How to Play Guitar by Ear?
We all know about those god-like guitar players that can let what’s in their mind flow through their fingertips. How do they get to that level? Do you really need to go down to the crossroads and make that deal with the devil?
Becoming truly in sync with your guitar doesn’t happen overnight, for most it takes years, if not decades of practice. Some guitarists develop this skill very gradually as a byproduct of just playing the instrument so much, but this is a really slow and inefficient method.
Think of it like learning a new language.
You wouldn’t expect to become fluent without any conscious effort or focus, right? You need to intentionally learn the fundamentals (alphabet, words, phrases), and then practice using them in context i.e. having real conversations with native speakers. Musical fluency works the same way.
Unfortunately, ear training is either neglected altogether, or the methods commonly suggested (such as interval ear training) are totally unfit for developing real musicality as they are based on exercises that don’t create a real musical context, therefore are not applicable to real musical situations. You don’t want to just pronounce a couple of syllables, you want to be able to have an engaging conversation, right?
The good news is; there is a foolproof way to really learn how to play guitar by ear (no matter your age or current level), and that's what we'll be exploring today.
What does it mean to play guitar by ear?
Some want to know how to play any song on guitar by ear, others want to be able to improvise without boundaries. Essentially, we all just want to be as efficient as possible with our guitar, whether it be input, or output.
These are the two pathways that playing by ear will open up to you:
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Input - How we analyze what we hear.
Playing guitar by ear allows us to have instinctive answers to questions like:
- What chord is that?
- What note is that?
- Is this major or minor?
- What is the chord progression in this song?
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Output - How we play the ideas we have in our mind.
Gaining the ability to instantly respond to questions like:
- What are the notes to this melody in my head?
- How can I harmonize with that line?
- Where on the neck is the ‘4’ chord in this key?
- Is this melody going to sound good over these chords?
When the answers to these questions become second nature, you will be completely unrestricted and can focus all your attention on the music, not the theory or instrumental technique.
How can I learn to play guitar by ear?
Firstly, let’s address the trial and error method.
You’ll often hear guitarists say “Oh, I can learn how to play any song on guitar by ear”, what this normally means is “I spend a while hitting random notes on my guitar until I find the right ones”, this is not really playing by ear, it is at best, pitch-matching. Pitch-matching is useful but isn’t a seamless process like playing by ear.
Wouldn’t it save so much time in the long run if you could just bypass all the wrong notes and instinctively land on the right ones, every time? This is how great musicians do it. You don’t see them messing around playing random notes for half a minute until they get the right one - they hit it right away on the first try.
Achieving this intuitive level of musicality is totally possible! And with a well-designed ear training method that guides you step-by-step, you can build this skill steadily using tailored exercises.
If you want to make certain muscles stronger, you do exercises that target them directly, right? They won’t develop without focusing on the right areas, in the right way - the principle here is the same.
Like building strength, it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes hard work and perseverance, but the effort will be rewarded, and all aspects of your guitar playing, and overall musicality will improve.
The trial & error approach is just one of many ineffective approaches people take when trying to play guitar by ear. There are others too, keep reading as we will discuss them later in this post.
Do you need perfect pitch to play by ear?
Perfect pitch is talked about a lot online these days, but there seem to be some misconceptions, so let’s clear a few things up.
Lots of people want to know how to develop perfect pitch as an adult, and soon find out that if you don’t already have this skill, it’s not something you can really develop later in life - this is true. Scientific research shows that perfect pitch can only be developed in early childhood when our brain’s plasticity is at its highest.
After learning that, many musicians feel deflated like if they don’t have perfect pitch, they’ll never be able to effortlessly express themselves through their instrument.
This is absolutely FALSE, so don’t feel bad, in fact here’s something that may make you feel better.
Relative pitch allows musicians to develop an excellent level of musicality and it is obtainable by anyone at any age (you don't need to have innate talent to develop it). Indeed, most professional musicians (even the most famous ones) only have relative pitch skills and don't have perfect pitch. Other than that, relative pitch in some ways has benefits over perfect pitch, here are a few examples:
- Perfect pitch actually puts you at a disadvantage if you want to play outside of 440hz, as the ears will not readjust to a non-standard frequency - making every note sound slightly out of tune.
- Perfect pitch deteriorates as you age, and if the musician relies upon that skill heavily as part of their playing, they will be left at a disadvantage when it inevitably goes.
- When a familiar song is transposed to a different key, it can feel ‘wrong’ to a person with perfect pitch.
Check out this article for a more detailed explanation of Relative Pitch vs Perfect Pitch.
The main mistakes when playing the guitar by ear
As we mentioned earlier, one of the most common mistakes is practicing interval-based ear training exercises. Interval-based ear training just doesn't develop your musical ear in a helpful way. These types of exercises never have a fixed tonal center, and so there is no reference point to anchor to.
Relative pitch is developed when the notes you're hearing revolve around a key (just like in real music). If that tonal center is changing every time you hear a new note (like in interval ear training) then you're not internalizing how each note sounds relative to the key. This could seem a trivial issue, but in reality it’s the main reason musicians get stuck with ear training. It’s nothing to do with talent, the real problem is practicing ineffective exercises. There are plenty of scientific studies showing why it’s essential to practice ear training using a tonal approach as opposed to archaic interval based exercises.
Another mistake is not listening to what you’re playing. It sounds ridiculous but it’s quite common for guitarists to look at everything as patterns and shapes. Of course, this is how we learn our chords and scales, but it’s vital to teach your ears what you’re learning, not just your fingers!
This brings us back to the ‘trial and error’ method that we mentioned earlier, it’s just a brute force technique. All you’re learning with this approach is how to play the one thing you’re working on at that moment in time, there is no reusable skill being developed, and no advancement in your musicality.
Guitar ear training process - what to focus on?
Initially, ear training should be totally separate from instrumental technique. Like the language analogy, you need to understand the fundamentals first, get comfortable with them, then apply them through contextual practice. You've got to walk before you can run - you shouldn’t try to learn how to play guitar chords by ear without knowing how to hear and identify the tonic note of the key first.
That being said having an instrument nearby for reference if you get stuck is good, and of course, we need something to provide our pitch (or tonal center). Just be careful not to use the instrument as a crutch or revert back to that ‘trial and error’ approach when practicing some of the exercises we’re about to show you.
Basically, be sure to keep your ears doing the heavy lifting - not your instrument!
Exercises to play guitar by ear
The foundation for building this skill is first internalizing scale degrees in relation to the tonal center, a great way to do this is through singing a scale over a tonic note.
- Grab your guitar and choose any note as your tonic.
- Now choose a scale - best to start with the major scale.
- Play your tonic note on the guitar, then try to sing steadily through the scale degrees - go slowly! You’re trying to absorb the unique quality each note has within the key. Notice differences in tension between the notes, and how certain notes wants to resolve to the tonic more than others.
- Go back down through the scale - be sure to keep the tonic note ringing throughout.
- While singing these notes try to visualize going through pattern on the guitar neck - this helps to create a stronger mental connection.
- If you’re ever unsure about whether you’re singing the right notes, you have the guitar there to double-check.
Once you feel confident with that exercise you can move away from linear sequences of notes (1234567). Instead, try singing a scale degree at random and then immediately playing the corresponding note on the guitar.
If you get really good at that, then you can start singing random sequences (melodies) and playing them back on the guitar. If at any point you find yourself searching for the right notes on the fretboard, then you need to take a step back. There should be no trial and error when it comes to landing on the notes, it defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Keep in mind that achieving this level takes time, and performing the task above requires relevant sub-skills such as: tonic recognition, tonic retention, short-term musical memory, etc.
Keep reading to know how we can help you with those too!
Guitar ear training tips
As we’ve just explained singing scales over the tonic is a great way to start internalizing the feeling of each scale degree. This will also force you (and your ears) to find the notes yourself instead of relying on your guitar to do it for you.
“Am I just losing guitar practice time by doing these exercises? My main focus is getting better at my instrument!“
Here's the bottom line: a proper ear training routine is going to improve your overall musicianship. If your ears are becoming more refined then so is your musicality, and this will naturally flow over into your playing. Not only that, but your perspective will broaden, so you may see things you previously learned in a whole new light! Lastly, things like memorizing songs, solos, melodies, etc. become far easier as you begin using your auditory memory - not just visual and muscular memory (as most guitarists tend to).
How long does it take to play guitar by ear?
It all depends on your current skill level, the amount of time you can dedicate to ear training, and the effectiveness of the ear training method you are adopting.
The main thing is laying down a good foundation from the start, and not wasting time on exercises that aren't adequate to your current skill level, or inapplicable to real music. Good guidance is essential for establishing your current level and setting out a practice routine that will be optimized for you.
It doesn’t take forever if you follow the right methods. You will develop essential skills within the first few weeks of practice, and will immediately be able to use them in your jams, songwriting, etc. If you follow the right approach, you don’t need to practice for years before you can start recognizing notes and chords by ear.
The most effective Ear Training method for Guitar Players
If you're ready to take the next step we’re here for you! Our science-based method has been proven to get fantastic results, thousands of musicians have already seen incredible progress.
Through extensive research and testing, we discovered the fundamental reasons so many people struggle to develop a great musical ear. Our courses are unique because they are designed to avoid the common roadblocks found in traditional ear training, instead, we take the most efficient and fastest pathway.
Our Relative Pitch Course is extremely popular, with carefully laid out steps tailored to your specific level. The course will take you as far as you want to go, and is the only course designed to be effective for any starting level. If you’re willing to put the work in, you will be left with an incredibly advanced musical ear.
If you’re still not convinced, we’re currently offering a Free Ear Training Workshop! By following our workshop you’ll get a better understanding of how our ear training method works and why, plus be given some exclusive ear training exercises (tailored to your current level) so you can start improving straight away!
For any musicians that prefer the connection and instant feedback of a tutor, we also offer 1-on-1 Lessons.
Whatever your requirements - we’ve got you covered!
Conclusion
You landed here because you want to learn to play guitar by ear, and hopefully now, you have a much better understanding of the ‘dos & don’ts’.
The key takeaway is to always be conscious of what you’re hearing and do your best to internalize the feeling of notes, chords, and progressions as much as possible. When playing guitar by ear, your fingers should be following your musical ideas not dictating them.
That’s the essence of real musicality - not getting ‘boxed in’ by shapes, patterns, and theory but instead using your ear to make informed musical choices.
The Use Your Ear method is the only science-based, step-by-step ear training method thoroughly designed to ensure you develop an intuitive sense of musicality, no matter your age or current level.
