Step 4: Play your melody and add some chords with your left hand. How to Play Piano by Ear: A Quick Guide. I hope I am privileged to read more of your articles here in the future. Then, move on to the next part of the melody. Follow these four simple steps from Newport Beach, CA teacher Patricia S. and you’ll be playing your favorite songs in no time…. Patricia S. teaches piano, singing, music performance,and more in Newport Beach, CA. First, choose a song that you want to play. The notes in the chord need to be evenly spaced. To start, find a song with a good melody, and one that isn’t too fast. There are 8 notes in a scale (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, a), and it starts and ends on the same note. Want to try playing piano by ear? You have played a minor chord. You have played a C Major chord! Because you'll know what you're looking for! You’ll need to know how to stop the track you are listening to and rewind sections of it. You will play these with your thumb, your middle finger and your pinky. Outstanding piece! Many pop songs use the same set of chords. Make it a song with good melody, and listen for the… You can then take things to the next level by trying to work out how many tones separate the first note from the second. How on earth do they do this? Now, play all three notes at once. Have a browse on YouTube and you'll find several self-taught pianists who only play by ear. It might be easier to find chords for a simpler song. Well, they've got great listening skills and considerable talent. Some people are born with perfect pitch, though this is rare. For your first attempts, pick easy songs, maybe even nursery rhymes. But it does help. Experiment with lots of major and minor chords to see which ones fit. Or, you can just play through your melody with one finger for now. With your right hand, play your song without listening to your media player. Happy playing! Four Basic Piano Chords to Quickly Learn New Songs, 5 beautiful piano pieces to make people fall in love. Many of them don't even know how to read sheet music. That's right -- playing by ear is something you can practice. To learn how to play music by ear, it’s important to analyze a piece of music and practice playing it repeatedly. Piano should be fun. Look at the C chord you just played. To harmonize your song, or add body and fullness beneath the melody, play chords with your left hand. Knowing the most common chord progressions in pop songs will help you work out the chords of a song much faster. If you can't or aren't willing to memorize the scales, then here's a whole/half step formula that is used in every scale. Maybe you expected some brain-twisting instructions on this matter. This is because chords can be played many different ways, and in different combinations. I felt as if I were having a private lesson. 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