HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO BY EAR: FIFTY KEYS THAT WILL UNLOCK THE MYSTERY
BY MARK PAULSON
Some pianists can sit at a piano and instantly create remarkable compositions without any form of notated music. These pianists play the piano by ear. Music that never existed before is suddenly presented for anyone to hear. How is this possible? To accomplish this, a performer needs to listen to the distance from one note to another in their head. They must also know if each interval goes higher, lower, or remains the same. The performer needs to hold each note for the appropriate amount of time. Once these skills are mastered, the performer will want to add additional harmonic notes and play the music with the proper style and expression.
Many people have never been able to play the piano by ear, and they thought playing by ear could not be taught. Most people who have taken piano lessons have never had a teacher who taught them how to play by ear. Teachers will usually teach their students the lessons they have learned from their teachers. The result is that teaching a student how to play the piano by ear rarely occurs.
We listen to music. We do not see music. Jazz pianists primarily improvise without any written notation. Blind and visually impaired pianists are not able to see traditionally notated music. Many well-known pianists have yet to learn how to read music. You and your students can learn to play the piano by ear.
BY MARK PAULSON
Some pianists can sit at a piano and instantly create remarkable compositions without any form of notated music. These pianists play the piano by ear. Music that never existed before is suddenly presented for anyone to hear. How is this possible? To accomplish this, a performer needs to listen to the distance from one note to another in their head. They must also know if each interval goes higher, lower, or remains the same. The performer needs to hold each note for the appropriate amount of time. Once these skills are mastered, the performer will want to add additional harmonic notes and play the music with the proper style and expression.
Many people have never been able to play the piano by ear, and they thought playing by ear could not be taught. Most people who have taken piano lessons have never had a teacher who taught them how to play by ear. Teachers will usually teach their students the lessons they have learned from their teachers. The result is that teaching a student how to play the piano by ear rarely occurs.
We listen to music. We do not see music. Jazz pianists primarily improvise without any written notation. Blind and visually impaired pianists are not able to see traditionally notated music. Many well-known pianists have yet to learn how to read music. You and your students can learn to play the piano by ear.