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My piano teacher is encouraging me to learn to play by ear, which I have never really tried to do before. She told me to start with children's songs and just see if I could sound out the melody.

So I was trying to plink out Mary Had a Little Lamb tonight when my ten-year-old daughter walked into the room. "Daddy, what are you trying to play? It sounds kind of . . ."

"Mary Had a Little Lamb."

"Oh. It's like this." She plays it. "I never saw the music for that song. I just taught it to myself."

"You're grounded. Go to your room."

[ok. she's not really grounded.]

Matt

Feeling a touch inadequate?! Been there, done that! Kids are wonderful that way.

Cheers,

David

Next time you try that and she's around, plonk really badly at it so she'll come over and "help" you out with it.

Try again and the next time segue into the End Theme for the Loonie Tunes cartoons. She'll probably jump back in disbelief (of course you have to learn that little flare some time when she's not in the house!)

Great story!

Yes, it's humbling to be shown up by one's kids. On the other hand, nothing quite delivers the confidence boost to a child than outsmarting Mom and Dad.

Until they have their own children!

Aren't children just great huh!


BTW...your teacher is giving good advice

pssst...simple tunes, nursery rhymes etc that's the way to start


Lee

I must be a musical genius because I do not understand how anyone cannot instantly figure out Mary had a Little Lamb on the piano. My retarded blind limbless half sister can pluck out the song with her nose without even the need to make hilarious vocalizations (okay I don't really have a retarded blind limbless half-sister).

I just don't get it. The ability to play Mary had a Little Lamb, Hearts and Souls, and Chopsticks on a piano is embedded in everyones DNA, that's scientific fact.

And everyone knows C major is the natural resonance of the universe, so it should be eeeeaaaaaaaaaasy.

Hi Matt:

Get your daughter back in the room and ask her to tell you exactly how she learned it. Listen carefully because she possesses the shortcut you seek.

If you approach piano from a child's perspective it's much easier to learn to play by ear or eye or a combination thereof.

Sightreading is an adult thing. Kids have amazing ways of learning without adult tools.

CLICK HERE for an example of knocking down adult blinders or filters with a childlike approach.

Erm...you probably are

Can everyone else do it instantly??

I couldn't do it instantly at first thats for sure..no way jose!!


Lee

I could pick it out pretty quickly......but I personally wouldn't be making judgments about how quickly or slowly someone else might be able to pick out a tune.

MooGoo, too bad we aren't all perfect like you!!

I long for my kids to do that to me, when they are old enough.

On the contrary, it sounds to me like she is QUITE "grounded," albeit in a different way.

Trucker,

I don't think my daughter could show me how she did it, because I don't think she knows how she does it. She just does it.

When she slowed down to try to teach me the song, she actually got a little confused about which notes she was playing. But when she played it at tempo, she just played it.

I'm guessing the "shortcut" is just learning hear intervals.

I'll ask her anyway, though, because I'm interested in what she'd say.

Anyway, my self esteem is intact today. I challenged her to arm wrestling. (Won two out of three.)

LOL. I am guilty too of reasserting myself. I remember winning the race to take the free weights from the basement to the attic.

Nice to see another Hoosier on here by the way.

Matt H., I am really liking your sense of humor. Hope you stick around.

Ouch. You really hit a nerve with me. I have a lousy ear, and really have to struggle to pick out a tune. I got a book called "How to play the piano despite years of Lessons." It has some good suggestions for playing by ear.

I can do simple chording, but nothing like what a friend of mine---who never had a lesson in her life and can't read music can do. She has mastered all the different rhythms--Spanish, boogie, jazz etc.,and can play just about anything, and she plays it well.

Sheesh, do I ever feel inadequate. So, I can understand Matt's feelings when his little daughter sat down and rippled off "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Gaby tu

I learned piano by ear because as a kid, I really had no other choice. Lessons had never been made available, so teaching myself was the only way I knew. I can play OK by ear (I can play alot of music/harmonies from Les Miserables - I even sometimes play along as if I'm part of the orchestra) and I can also play some 'popular' music. Playing by ear can be great because I can commit it to memory and add in my own touches. However, sometimes if I hear something in the car and try to play it by memory I have trouble getting it in the right key. So that takes some adjustment. Usually I only get the root notes. Bass cleft and Chords are hard for me to glean just by hearing the music.
Then again, sometimes it's a curse. Learning to read music has been pretty hard and I find it difficult to actually follow the music. Usually I eventually memorize it, and inadvertently stop looking at the score, which defeats the purpose of reading music. Sight reading is also very hard for me.
My girlfriend is in the opposite situation. I'm jealous of her because she can sightread well and has been doing it for years, but she can't play by ear (which she's jealous of me for).
I just hope it's possible for me to be good at both.

Mary had a little lamb???
You all got that one wrong!

This is how it goes:
Mary had a little sheep!
With the sheep, she went to sleep.
The sheep turned out to be a ram.
Mary had a little lamb.

(I spent too much time in English Music Halls)

Actually it's Merrily we Roll Along.

I can pick out that song no problem, but beyond that I clearly suck.

1 vote for best subject line ever.

Gabytu,

I bought the book "How to play piano despite years of lessons" too. I actually bought it before I bought a piano. I have not really started it yet. Which parts do you like best?

Matt H -- did your daughter play it (Mary had a...) with full accompaniment? -- then I would be really impressed

I failed the Mary test -- took me about 20 minutes to figure it out -- and that was just the melody line Am I beyond all hope? Rhetoric question -- I don't want to hear the answer

Here's a challenge you Piano Magic players -- what can you do with that theme? If it was good enough for Mozart to do variations on "Twinkle Twinkle" .....

Wade, I like the way the authors Cannel and Marx debunk a lot of myths about piano playing.

I already understood theory, and my way around the keyboard, but picking out a melody was something else again.

Therefore, for me the most helpful part was Chapter 35, page178 where they tell you which note of the chord the melody starts on (the root, the 3rd, or the 5th). Once I understood that I was able to play a chord, and from it, determine which note was the beginning note of the melody. After that everything fell into place.

Gaby Tu

Hello bruceee

20 minutes thats good for a first try , it would have taken me hours when I first started

hmmm what would I do? good question...


First of all I'd have a little play around with it like this:-

http://www.box.net/shared/92i466mpo1


and then I'd try something like this:-

http://www.box.net/shared/8ih4216ta5


How's that?


Tommorrow it would be different...but, hey its a fun tune aint it

maybe not Mozart?...however, I had a 10 minute pianomagical blast with it...

Q. When is a kiddie tune not a kiddie tune?
A. When its grown up


Lee

OUCH!!

OUCH!!
I'm curious, can you notate it as easily?

I have that book by Cannell and Marx. I better dig it out. The hardest part for me was figuring out which note to start on.

bruceee, My daughter just played the melody. But she does sometimes play a I-V accompianment with songs she learns by ear. She does this with "I'm a Little Teapot."

Seaside made me do it:

http://www.box.net/shared/fticazurso

Excuse the sloppy recording and the lousy piano sound, but I was in a hurry.

Chords are: C A7 (or C#dim, which is basically the same thing) Dm G, repeated throughout.

Yes, in the key of C:

e d c d e e e r d d d r e g g r e d c d e e e e d d e d c off the top of my head where "r" == rest.

Change e to e flat if you want to make Mary sad.

Wow. Seaside's rendition is fantastic. Loved it. Got me so inspired I rushed to the piano to try my hand at it.

I played around a bit with the tune, and had the most fun playing it in c minor. (just flatted all the e's. as moo goo suggested.) My playing is very elementary so far, but at least I was able to pick out the melody all way through and embellish it with some full chords, arpeggios etc. What fun. I think my ear is beginning to get fine tuned and eventually will be able to direct my fingers to the correct notes, without the fumbling in between.

This has opened a whole new area of exploration for me. Bless Mary and her little lamb. She is leading me to new heights of musical prowess.

From now on, I am going to incorporate some playing by ear into my regular practice sessions.
Gaby Tu

Well, here's something. Not great, lots of brain freezes, but I was really stretching (for me) trying to play this with a few key changes. I went through the first time in C, then in Eb, then in F, then repeated the last bit in Gb and G ending the song in G.

Mary had a little lamb with a few key changes

quote:
-------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by bruceee:
Here's a challenge you Piano Magic players -- what can you do with that theme? If it was good enough for Mozart to do variations on "Twinkle Twinkle" .....
-------------------------------------------------

Hello bruceee,

I've been with Pianomagic since Jan '06. I tried to teach myself piano for a year and a half, before that. I'm 45 years old. And have lurked here alot. And, this is my attempt to show you what direction I would go with Mary had a little "something" :-).

http://www.box.net/shared/kukfmxusl0

I don't know about variations to much,, but it was fun recording it!
YeCats

YeCats. That was great. this thread is wonderful. I don't know when I have had such fun at the piano, as well as listening to what others have done with this ditty. Mary's little lamb really is bringing out the creative spirit in a lot of us.

And DeepElm, did I notice some blues notes in there? Whatever it was, it sounded great.

Gaby tu

Wow!! you guys are all brilliant -- at least that's the way it seems to someone who can't play like that.

Thank you all for sharing.

Mahlzeit: Glad I made you do it

DeepElem: I have decided I want to be you

Yecats: Sounding good, nice to hear you play its been a while

Gabytu: yes "fun"!...who'd a thunk it huh?

brucee: Nah ..we just have a brilliant teacher


regards


Lee

Hi All -

Here's one more .... "The Ballad of Mary's Lamb" ...

http://www.box.net/shared/qhrv1y77gv

Balladeer (who else would play such a thing!)

Balladeer,

I don't think I've ever heard a finer pure version.

Thanks,
YeCats

PS: Oh,, thanks Gaby tu, brucee, and SeaSide for the nice words!

I don't believe that I'm adding this after hearing Balladeer, and Lee, and Matt, and YeCats, etc... but hey, Seaside asked....

This is pretty raw - I've only been at this about 5 months. I only put 1/2 hour into it and there are many clunkers and a few pauses where I was thinking too much so watch your ears.

Mary Had A Little Lamb

Sorry it's late,
Troy

Hey Troy -

You aren't giving yourself enough credit, buddy! Nice experimentation throughout. At 5 months I couldn't have come close to what you have done here

Remember though, it's not a race or contest. Just keep seeking your own "voice" by thinking like the music.

Balladeer

Troy, that was really very very nice. I love the way you brought in different harmonies. I have been playing the piano longer than 5 months, and my version is no where as nice as yours.

Who would have thought that Mary's little lamb would unleash such creativity.

As an added bonus, when I had trouble falling asleep last night (too many of Starbuck's lattes, which they heavily load with caffine),instead of counting sheep, I began to mull over in my mind different versions of Mary had--a you know what.--playing it with an alberti bass, thirds, 6ths, octaves, etc. What fun.
Gaby Tu

Just a few comments for you "Mary" posters ...

YeCats - Good variety both melodically and harmonically!

DeepElm - Lots of passion - I really like that! Nice arps too!

Matt - Very nice Matt - did I hear some tritone subs in there? Good melodic 'meandering' and some really nice phrasing!

Seaside - you old smoothy! Where's my Pina Colada? Nice change of registers. I knew you would figure a way to slip in a half-dozen 1-6-2-5-1's!!

Balladeer

Tritone subs, eh? Just because I know what they are doesn't mean I can actually use them. The only funky chord I used was C#dim.

Holy Mackerel Troy!!!!

You new guys never cease to amaze me...thats miles better than I could have ever done

Nothing like the proof of the pudding...

Just wait until you realize what you can do with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" not to mention a "Tisket A Tasket"

{{Pssst...what you can do with these tunes you can do with more grown up songs }}

And I want to hear your version too


Balladeer: You freak me out you really do..you must be an inspiration for the over 50's and SAGA (LOL)...seriously though you're such a dude


Lee

Has anyone noticed how all the pianomagic players sound exactly the same?
...erm...NOT!!!

Hi Bruceee

I have been working a little improv into "Mary had a little @#$!!" for one of the members over at pianomagic....I still haven't left it alone yet (its too much fun )

Here's a newer different version where I try to echo the words "as white as snow" in the improv:-

Mary Had A Little Lamb - Take 2

with some different chords thrown in for good measure


Let me know what you think?


Lee

Hey if Seaside can do two, then I can too!

Mary in a lonely bar on saturday night:

http://www.box.net/shared/4e1ifebott

Hi Folks,

This is my first time here. Seaside Lee told me to bring my little lamb along!

I've been with Piano Magic for almost 4 months now. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Here's my version:

http://www.box.net/shared/uhpdsvpgy1

Nell.

Matt,

I really liked that one!!!
I don't know about you, but I think these are all starting to sound the same
Did you play that one in a different key?

Nell,
Very nice! You definitely got game.

Troy: Thanks! It starts out in C, then goes to Eb, then back to C.

Sorry, Troy, but I haven't a clue what that means!!

Can you translate?!

Nell.

Hi Folks,

I'm kind of new here, but was invited by Seaside Lee to off up what you could do with "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

This certainly is not a difficult song, as Sandy has mentioned, but many folks would not consider it a "fun" song to play.

You see... Seaside and I both think somewhat alike when it comes to music, as I too play by ear, cannot read a note of music, and have been a member of PianoMagic for about four years now.

Seaside has had some of our pianomaniacs over there posting renditions of Mary's Little Lamb... And, they all are very well done and spontaneous examples of following your heart, how music thinks, and just having plain FUN with a simple tune.

I sat down, pushed the record button, and played this song in one try... It's by no means perfect. In fact, it's got several flaws which may be apparent to the expert, but to the untrained ear, those flaws may sound intentional.

Actually, the only one who will ever really know that for sure is me... it may have been intentional anyway.

http://www.box.net/shared/73ne8cb2l2

OK Lee... you have got me to jump in here. It seems like a great group of folks... Ya know, some of names here look VERY familiar. Looks like you've brought the whole "flock" over. Hope it's not gonna be too contagious, as I could get hooked.

Mary had a little lamb... a little pork, and a can of Spam. Boy, could that gal eat!

Regards,
SB

Hi Nell,

It's a bit of outdated slang from the sports world. When someone plays their sport well, people say, "He/She's got game".

So, you're sport being piano, I said, "You got game"!

In normal english, "You play well".

Hi!
Someone said that whatever you can do with these simple tunes you can do with more complex tunes. So, I wonder if anyone can record a song (doesnt matter which one) of Queen, because I really love Queen and i really love listening to you (pianomagic players)
However, I know that Queen songs arent really easy so no problem if you cant - but if you can it would be really very cool to hear.

Ask and ye shall be served. Here is my favorite queen song. I have never played it before until a half hour ago. It's only the verse and none of that fancy piano stuff. It wasn't too hard to figure out, except that there's a key change from C to F halfway during the verse which threw me for a loop at first.

http://www.box.net/shared/fnsgv36fem

Wonderful mahlzeit!
But I found one mistake! Its too short!!
And it really is a beautiful song!

OK, now, all the pianomagic players: Whenever you record a pop/rock song (or even heavy metal - now, how would Iron Maiden sound on a piano?? ) you MUST post it here!!!
thats an order!!

Hopefully I join you after the matura exams.

P.S. mahlzeit, when you will have time, you still owe me November rain!

Yeah, I know it's too short. I will have to figure out the rest when I have more time. In any case, I've added it to my list. Thanks for requesting a Queen song, because that's what made me think of it.

Lovely, mahlzeit! I agree, it's too short.

Nice work, Matthijs!

Troy....thanks for explaining the cryptic sports jargon. I think you got game, too!

Nell.

I'm very impressed by everyone's music posted here. In a previous life. I tried to play popular music but it was a huge effort and never sounded like this. Currently I'm into classical -- much easier -- all the notes are written down, and I just have play them one after another

I expect to get seriously back into popular music one day. You guys are a great advertisement for Piano Magic, and I will be very tempted to take that path.

Hi Brucee

I posted your challenge...
over at "pianomagic" (to see what the guys and gals could come up with) and here is a recording from one "young lady" that isn't a member on here.

I wrote her and asked if she would mind if I posted her recording in this thread and this was her response to me

her screen name at pianomagic is "honeycomb" and she is an inspiration to me every day because I have often thought to myself "if honeycomb can start in her 70's have so much fun and be able to do it then I sure as heck can do it too!! "

Personally, I think she should be an inspiration to all the people who post on here saying "is it too late for me to learn to play a piano?" (whether they are a 20 something? or in their 70's!! )


So without further ado

Here, we have "Honeycombs" version (fuelled by "Grannie Power!!!" TM ) :-

http://www.box.net/shared/ur1xjaeg5v


take a listen


Lee

Lee...thanks for sharing that and tell "Honeycombs" thanks too!! I was smiling as I was listening

I think Mary have a little lamb is an easy song; it took me 3 minutes to learn. I also learn "Auld Lang Syne" as well as the theme from Romeo and Juliet.
Another favorite is Happy Birthday which I played for a friend on her birthday. I also like "Here comes the Bride" which I am currently learning.
I find playing the simple melodies on the piano is as much fun as playing a more complicated piece. You can do so many things with simple tunes; this keeps me motivated to learn more...

- Mark (aka Hotkeys)
--------------------------------------------------
The ultimate joy of music is the joy of playing the piano...

Lee, loved your renderings. inspired me and having fun rying different styles. How do you save and send your files?
iris

Hotkeys, happy birthday is OK the melody but the harmony is NOT easy I have found

You can play Happy Birthday with just 3 chords, which is one more than Mary Had A Little Lamb.

In the key of C, these are the chords: C G C F C G C

Hello iris

Glad you enjoyed listening thankyou

You can open an account with boxnet for free just follow the links from where you heard my files.

And to upload your music is very simple you can choose the option to "drag and drop" and then all you have to do is open the folder on your computer (where you've saved your music) and drag it on to the boxnet java window that appears and it does it all for you.

Once the file is stored at boxnet all you have to do is copy and paste the "public share" link

Glad you are having fun with the simple stuff too


rocky: I have passed your message onto honeycomb


hotkeys:

YES!!


Lee

Matthijs...WARNING!! do not play "Happy Birthday" in C if there is a family sing-a-long unless you want to kill some of the folks there off...playing it in the key of F should help save the lives of many of the older folks

Oh, so that explains why they won't have me back at the elderly home.

When I clicked on this http://www.box.net/shared/92i466mpo1 I remember when I used to go to a jazz club and listen to jazz like that night after night until the jazz club burned down around Christmas time about 20 years ago. Nothing ever replaced its loss.

Michael, I'm so glad you found this thread, because it's one of my favorites ever! I even have it bookmarked. Some of the most creative recordings we've ever had in the ABF!

Thanks for bumping it.

Cathy

well, it has been a nice thread. I can't completely wrap my ears around the piece, but when I play it countless times it is putting me, for the first time, in the right direction. I quickly checked the chords in my "Patterns for jazz" book by Jerry Coker" I am going to keep my ears close to the thread to hear what else I can learn. Thanks.

another fun thread: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1284996/3.html

listed in this great thread: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1963082/1.html

I grew up in a trailer that didn't have a recordplayer, just cbc radio. My brother came home - was adopted and used words I am not allow to type. I don't remember any singing in the trailer. There were no kindergarten in those days in northern Canada and we didn't have tv until 1958 and I was born in 1949. I am not making excuses but strange things happen.

"Mary Had a Little Lamb." Is that the same as "Ole McDonald had a farm"? I can only think of the naughty version of the nursery rhyme . . . courtesy of Benny Hill in th 70`s

"Musical culture has evolved in quite a bizarre way, given that everyone is in fact completely creative. When you speak, you're using the bank of words in your mind to make something up on the spur of the moment and you don't think twice about it. And if you have a knowledge of the language of music - it doesn't need to be particularly sophisticated, just a few chords and a melody - the joy of trying something out and seeing if you like the sound of it is very natural. If you respond to music, then there's no reason why you shouldn't have fun experimenting with it. The idea that a performer would only play what someone else wrote is like only ever speaking lines from a play or novel, never saying your own words. To a composer like Beethoven, the idea that improvising and performing are completely separate would have been ridiculous." - Steven Osborne - Pianist Magazine, issue 23, page 12.

This thread reminded me of this quote.

Amazing thread, and very inspiring for us play by ear folks.

One of my favorite threads of all time.

the trick is to match the tune with the note, or even a vague placement of the note. That is how I taught myself Silk by ear. Trying to transcribe people's playing is also tricky but could help you, especially listening and carefully watching their hands at half speed if using Youtube. (My arrangement of Ellie Goulding's "Burn" was painful but I managed it)