Do you prefer to learn songs by ear or no?

lilymaid · Post by **lilymaid** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:52 am

I've recently decided I positively dislike reading music, so I don’t bother much anymore, but generally learn by listening. I was wondering how other people prefer to learn new tunes.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:11 am

I didn't vote because I use a combination of ear learning and printed notation. I figure that the goal is to learn the music and I use whatever means makes achieving that goal quicker and easier. My teacher records each tune on tape so I know how it sounds. I refer to the sheet music to remind me of the tune while I learn it. I find this much easier than rewinding a tape recording over and over again while I learn. Again, whatever works for you but I can't see the logic in eliminating one technique or the other on the principle that only one method is "right".
Mike

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:29 am

Me too, I generally want to learn tunes more if I've heard them first but I still often need some sheetmusic to get all the notes right.

Many hundreds of tunes I don't have recordings of, unfortunately, so I still have to try many tunes from the sheetmusic first.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:33 am

By ear. Besides I love the expression of people who are watching TV and suddenly I blast out the current commercial on a whistle.

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:44 am

It really depends... sometimes I want to learn something by ear, and other times, it's by sheet music...

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:13 am

I find both methods combined works best for me. I find it very important to listen to tunes a lot, to get them in my ear; but that still leaves the tricky pocess of getting them onto my fingers, and music can be a big help there.

A great example just rolled by on my stereo. I've listened to Peter Horan's versions of Boys of the Lough/Devils of Dublin hundreds of times. I have sheet music for both tunes, and have them in my head; but the notes weren't for his versions. And while I think I can approximate his style, I don't think I'm going to figure out what notes he's playing without slowing down the recordings and studying them for hours. On the other hand, if I had a transcription of what he was playing, I could learn to do it very quickly.

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Post by **Easily_Deluded_Fool** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:28 am

burnsbyrne wrote:I didn't vote because I use a combination of ear learning and printed notation. I figure that the goal is to learn the music and I use whatever means makes achieving that goal quicker and easier. Mike

Hey! I wanted to say that!
Me too

fluter_d · Post by **fluter_d** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:59 am

I have decided that, although I can both read music and learn by ear (both in isolation or combination), life is just too short to read notation! Laziness rules!

Deirdre

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:16 am

i learn the notes by sheet music and the style by ear, heh.

i just copy ornamentation from the song since i really don't know much about it yet. i'm still a beginner :D

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 11:37 am

I almost always learn tunes by ear, but don't knock the judicious use of sheet music: I do have to admit that it's an efficient way of identifying exactly what notes to play in those passages that you can bluff with an atonal "diddly" or "tickety" when you're lilting a tune that you think you've picked up by ear.

It's better to learn exactly how a tune is played by someone else before homogenising all the character out of it and substituting run-of-the-mill phrases for the interesting but difficult bits in the name of developing "my version" of the tune.

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 5:25 pm

I've noticed that the more I like a tune the easier it is to learn. I leared Banish Misfortune and Broken Pledge without trying, but I can't get Kesh Jig for the life of me.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 6:01 pm

For me reading music has always been very challenging to say the least. I mostly play by ear but I will sweat thru a printed measure or two to figure something tricky out from time to time.

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 10:36 pm

I use both methods, I like playing along with CD's and tapes. Some music I don't have a recording for but it's on paper - in that case I usually follow the music but I don't play strictly the way it's written.

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 11:03 pm

Well, I find it easier to pick up on a tune by listening and playing along with it. Aside from which, my sight-reading sucks!
Cheers,

serpent

Conley · Post by **Conley** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 11:30 pm

It is almost impossible for me to just pick up a sheet of music and start playing on my whistle. But, if I pick the tune out a few times on the piano first, it's suddenly quite easy to read or play by ear.

I think when I get better I'll be able to get rid of my crutch and walk all by myself.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

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