can’t play it a lot of times a day or 5 hours a day so why try at all, you’ll say.
But when you tell yourself 20 minutes or more a day, it’s a can do, in your own mind because anybody can play the guitar every day for 20 minutes. Or more than 20 minutes if you can, for that day.
I first learned this secret when I met this pro guitar player on the street, when we were watching other musicians playing on the streets of a musicians showcase of sorts.
Everyone showing what they could play. And after the shows, he told me he could play the guitar real good and that he could play the guitar by ear. I said how on earth did you learn to do that? And he told me: ALL YOU GOTTA DO is just practice for 20 minutes a day or more if you can.
In my own mind I would have thought that you would need to play for like 5 hours a day or even 8 or 9 hours or more a day, to get real good at the guitar. So when he said 20 minutes or more, I knew what he was saying was true.
And it was true because he told me that years ago and now I’m quite good.
Well I thought I’d tell you that and now do that and all I’ve told you here in this article and in my other blog posts and you’ll be on your way TO PLAYING THROUGH SONGS PERFECTLY THE FIRST TIME BY EAR WITHOUT PRACTICING.
Related Questions
What songs should I learn on guitar? You should learn songs that you like to play, that way you keep your guitar playing enjoyable because it won’t feel like a torture to learn. But if you play songs you don’t like, it will cause you not to practice because you don’t like the songs.
Why should you learn the guitar? Learning the guitar causes you to have a better working mind, as it keeps your mind young. Studies show that using your mind, whether it be doing puzzles or word trivia games or even playing the guitar, all of these activities make us think, thus keeping us young.
What is the guitar fretboard? The guitar fretboard is located on the front of the guitar neck. The strings are on top of the fretboard. The fretboard also has sections on it which are divided by plastic or metal strips. The fretboard normally has 19 to 24 frets.
