playing melodies by ear

[Tom]

Focus on interval training, and perhaps daily scales and common progressions;
this will lay the basis of playing a melody by ear, or at least manage a recognizable tune

Move on to playing a short set without sheet to have at the ready in an unforeseen situation;
this will help in establishing yourself locally as a musician. Might open up doors that otherwise would stay closed.

For reference: to really nail one set without sheet, typically it will take me at least half a year.

But always stay at the interval and scales practice. This is the basis of everything beyond, especially for a chromatic instrument

Thanks Jozz and everyone for good advice.

 

[Ffingers]

Last question to ask yourself: Is your primary concern that of the love of music and your ability to play/sing it, or a need to perform for the approval of others?
It can be both, of course, but which is the primary motivation; the music or the accolades?
When you have worked that out in your own mind, then you have a more certain base on which to found your endeavours.

 

[Tom]

Last question to ask yourself: Is your primary concern that of the love of music and your ability to play/sing it, or a need to perform for the approval of others?
It can be both, of course, but which is the primary motivation; the music or the accolades?
When you have worked that out in your own mind, then you have a more certain base on which to found your endeavours.

Thanks Ffingers! That's a good question. I wouldn't say my desire to play for people is for approval or accolades. It's more to entertain, to see the music make them happy more than to receive praise myself. I think my main challenge at this stage is to change up the repertoire for a different audience than I've been playing to.

 

[colinm]

Ok, so the big question is, what if you're "an average player can still squeeze out some pleasant tunes and entertain the folk down at the old folks home." and want to get beyond that? Can you name a teacher or method who can do it? I can't seem to figure it out on my own.

I never played scales or arpeggios, i never learnt the names of the treble notes, i just know the position of each treble key on the clef. I know the name of the bass buttons but not their position on the bass clef. I can read music but I cannot play by ear and can only play 2 tunes from memory.
I got a skype teacher about 3 years ago and he got me practicing 2 octaves of c scale and 2 octaves of c major arpeggio and some other simple excercises and gradually increased the difficulty of tunes I was playing and i have noticed continual improvement so that now I can nearly play Olive Blossoms and Nola, my 2 tunes.
I practice for about an hour every day, more would be better.
Hope this helps

 

[Tom]

I never played scales or arpeggios, i never learnt the names of the treble notes, i just know the position of each treble key on the clef. I know the name of the bass buttons but not their position on the bass clef. I can read music but I cannot play by ear and can only play 2 tunes from memory.
I got a skype teacher about 3 years ago and he got me practicing 2 octaves of c scale and 2 octaves of c major arpeggio and some other simple excercises and gradually increased the difficulty of tunes I was playing and i have noticed continual improvement so that now I can nearly play Olive Blossoms and Nola, my 2 tunes.
I practice for about an hour every day, more would be better.
Hope this helps

Thanks Colin!

 

[Monty [IIIII]]

I never played scales or arpeggios, i never learnt the names of the treble notes, i just know the position of each treble key on the clef. I know the name of the bass buttons but not their position on the bass clef. I can read music but I cannot play by ear and can only play 2 tunes from memory.
I got a skype teacher about 3 years ago and he got me practicing 2 octaves of c scale and 2 octaves of c major arpeggio and some other simple excercises and gradually increased the difficulty of tunes I was playing and i have noticed continual improvement so that now I can nearly play Olive Blossoms and Nola, my 2 tunes.
I practice for about an hour every day, more would be better.
Hope this helps

That's the great thing about accordion -- one doesn't have to have a lot of musical background, or practice endless hours, to enjoy making one's own music. I played clarinet for years, but didn't enjoy it nearly as much as accordion. Clarinet (as well as fiddle, flute and countless other instruments) require continuous practice just to make a decent sound come out of the instrument, much less anything resembling music. Squeeze on, Colinm!

 

[Squeezeplay]

Danthekeyboardist,
Sounds as if your piano teacher agrees with the Suzuki method ??
See here:

Difference Between Suzuki vs Traditional Methods – Wilton Academy of Music

My teacher must have been ahead of his time, I learned basically that way 70 years ago.