I would really like to be able to work out songs and other melodies by ear. Tabs are too unreliable and often not available. I can do just a little; such as, when I hear the root I can play a 3rd or 4th and so on.

I realize the practice, practice, practice mantra applies; but are there techniques, exercises, CD's, bits of wisdom or anything that you can share that will help me practice the right things.

I would really like to be able to figure out some of the violin solos in classical music. It truely amazes me how that music can make me feel different emotions.

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'09 Am Deluxe Ash Strat
'09 Mex Standard Strat
'10 Mex Standard Tele
Champ 600
Blues jr.
'65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

it took me a long time to get where I am. but the way I learned was I put note stickers on a keyboard and I would go through the notes one at a time humming them each time trying to analyze the small subtle differences between each note. if you really listen you find small things that stand out with each note that you hear in every octave. to hone it even further I would change the keyboard from piano to flute, violin and so on. it took me years and I still cant get it 100% correct.
its kinda like when you see blue or red, hearing the word or seeing the color your brain automatically associates them with each other. if you practice it long enough and hear it enough you will eventually relate each note with the letter and the octaves are like different shades of these notes. it just starts working somehow

I hope this makes sense, I have horrible sentence structure

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There is an audio disk ear-training program out there for sale, David-someone.

'Bought the tapes a long time ago and they worked okay, y' gotta practice and really pay attention. They got lost when we moved....

Used to know a girl in U who was a music major. She had a set of tuning forks and would carry one with her constantly, tinging it and listening. She became an amazing cellist and violinist.

Best of fortune.

Play slow, and try and hear the note before you play it. For example, before you play a G, visualize what that G will sound like and then play it, trying to be as exact as you can. Keep it simple at first, it'll take a decent amount of patience and a lot of practice. Also, taking a few singing lessons won't hurt neither, always a good way to develop pitch memory.

If you like violin solos, perhaps you might be interested in taking up violin. I've been taking lessons since April and have noticed a definite improvement in my ability to play by ear. Probably because with violin, there are no keys or frets, you have to rely on your ear to find the correct pitch. Granted, learning proper technique with the bow and everything is hard (at least it was for me >_>), but it's something worth considering.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

The truth is that your sense of pitch is probably good. Very unlikely that your tone deaf.
I took singing lessons from a opera tutor, that's pretty much what he opened with. And he was true. As far as vocals are concerned it's more about relaxing, keeping the pipes clear and not doing anything to impede your ability to sing in pitch. So completely relax your throat.

With guitar I always used to find that if I could hum it, I could play it. Get the line firmly in my head, then it would find it's way to the fretboard.

I took the same relaxed attitude from singing to guitar. It's working out well.

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No no and no

When I started out as a kid in 4Th grade I was in every singing class I could get into at school, as well as the city boys quire. all I learned about music came from that background. The singing helped tremendously when it came to translating a note from voice to guitar, it was a search and find exercise. I had them all in my head, the notes that is, and had little trouble finding them on guitar. the trouble was, I couldn't and still cant read music. so all was learned the hard way I guess. It would have been a lot easier to learn how to read first. Sight reading and sound identification by ear only is the tough way to go in My opinion. to this day I'll look at a piece of sheet music and I don't know where to start. Once I get the first note i can read the rest well enough. I'm ranting again. Just my thaughts.
----Danny,

All great advice.

Ear training is so much easier if you can have a friend or -if you're lucky - a spouse to help. Someone who can throw intervals at you, voice or instrument, while you try to recognise each one as it comes. Count off the Semitones in your head as you go. Thats the way to do it. Do it long enough and often enough and you'll start to recognise and assoicate intervals with mental colours or emotional feels/moods. After that you'll recognise those when your hear them, and you won't even need to count off the semitones.

Once you're reliably indentifying intervals, then you'll really start to fly. Want to play that tune by ear? Identify the key. Ditch the harmony - chords and so forth - and just focus on that one single top line. Leave the guitar on the stand, and just pick your way through that melody one interval at a time in your head. Check yourself as you go with the original tune - sometimes your brain will try and fill in blanks if you dont know the tune as well as you should. When you think you have it, (jot the intervals down if nec) then pick up the guitar and compare what you have constructed in your head with the actual notes on the fretboard. I promise you, you'll get pretty close. And the more you practise the technique, the closer you'll get every time. In quite short order, you'll hear a tune and be able to recreate it almost instantly on your fret board.

You'll hear a lot about perfect pitch - don't get hung up on that. It is an uncommon gift that you either have or you don't. You can't learn it, only practise it if you do. But you CAN learn what I like to call perfect relative pitch and thats what you need for what you want to do. These grossly simplified techniques will get you there.

If you know some theory, that helps too. When I hear a melody I know where to find it instantly on any intrument I can play AND mentally see it on a score. The one re-inforces the other.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

A bit of an odd one...

Associate certain chords/notes with certain songs.

If I ever want to know what a middle C is, I just hum the opening chord of 'Traffic' by the Stereophonics.

Make a list of which songs work for you like that. This is mine.

A = All Right Now / Free
B = Bohemian Like You / Dandy Warhols
C = Traffic / Stereophonics
D = Kiss Me / Sixpence None The Richer
E = Pretty much anything by Queens of the Stone Age!
F = Smells Like Teen Spirit / Pearl Jam
G = Knockin' On Heaven's Door / Guns N' Roses.

From there, work out sharps and so on... happy hunting!

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'01 American Deluxe HSS Strat.
'87 Japan HSS Strat.
'11 Custom Shop FMT HSS Strat.

"Without music, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines and dates by which bills must be paid."

Very helpful so far, thanks. Stickers on piano keys...I will definately do that one. I have been trying to hear intervals in my head, sounds like I should also try to sing them before I play them.

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'09 Am Deluxe Ash Strat
'09 Mex Standard Strat
'10 Mex Standard Tele
Champ 600
Blues jr.
'65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

Another trick to help you recognise intervals..

Equate each interval with something from a tune or riff you personally know.

Here's some examples I have in my head:

2nd (ie C to D) - first two notes of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night"
Minor 3rd (ie C to Eb) - first two notes of "Greensleeves"
3rd (ie C to E) - first two notes of campfire song "Kumbaya"
4th (ie C to F) - first two notes of "Amazing Grace"
5th (ie C to G) - first two notes of chorus in "Take Good Care of Yourself" by 3 Degrees
6th (ie C to A) - first two notes of "My Way"
7th (ie C to B) - is the big interval in "Moon River"

And so on. Select some from the bits of music in your head. Remember it's the sound of the interval that matters, not the actual notes - so any key will do. I just used C for convenience of notation here.

So if for instance I was working out the riff for Smoke On the Water, the first 2 notes make me think of Greensleeves, so I would know I have to play a minor 3rd. (This takes longer to explain than to do lol!)

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Hi Briese!

Sounds like your interest will only be satisfied by coursing a method.
It´s all based on progressive listening exercises.
I don´t know what the current market offers.
I´m guessing that besides cds that you listen to as they guide you around many exercises, there must exist cd rom, more interactive methods nowadays.

Ear training is very exciting, as you can definitely mark your progress in every session!

Your interest in investigating violin solos I am sure will contribute greatly to your music quest!

Good luck and keep us in the know!
Cheers, Mike.

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FIGHT!