| Many piano students want to learn how to play piano | | | | key you're playing in. In the key of C, the three chords |
| by ear. Some are hesitant to learn because they fear | | | | would be C, F, and G chords. These three chords |
| it will be too difficult. While it can be hard at first, the | | | | include every note in the key of C. |
| more you practice, the easier it becomes. This article | | | | Chord Voicing |
| will show you how you can learn how to play piano by | | | | The last thing you need to know to play piano by ear |
| ear easily. | | | | is chord voicing. Chord voicing is when you play a |
| Melody | | | | chord in any position other than root position. Let's take |
| The first thing you need to work on to play piano by | | | | a C chord for example. In root position, you will play a |
| ear is the melody. Find a song you like that has a | | | | C, E, and G in that order. To voice the chord differently, |
| simple melody, then sit down at the piano and try to | | | | you could play the E on the bottom, followed by a G |
| pick it out. This will be easier if you work on recognizing | | | | and C. You could also play the G on the bottom, with |
| intervals. An interval is simply the distance between | | | | the C and E played above it. When you play piano by |
| two notes. If you can recognize intervals easily, you will | | | | ear, you could play all chords in root position, but you |
| be able to pick out a melody much faster. | | | | could vary your sound by using different chord voicing. |
| Chords | | | | Learning how to play piano by ear is not that difficult. |
| After picking out the melody, the next step to play | | | | Once you have the melody figured out, all you have to |
| piano by ear is to harmonize the melody with chords. If | | | | do is harmonize it with chords. After that, you could |
| you're a beginner, you will be happy to know that you | | | | experiment with different chord voicing to vary the |
| only need to know three chords in order to harmonize | | | | sound. After practicing for a while, you will know how |
| any melody. These three chords are based on the | | | | to play piano by ear with ease. |
| first, fourth, and fifth notes of the scale in whatever | | | | |