A Quickie Guide to Playing Piano by Ear

I used to think playing piano by ear was some magical talent-either you had it, or you didn't. While it is certainly true that some people are more gifted than others, there are some basic principles that can be learned by just about anyone.

If you would like to play piano by ear, the easiest place to start is the key of "C". That's because there are no sharps or flats in the key of C, so the only keys you will need to use are the white ones. If you don't know where the key of C is located on the piano, ask someone to show you.

The next step is to choose a simple song, and try to pick it out with one finger. If you don't know what note to start on, there is a simple way to figure it out. Songs almost always end on the key they are in. For example, the last note of a song written in the key of C will be C.

People who are really good at playing by ear get so they can just sit down and know where a song should start. You may need to work at this in the beginning, however. Sit at the piano and pick out the last line of the song, switching whre you start until you can end up on the key of C. With that little melody in your mind, work backwards to figure out where the song should start.

If you have not played piano much before, you may want to practice the "one finger, one note" method for awhile until you get fairly proficient at it. Then comes the fun part-adding chords to the music.

I used to wonder how in the world you could know which chords go with which notes, until I learned a simple trick. If you are playing in the key of C, play a C chord. You can do that by placing the thumb of you right hand on the C, the middle finger on the E, and the little finger on the F. This is a major chord.

No matter what key you are playing in, the three best chords to go with the song will always be the chords that correspond with the first, fourth and fifth fingers of your right hand when you play a major chord in that key. For example, the three chords that work best with the key of C are C, F and G.

Once you learn this pattern, you can determine what chords to use in any key. It's still a good idea to stick with C, however, until you have learned a few songs.

A good song to start out with is "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Pick it out on your right hand first. Then try to add the chords. It will probably take some practice, but the best things in life usually do. Music is really a series of patterns, and when you start to understand some of the basic patterns, things will become much easier.

If you get tired of listening to yourself, try playing along with recordings until you get better. Many keyboards have this feature built-in, and even provide songs that you can play in any key you like. Switch them into the key of C and get started. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can progress.

There are many more patterns you can learn once you have mastered the basics in this tutorial. If you have friends or family who play by ear, ask them to show you some. But you can learn to play simple songs, and chord with them, using only the steps above. And that alone can bring a lot of enjoyment.