You may hear the words Learning by ear tossed around a lot if you've been thinking about learning to play piano
, but what exactly does it mean?
There are different understanding about the term. So in this article I will explain the different between learning by notation (sheet music) and learning by ear. After reading this article you should have a clear understanding of what it means to learn to play piano by ear and be able to decide which method or mix of the two you'd most like to use when learning piano.
Perfect Pitch or Relative Pitch
Learning by ear is basically done when someone listens to a song and then attempts to reproduce the song until they get it right. This may take longer for beginners then more experienced piano players.
There are two terms used when describing players who learn by ear. They are perfect and relative pitch.
If you have relative pitch then you are able to detect the pattern being played and figure it out but you can not hear exactly what key the song is being played in. Your skills are targeted towards hearing the pattern of the chords in the song.
If you have perfect pitch then you are able to actually pick out what key the song is in just by hearing it. Perfect pitch is not seen as often as relative pitch.
Learning By Notation
The alternative to learning piano by ear is to learn by theory, notation and sheet music. The argument goes that those who learn by ear can only play from memory and those who learn by notation can only play from sheet music.
In reality the best situation is to ensure you learn a combination of the two methods. This way you're well rounded and have the ability to pick songs out that you hear and reproduce them but also sit down and play from sheet music if the situation demands it.
Most self study programs and private instructors will spend time teaching you the basics of notation and theory as well as how to play by ear. Since each is a very specific skill practicing both is important.