The Ability to Play by Ear
My uncle taught gave me my first guitar lesson at age 7, and many of the tips he shared back then have continued to stick with me. It turned out that while we both have musical tendencies in our blood, we donât learn in the same way or at a comparable pace. He has an impressive ear for notes and melodies and is able to replicate most songs after hearing them just a few times. Iâm not like that at all.
Maybe itâs because of my classical piano training, but I need to be able to see notes in front of me. Playing by ear just doesnât work until Iâve got a song down cold. Thatâs why a guitar tuner is so essential to my playing. It would take me far too long to tune the guitar during a performance without some aid. Perhaps some day Iâll develop a better ear, but until then Iâll have to rely on technology.