Ear Training

Here are some tips on playing piano by ear:

To play piano by ear simply means breaking down the song into phrases. Certain patterns and phrases are repeated among songs. Begin playing by ear by picking up a phrase of your favorite song. Once you have it, add a note or two each time you hear the song until you play the music by ear. Listen for

• interval length
• note position in key
• note position in chord

You might find that one clue works better for you than another. Is it easier for you to think of the next note as being a perfect fourth higher than the note you are on, or as being the root of the chord, or as being the fifth note in the scale of the key?

For information about piano lessons NJ, contact Barbara Ehrlich Piano Studio.