Playing by ear tips?

[PurpleShadow]

I'm an adult hobbyist (started playing in school twenty-mumble years ago), had private lessons elementary through most of high school, and have continued playing in church groups since. I've played mostly written parts, wandering off the melody onto descants or counter-melodies written by either the composer or penciled in by the group leader. I have also done some limited improv based on the chords written for the accompaniment.

In multiple venues, I'm being challenged to play more by ear -- and I'm having a hard time with doing so. ("You rely too much on the little black dots!") I have some success if told what key they're playing, but most times can't discern the key myself just by listening. (I can hold my own with the electric guitar & bass, keyboard and drums when I know what I'm playing!)

So far, I've been going back to solidify all the scales in two+ octaves and studying common chord progressions... But it isn't helping me change keys on the fly nor being able to match to a note I hear played/sung.

Any tips on how to better train my ears? So far only trying to improv on my C flute, but would eventually like to bring my alto out as well.

[saxyfluteguy]

This website might be of some help to you. Go to the exercise section.
http://www.musictheory.net/exercises

[Moankit]

Here are some tips for
1.stronger capability to improvise music.
2.able to perform along with music easily after listening to them.
3.freedom to show the music they listen to in their minds.

[ObscureStar]

Start with simple songs you know by heart. Twinkle Twinkle, christmas carols, Beetles, that sort of thing.

If you fail to play what you want but you find a good groove, don't be afraid to go off on a tangent and noodle around. You'll probably learn something that will help when you're trying to play something else by ear later.

Also, if you get stuck, whistle it a few times that can really help sort things out.

If all else fails... Cheat! If you really get stuck and can't figure out what a note is: Whistle it with a frequency tuner and figure out what note you're near. ^_^

[evrmre]

I find it ironic that I have exactly the opposite problem...

I've done almost exactly the same as you (20ish years, lessons at school, etc), but I've done almost everything by ear for most of that time once I left school. So I find being given sheet music a frightening and traumatic experience (trying to play the magic flute cold off sheet music was terrifying... and wasn't very successful.)

For playing by ear, try this: find a song you like, and try to play along with it. Break it down if you need to, but whatever you do, do not look up the sheet music.
Once you have it down, play harmony along with it (ie: improvise over it). If you're feeling really eager at that point, record your harmony and the song into a multitracking program, and add another harmony over top again.
Then take out the original, and rerecord the original one... unless you decide you can do a better melody by this point
The main reason why people will suggest playing by ear is for doing improv in a live band setting. If the lead guitarist suddenly wants to break into a wicked guitar riff (they always want to), then your sheet music just became irrelevant. And often, in bands, sheet music just isn't available for a flute (aside from jethro tull, of course), so being able to pick it up and join in without is pretty important. So playing along with other stuff that you like, and trying harmonies will help with this

Another thing you should consider is this: All the sheet music you have used before now has key signatures. That odd combination of sharps and flats at the beginning of the stave translate into key signatures (as you likely are fully aware). So try working out what the key signatures are for all the stuff you already play from the music, and lock in your brain the best piece for each signature. When they mention a key signature, play a few bars of your 'signature' piece to remind what notes are in the scale for the signature, and then start playing arpeggios and short runs in the key until some inspiration hits, and you really kick into gear.

Anyway, hope that helps. (And at least you don't have to try to remember how to read the blasted sheet music after a 20 year break... )

[flutego12]

I'm an adult hobbyist (started playing in school twenty-mumble years ago), had private lessons elementary through most of high school, and have continued playing in church groups since. I've played mostly written parts, wandering off the melody onto descants or counter-melodies written by either the composer or penciled in by the group leader. I have also done some limited improv based on the chords written for the accompaniment.

In multiple venues, I'm being challenged to play more by ear -- and I'm having a hard time with doing so. ("You rely too much on the little black dots!") I have some success if told what key they're playing, but most times can't discern the key myself just by listening. (I can hold my own with the electric guitar & bass, keyboard and drums when I know what I'm playing!)

So far, I've been going back to solidify all the scales in two+ octaves and studying common chord progressions... But it isn't helping me change keys on the fly nor being able to match to a note I hear played/sung.

Any tips on how to better train my ears? So far only trying to improv on my C flute, but would eventually like to bring my alto out as well.

Sounds to me like you are the virtuoso player with speedy gonzales type repertoire. That's why you are encountering all those finger problems. I on the other hand have found the flute to be an absolute joy and breeze, perhaps because the lyrical pieces I love tend to be played rubato mode, with an emphasis on tone colours and expression.

Haha. We're all so different, I had struggled (with no improvisation whatsoever) on the guitar, pure note reading there, and to a smaller extent again note reading on the piano. BUT the flute has simply been a breeze and a joy to learn and play. Perhaps it had something to do with my stumbling on DeLaSonorite and Trevor Wye's Tone Workbook on Month One and arming myself with an iPod full of flute repertoire (mainly french) that grabs me and emersing myself in them until the musicality and sonority becomes you. Recognising what is a good tone and then setting out to produce them during play is key. YouTube has played a big part. Learning what it takes to produce/peg the strawmen at it end of the tone colour spectrum then filling in the shades as the embouchure and skill allows in time. There are those amazing note readers and then there are those amazing improvisers, I had been neither of those on the guitar and piano. Hopefully, I can be better and a bit of both on the flute =) Doing scales is key because then no matter what key you hear a pc of music in, your reflexes and muscle memory will take over and you will be able to reproduce the music alot more effortlessly. I just love the flute. No more stretchy chords and stretched fingers. Just do NOT give me too much of the ben and jerry repertoire.

[PurpleShadow]

Thanks all! Getting a bit better as time goes on, especially doing what ObscureStar and evrmre suggested and noodling around on songs already known.

Flutego, I wished at one point to be able to play the speedy stuff, but realized: a. I wasn't quick enough of a learner to get those things (and got sick of the harder pieces long before I mastered them) and b. I preferred the supporting roles (hence the alto and usually being the lead of the 2nd flutes while in school bands). I, too, like the lyricalness and expression possible with the instrument.

Taking the info to heart, needing to follow it. A lot of my hesitation seems to be convincing myself to give myself permission to make mistakes... ("Modern dissonant composition! Yeah! That's it, I totally meant to do that..." *inward cringe*)

[evrmre]

("Modern dissonant composition! Yeah! That's it, I totally meant to do that..." *inward cringe*)

If you do it once, make a point to repeat the mistake later on... makes it look like you really meant to play it, and people listening just aren't up enough on modern forms to appreciate your skills...