EARS!

Arno West wrote: EARS!

Lol and +1

Nearly everything I play I figured out myself. If you're not interested in exact reproductions then it's even more fun because you can come up with your own arrangements.

Might try that actually. Might be slower as when you guys do it

Crafty wrote: Might try that actually. Might be slower as when you guys do it

I doubt I'm as quick a study as Arno, but I can tell you that more you do it the quicker you get.

I'm not saying you shouldn't learn and practice chords and scales and such, but you can also learn to use those to figure songs out.

+1 To that!

And once you get used to listening to the songs, picking them apart and hearing intervals as you listen,aah it just opens up the fretboard.

+1 to learning by ear.
When I started guitar I used guitar pro a lot. It was great to get playing songs quickly and is a useful tool but I found I relied on it too much and didn't develop my ear properly. A combination of a computer crash and wanting to learn songs that I couldn't find tabs for finally got me to rely on my ears. I still take a long time to figure some things out and others I can't get at all but it definitely improves with practice - just wish I'd started it sooner. The skills you'll develop are also helpful when you jam with others. It's fun and rewarding too ?

Shibbibilybob wrote: +1 To that!

And once you get used to listening to the songs, picking them apart and hearing intervals as you listen,aah it just opens up the fretboard.

O man, what is the secret - would love to be able to learn songs by ear. Trial and error I guess? Any tips/hints/training you would recommend?

I would go with mind-to-mind transfer, but apparently not available at my local music store....*SIGH*

Start by playing along with music on the TV, CD, Ipod etc.

Just make sure you are in tune.

Start with the bass notes, see if you can follow the chord pattern by playing the bass notes

you should be able to correspond with the chords, you then can quickly learn how to discern minors, majors, 7ths etc.

It takes a bit, but eventually it works

Squonk wrote: Start by playing along with music on the TV, CD, Ipod etc.

Just make sure you are in tune.

Start with the bass notes, see if you can follow the chord pattern by playing the bass notes

you should be able to correspond with the chords, you then can quickly learn how to discern minors, majors, 7ths etc.

It takes a bit, but eventually it works

Thanks Squonk! And thanked ?