Guitar Playing Techniques

Ear Training for Better Guitar Playing

Ear Training -
for better guitar playing!

Can ear training really help you become a better guitar player? Wouldn't you be better off just playing more guitar? And just what is ear training? Let's find out...

Those are great questions. Yes, to improve on guitar you need to practice consistently. However, imagine being able to get 100% more out of your practice sessions than you are right now. Could that be possible?

Understanding theory and scales etc. is important. Being able to read music can also be a useful skill. However, as important as these skills are, they also depend upon your specific goals with music. All great musicians, despite the many differences in genre, style, age, gender or cultural influence most definitely have one thing in common - great ears!

Ear training is crucial - no matter what your goals in music may be. Yes, even if you just want to hum n' strum some songs on the guitar. Why? Well, do you remember learning to read back in elementary school? You know how your teacher would ask you to write a report on the story you just read? You know, to make sure that you actually read it?

The teacher didn't only want to check that you read it. They also wanted to know how well you understood what you read! Now read that sentence again and let it sink in :-) What's the point of reading something if you don't grasp its meaning?

THAT is ear training. Being able to understand the music you're playing. Not through analysis (although that definitely has a place), but through lightning fast perception! Your learning of the guitar and music will increase 300%!!! In other words, it'll go through the roof.

Everyone's musical ears are at a different stage of development when they take up the guitar. For a lot of people, when they hear music, it's like they're listening to a foreign language. They don't have much comprehension of what they are hearing.

Others may have a little more experience and be able to grasp musical ideas and concepts more quickly. Still others (a rare few) have had just the right factors of Nature and Nurture and have highly developed musical ears.

If you're worried that your ear may not be that great or that you can't develop it, relax. It's easy to improve. See the ear training exercises at the bottom of this page for some ideas.

No Previous Experience with Ear Training?

Perhaps a cup of tea :-) and finishing this page could be helpful before jumping into the exercises. If you have actual physical issues with your sense of hearing in any way, just be sure to do whatever it is that the experts are advising you to do in order to take care of them. Playing guitar shouldn't be an issue.

NOTE: about hearing protection...a lot of people take their sense of hearing for granted. If you play music with a drummer, or are regularly exposed to any loud sounds, please see more about hearing protection.

What about being Tone Deaf?...I'm here to tell you - and you'll simply have to trust me on this one for now - that ear training is possible for everyone. If you enjoy music enough to have the inspiration and determination to take action on learning how to play a guitar, then you are NOT tone deaf! Let me ask you this... if you had to choose your 2 favourite songs, what would they be? OK. Now, if you were to be blindfolded, and then those 2 songs were played back to you, would you be able to tell them apart? Of course you could! If you were indeed "tone deaf", they would both sound like the same "mush".

Can You Benefit from Ear Training?

Yes. Ear training exercises are easy to do. There are some great ones below to help get you started. The good news is that once you start becoming more aware of the sounds you're hearing, your musical ear will take on a life of its own. It'll continue to grow without you even knowing it. As long as you follow the one rule that will make or break your results in music...

Pay attention! Always pay attention and listen to the best of your ability. Whether you're tuning your guitar, playing your guitar or engaged with music in any way. This is what's meant by connecting your ears to your hands. Simple. If you have some way you can record yourself practicing, that can also help big time. It'll make you more aware of the sounds you're playing. Oh yeah...just don't be too hard on yourself when you hear stuff you don't like - look for the stuff you like :-)

What About Perfect Pitch?

Who cares?! Perfect (or absolute) pitch is something of a myth that has been around for a long time. No one has actually been scientifically verified as having perfect pitch as far as I know. I've known musicians over the years who reputedly had "perfect pitch" - but when tested, ( I can tell you 'cos I was present) - while they displayed some impressive feats with recognizing the pitches, they were certainly not perfect!

NOTE: In a nutshell, perfect pitch is the ability to hear a random musical tone, and to know precisely whether that note is an A or a C#, etc.

My feeling is - and I'm not a scientist, so I'm not saying that my view on it is absolute ;-) - that a certain "pitch memory" occurs with a musician after many years. I myself seem to have it at times with guitars and my voice. It's usually only on the musicians "main axe" that this phenomenon occurs. In my experience, it's more of a memory thing.

The human brain is simply not "wired" for absolute pitch. If it were, these musicians would not only be able to know the pitches in standard A 440 tuning, but in A 432, etc. It's similar to being able to accurately guage distances. Who knows precisely, even 9 times out of 10 what 3.3 metres looks like? If someone does, it is probably more a case of memory than actual perception.

It's All Relative!

My point is, while there may well be some "freaks of nature" out there who could be rigorously tested and found to have some ability that we "mere mortals" are missing - it doesn't matter!

Relative pitch is the fastest and most accurate way to understand what you are hearing when you are playing guitar! Just ask Einstein ;-) Or many other recognized masters of music who had nothing more than a highly developed sense of relative pitch.

As a matter of fact, if you know anything about the classical/romantic composer Beethoven, you'll know that although he lost all his hearing, he continued to compose utterly fantastic music! Wow! How? An unerring sense of relative pitch, that's how. (Not to mention incredible will, courage and determination.) I love Beethoven's story!

Relative pitch is the only kind of ear training you need to concern yourself with. If you develop great relative pitch, you'll be" miles ahead" ;-)

Relative pitch is simply knowing what notes or chords you are hearing by comparing it to other notes or chords that are happening in the tune.

If you haven't got a strong background in music, you'll definitely find it helpful to study a bit of guitar music theory. That's because theory and ear training are like two sides of the same coin. If music is a kind of language, then theory is like grammar and spelling. To take this idea further, ear training would be similar to speaking. Be sure to Bookmark this Ear Training page so you can come back to it once you get a little understanding of theory. Otherwise, just stay here and develop your musical ears first :-)

LESSON ONE

You'll need some basic tools to help you do the ear training exercises. If you have a keyboard, that's easiest. If not, a piano or your guitar will work just as effectively.

If you don't know where middle "C" is, you need to see guitar music theory now. Find out where "C" is on either your keyboard or guitar and come right back. Without training your musical ear, all the theory in the world won't help very much.

Play either middle "C" or the "C"one octave below that. Men will usually need the "C" below. It doesn't matter which, as long as you're comfortable and not straining in any way.

Sing or hum that pitch. In other words, you want to match the pitch of your voice to the instrument. If it's too low for you, move up one octave.

If you can easily hold your voice steady on the pitch for several seconds, try a few more notes close by. If those are also easy, move on to Lesson 2.

f you're having some difficulty, or feel unsure about whether you are doing it correctly, relax :-) It only means you have some work to do in this area. If you are currently with a private teacher, get them to help you. If they can't, ask them why. Ear training is an extremely important area to work on.

LESSON TWO

Play the "C" note that's in your vocal "range".

Match the pitch with your voice.

Start sliding your voice up in pitch. It should sound a bit like a siren. Or a slow string bend.

you're aiming for a "notch" - it has a distinct feeling to it. It's called a perfect 5th, and means you are now singing a naturally tuned G note. The G note on your keyboard or guitar will be tempered tuning - this is actually "out of tune", believe it or not! The one you are humming is the accurate tuning.

Check with the instrument to make sure you're on a "G". Can you notice the slight difference in tuning? The instrument is in "tempered tuning".

If that drill was easy, you can aim for another "notch". The ma3rd. Starting on a "C", that would be an "E" on your instrument.

If you hit the "notch" vocally, you'll really notice the difference in tuning. Major 3rds should sound sweet. Sometimes, my guitar drives me crazy 'cos the 5ths and 3rds never seem to balance out :-( The downside of tempered tuning. The upside is we can play in all the different keys :-)

If you persist, your musical ears will really start to come to life. It's like going from black and white to color. You'll reap a lifetime of rewards from this time you spend developing your ears.

Where Do You Go From Here?

If you enjoyed these exercises and you can see...er, I mean...hear... the value in how they will catapult your guitar playing and musical skills forward, I would strongly suggest learning more about ear training and guitar music theory.

Once you have these fundamental sounds in place, important guitar playing activities such as learning songs or even "lifting" from recordings become much easier. It's especially important to hear the natural tunings as guitar players because we are always hearing the "fuzzy" versions from tempered tuning. Another by product of ear training is that if you sing with others, you'll be able to sing great harmonies!

Thanks for listening ;-) and allowing me to be play a part in "inspiring you to keep dusting off your guitar." - Dave

Return From Ear Training to Articles

Return from Ear Training to Homepage

Secrets to Playing Guitar Revealed

Guitar Lesson Articles.
There Are No Secrets to Playing Guitar.

Do you believe there are secrets to playing guitar? Find out the truth in these free guitar lesson articles and lessons. Simply click on a link from the Table of Contents below that interests you.

Some people claim they have the secrets that "only the pros know". Or that there's some magical ingredient missing from your guitar playing - and of course, they can provide it ;-)

So much hype...don't believe it! There's only one secret to playing guitar. And it's the same "secret" that applies to any field. Consistent action. Applied and focused concentration.

When it comes to how to learn guitar, it boils down to TOI - Time On Instrument. Of course, some guy and gals will tell you they've been playing for 20 years. But they don't seem that fantastic. Why is that?

Did they play consistently for those 20 years? That means almost daily. They probably didn't. Personally, I believe in taking occasional breaks from the guitar. But that's only because I need one. I've been consistent. I actually improve and refresh in my time away from the guitar.

Another important guitar secret ;-)
Challenge yourself. Imagine if you were a bodybuilder and you want to increase the size of your muscles. You would need to have a discipline in place. You'd also need to progress - either by using heavier weight or doing more reps with the same weight, etc.

How do we do that with learning and improving on guitar? We set small goals or targets for ourselves. It's important that it's something we have control over. Such as," for the next 3 weeks I'm gonna practice alternate picking techniques for 30 minutes a day." Pick an area of guitar playing to focus on. If you have more time, pick 2 areas :-) Use your own common sense and intuition to guide you.

Don't end up playing the same things every day... set time aside for focused learning. New songs, new skills, etc. Also find ways to manage stress. It's a lot easier to learn when you're feeling relaxed and positive. Jamming with others is another great way to stay motivated and learn new things. Also, is there any way for you to perform? Check out some open mics in your area.

By all means buy that "guitar secrets" course. Take that lesson... if you know you're going to follow through. The teacher or guitar lesson video can't practice for you. There are no secrets to playing guitar - remember? At the end of the day, YOU teach yourself. Someone like myself is here to give you signs to follow. Just make sure you've got a clear and reliable map.

Practice meditation or do some deep breathing. Exercise daily or go for a walk after lunch. Whatever works for you. Slow down and pay attention when you practice guitar. There's no rush...and you know what the funny thing is? You make more progress when you're not trying so hard to make progress. Just do it :-)

Secrets to Playing Guitar ;-)

Guitar Playing Techniques
A guide to which guitar playing techniques to practice. And how to practice them.

Basic Scales
An article on the meaning of scales to the guitar player. How to practice and use scales.

Barre Chords
Gain deeper insight into the fretboard with this great guitar lesson on barre chords.

Ear Training
Can ear training really help you become a better guitar player? Wouldn't you be better off just playing more guitar? And just what is ear training? Let's find out...

Music Theory Basics
Beginning music theory can be overwhelming. This music theory basics article will help you see the forest for the trees when it comes to rhythm.

Hope you're enjoying these secrets to playing guitar. Of course, now we know there are no secrets ;-) Feel free to bookmark this page or share it with others. Best in guitar and Life,

Dave

Return from Secrets To Playing Guitar to Homepage

The Caged System Is Powerful Help For Those Of You Weary Of Playing The Same Old

Help! I'm Stuck In A Rut And I Can't Get Out! Introducing The Caged System For Learning The Guitar Fretboard.

Stuck in a rut? Playing the same tired guitar licks? The caged system for guitar is quite possibly the single most powerful method that electric guitar players have if they want to deepen their understanding of the fretboard.

In order to gain the most benefit from this free guitar lesson you should know a few basic barre chords and pentatonic scales. The names of the notes along your E string and A string can also be very helpful. Click here if you need to learn note names. But most importantly of all, you can see the benefits of learning the guitar fretboard and how it will help you to play more interesting and melodic solos. The kind that take the listener on a journey and really serve the song. You know when one of your favourite guitar players just seems to hit that one note at just the right time?

This is probably an intermediate to advanced guitar lesson

Guitar Pentatonic Scales Add Spice to Your Playing

You've heard these scales all your life. Whether it's in rock, blues or jazz, country or folk music. The famous guitar solo in "Stairway to Heaven" is constructed from the "A minor" pentatonic scale. If you've ever heard Japanese or Chinese folk music, it comes from pentatonic scales. Although in truth, music doesn't come from "scales". Click here to learn more about scales and where they come from. Only if you're interested...otherwise, stay here and play your guitar :-)

Why the complicated name guitar pentatonic scales?

It's actually simple. The "penta" just means 5...as in a pentagram has 5 sides. The "tonic" is another way to say "tones". So, it's a 5 tone scale. There are actually many 5 tone scales we could use in music. In this lesson, we stick with the important basics...major and minor. More importantly, these are guitar pentatonic scales which means you'll be able to use them with the basic guitar chords you already know.

The E Minor Pentatonic Scale...is traditionally the first pentatonic scale that guitarists learn. It's the easiest to finger, and it directly relates to the guitar chords you already know. It just so happens to be the same group of notes that make up a G major pentatonic scale. How can that be? You'll need to memorize the guitar scale charts and study the free guitar lesson video below. Then practice the exercises I give you. If you do that, your questions will be answered...if you're paying attention :-)

Important Tips:
The guitar scale diagrams above read exactly like the guitar neck you know and love ;-) The horizontal line at the bottom of the image represents your low E string. The empty circles behind the nut mean to play an open string. If you still find this confusing after watching the video, I recommend clicking on to the "Beginners" button at the top of this page to the left. There are some excellent free beginner guitar lessons listed there to get you started on the right foot ;-)

Still with me? OK...

How to Practice these Guitar Pentatonic Scales

Start by watching the online guitar lessons video. Watch it again ;-)

Look at the charts above. Then click here to get your free printable guitar fretboard sheets and print some out. If you're out of ink, get a ruler and make your own.

Copy directly off the charts above if need be. Draw the guitar pentatonic scale shapes onto the paper. This helps you to memorize them 10x faster. Trust me...if you're tempted to skip this step, you'll be shortchanging yourself.

Now play them on your guitar getting the best sound you can. Remember to take it slowly. Take the time to get it right.

Do this every day for 5 days. It'll take you 15-20 minutes.

Congratulations. You've "graduated" to a new level. Good work :-)

What Do You Do Now?

Great question! Now you're ready to start using these guitar pentatonic scales to make music. That's what it's all about. If you want to learn what you can do with pentatonic scales on an acoustic guitar, go to guitar chord lessons. If you're on electric guitar, check out the free lead guitar lessons for some great ideas. Both these segments include online guitar lesson videos.

Thanks again for joining me and allowing me to play a part in inspiring you to keep dusting off your guitar :-)

Dave

Return from Guitar Pentatonic Scales to Acoustic

Return from Guitar Pentatonic Scales to Electric

Return to Homepage

Guitar Finger Exercises Transform Your Playing Quickly

Guitar Finger Exercises
Strengthen and Tone Your Playing ;-)

Serious about your guitar playing? Here are some guitar finger exercises for both electric and acoustic that will boost your skills very quickly. This lesson is suitable for most levels, except absolute beginners. If you can switch smoothly between most of the open position chords you should be fine.

Even if you consider yourself to be pretty decent at guitar and you've never done any finger exercises before, you should. Why? Give it a try for 2 - 3 weeks and see. I think you'll be pleased with how quickly you can feel the results in your guitar playing.

The most important thing is that you can see the value of spending a little time developing your hands. If you can see the value in this, then you're in the right place :-)

Yes, guitar finger exercises can be boring...but the best part is you don't have to do them forever. Even 2-3 weeks will give results. You can spend time on them once or twice each year. They have never failed to improve my playing anytime I've done them. And that's over many many years now.

if you really want to, you can even do them while you watch TV. Just make sure to be sitting in a proper chair. You don't want to strain anything by being slouched in a couch...

Here's a guitar video lesson that demonstrates the guitar finger exercises outlined below.

The exercise demonstrated in the guitar video is designed to develop strength and dexterity in the fretting hand. It's only one exercise of many possibilities. There are also exercises for picking and fingerpicking.

OK Dave, but are they really worth doing?...

Only if you want to see rapid results in the following areas of your guitar playing...

switching between guitar chords with even more fluidity.

Improved clarity in your sound. Less sloppiness with chords and lead.

Play faster! I know that one will motivate you :-)

Slow down the aging process. Ummm... well, there's no research to support that, but I'm stickin' to it ;-)

Guitar Finger Exercise Outline

Make sure your fingers are lined up in a similar way to mine in the guitar lesson video.

Start at the 1st fret, string 6.

Hammer on with your 2nd finger. Don't rush or "muscle" it. Allow the weight to shift from your 1st finger into your 2nd finger. Kind of like walking.

Repeat on string 5, string 4, etc.

Reverse direction and come back to string 6.

Now do the same thing only this time using your 2nd to 3rd fingers.

3rd to 4th.

2nd to 4th.

1st to 4th.

1st to 3rd.

Whew! Ready for pull-offs? Remember, all the details of the guitar finger exercises are in the lesson video :-) However, it's still an excellent idea to read through the instructions. It helps you learn things more completely.

Line up you fingers in a good guitar position. We'll start on string 6, 1st fret like in the hammer ons. In the guitar lesson video I call it the "classical" position. This is where your thumb is back and down so that all your fingers can be lined up more directly.

Pull ( almost like a snap ) your 2nd finger off while your 1st finger is fretting behind it. Go on to string 5, etc.

Continue in this manner with the same finger combinations as the hammer on exercise above.

Note of Caution: Please be careful with these. They can be quite strenuous. Build up slowly. Be consistent on a daily basis. You will get stronger.

If you're really serious...I highly recommend looking into a regime of chin-ups with a supinated ( palms facing you ) grip. A few years ago I had some issues with my elbow and forearm. A chiropractor recommended that exercise to me. On any given day I play guitar from 1 to 4 hours, and...

Since doing chin-ups ( as well as push-ups and stretching, etc.) on a regular basis I've had absolutely no issues with my hands, wrists or forearms :-) There's also the added benefit of looking better "nekked" ;-) And you thought all you had to do was guitar finger exercises!

I hope you found this guide on guitar finger exercises useful. Please let me know if you would like any other guitar exercises to be featured on this website.

Thanks again. I hope I've inspired you to "keep dusting off your guitar" :-)

Dave

Return From Guitar Finger Exercises to Electric

Return From Guitar Finger Exercises to Homepage