This article will by no means be definitive or exhaustive, (that’s scholar talk for RIGHT), but it will attempt to give you, the reader, a taste of what to listen for in the music that you love.

1.) Nine times out of ten, it’s the rhythm that makes a song catchy. Think of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. It’s main theme is only two notes, but the rhythm is what makes it memorable. When you are enjoying a great song, pay attention to the rhythm. It’s probably the beat that’s captured your attention.

2.) Repetition. Our brains aren’t very smart. In order for something to register in our brains as “cool” it has to be repetitive. When you are listening to a great song, count how many times a lyric or musical phrase repeats itself in that 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll be surprised.

3.) Clarity. In a great song, you should be able to hear all the parts distinctly and the music shouldn’t be “clouding” up the song. In other words, a great song usually leaves enough room for the singer to sing his / her message without drowning them out.

4.) Structure. This is probably the most valuable part of a great song. While the durations of each section of a song might be longer or shorter, they are usually arranged like this:

Short Intro
Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Chorus
Bridge or Solo
Chorus
Chorus

Listen to your favorite songs and discover that most of them probably adhere to this structure. There’s method to the rules. It’s the rules that usually help a song to communicate clearly. If you are a budding songwriter, LEARN GUITAR CHORDS as fast as you can and keep it simple. (see #3 again).

Again, this isn’t supposed to be some authoritative article on what a good song should be, but it will hopefully get you thinking about WHY a good song is a good song and give you something to chew on while you listen to your iPod.

If you see a 1/2, that means that the bend should sound the same as if you pressed down the fret above the written note.  For example, if the TAB tells you to bend 12, then your bent note should sound the same as the 13th fret (as if you pressed it down normally).

If you see a 1, that means that the bend should sound two frets higher. So 12 would sound like 14.

If you see a 1 1/2, that means that the bend should sound three frets higher.  So 12 would sound like 15.

If you see a 2, that means that the bend should sound four frets higher.  So 12 would sound like 16.

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox

1.) It will help if you know how to sing.  You don’t have to be American Idol material, but hopefully you aren’t in the “reject singers” category either.  Simply put, singing helps you to hear the difference between notes going up and notes going down.  This is the essential part of learning to play by ear.

2.) The hardest part is figuring out the first note.  Play just a second of the first part of the song, and then sing that note to yourself.  Then try to find that note on your guitar.  Ask yourself, is it a high sound or a low sound.  Once you find the first note it gets easier.

3.) From the first note, all you have to do is ask yourself, is the next note higher or lower than the first note, and then keep refining the process as you go until you get the note.  Again, if you can sing yourself the note first, it will help you find it on your guitar.

This is a VERY simplified way to approach playing by ear, but the concept would be the same even if it were described in lots of technical detail.

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox