My Method to Learning ANY Song By Ear

[@jmoasksthequestions]

For those of you saying, I wish I had Rick's ear/brain/etc, did you notice he said he has been working on intervals every day for 40 years?!? No doubt he is talented, but mostly he did the WORK. You'll get there if you do the work, too. Years ago, I was in a live band karaoke band (in addition to a series of other cover and original bands) and I had to learn about 400 songs, note for note, over the course of 3-4 years. At first, each song took a really long time and I probably didn't completely nail all of the nuances of the bass lines. By the end, after doing massive amounts of work, my ear and my knowledge really developed and I was often able to get a pretty good idea of how to play a song without even touching an instrument. It took, literally, thousands of hours to get there, but, to quote Jimmy Cliff, "you can get it if you really want."

[@jimbell6116]

I played in a band with a guy who had learned to play by playing along to AM/FM radio in the 60’s and 70’s. We were in a cover band and we would watch MTV in the 80’s and he would work out the hits and notate it in his system of notation. He would teach it from the drums up. He had notebooks full of hundred of tunes for what would have been 20 years then. He wasn’t a very creative guy but if you needed an ace in your cover band, he was your guy. I learned so much in so little time.

[@malcolmbrewer]

Or... If you want it, here it is, come and get it... Bad Finger

[@gagslovedotcom]

There's no substitute for some good ol' fashioned elbow grease. Hard work *does* pay off.

[@petedavis7970]

I finally learned this as an adult. As a kid, I had the disadvantage that science stuff just worked for me. Chemistry, biology, math, whatever. I was writing software when I was 11 and doing it for a living at 19. I just assumed I wasn't good at music because guitar didn't come naturally to me like science stuff. I played, and I learned songs and stuff, but I never had any sort of rigorous practice routine. I just assumed, for DECADES(!!!!) that my lot in life was never to be any good at music. Then a few years ago I just decided to really work at guitar for a while. And for about 3 years I practiced religiously. I started really learning scales and music theory. I practiced them every day. Major, minor pentatonic, the modes... Spending at least an hour every day practicing, some days, more than an hour. Who knew you can actually learn hard stuff with practice??? Apparently not me, but know now... I'll never be Jimi Hendrix, but I'm starting to challenge myself with some of his stuff. What's funny is I recently started taking up keyboard (which I took lessons for a year or two around 1st grade) and it's actually almost like the science stuff for me. It just comes to me. You can see the music theory on the keyboard and my hands just somehow know where to go to sound good. I was struggling with it for like a year and then it was like one day someone flipped a switch and it just started making all kinds of sense to me.

[@malcolmbrewer]

@@petedavis7970Having been thrown out of my 8th grade music class at around age 13 ( it was so boring clapping out 1/8 notes, you know what I mean ) I bought a guitar in 12th grade. Became a Rotary exchange student and lived in Alaska, met some amazing people there, studied theory, functional piano, sang in an amazing vocal harmony group .... ( cut out a few years ) and became a professional musician for 18 years... Theory helped me too... it was like a light bulb moment... I attribute lots of my skills to my mother who taught my brother and I to sing harmony as little boys... also sang in an Australian Champion barbershop quartet... and my teacher kicked ME out of music...she should have been kicked out of school the horrible woman.

[@therealstubot]

My grandmother was a Julliard trained pianist and was notorious for listening to a song once and faithfully recreating it, on the piano, and many times she made it better. Her rendition of stairway to heaven was worthy of an award. She once played Sunrise, sunset, from fiddler on the roof, but played it slower and in a little lower key, and it was dramatic! She said rock and roll was too easy.

[@jery3385]

If the thought rock was easy,punk would've been like lifting a pinky.

[@OkinInc]

That’s one cool Grandma!

[@fostexfan160]

It's not about how easy or hard it is or if granny can make it 'better', which is a personal perception anyway, its all about the sounds and the emotions they evoke in a person....That is music........Some of the best emotional and exciting music is very simple i.e. Rock'n Roll....If it aint broke don't fix it

[@MoonLanta]

OMG BASED GRANNY

[@km4hr]

The fact your grandmother was trained a Julliard probably had relatively little to do with her accomplishments. Only the most gifted people are admitted to Julliard. That's the key. If Julliard accepted people with no talent the result would be the same as any other music school. At least that's my theory.

[@joebegly733]

I majored in music in college, so I knew all this. Just wanted to point out it's spot on AND...you get it here for free :-) I had to pay $80K to learn this haha! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!

[@room34]

Same! And it only takes the 10 minutes I needed to "get it" instead of two repetitive years of required music theory classes. (Boy, all of that tedious work on 4-part voice leading has been *so useful* in the rest of my life.)

[@huawafabe]

I mean, I went to university for 7 years and it was free as well :D

[@ruffianeo3418]

I wonder why music teaching at schools does not show pupils that there is such a thing as ear training. When I was at school I sucked at music and no one ever told me what I was expected to simply understand and what actually requires training and practical exercise. I think that is the minimum take away pupils should get from their music classes at school.

[@alexhoward1884]

@@ruffianeo3418 In my high school theory class we did ear training every day. I think you had bad luck with your instructors.

[@monukeys1105]

Which University bro ??

[@Lani3149]

I'm a great grandma and I'm still taking piano lessons (started about 50). I love all this theory stuff--exercises my brain and I really have to work at it. But I love it! Rick is a fun teacher. It's never too late!

[@Nedwin]

❤️❤️❤️

[@thatsgreatmate]

send dudes

[@youaremad1736]

@@thatsgreatmate dudes?

[@youaremad1736]

@@thatsgreatmate why do you wanna see dudes? You gay?

[@thatsgreatmate]

@@youaremad1736 lmao just messin gay is bad

[@ozzy89ful]

I think I've learned more in 4 minutes then I have in like 15 years of being interested in music. What an amazing resource.

[@SanguineYoru]

The best channel on KZbin :)

[@supernoah71]

Yes this is one of the best channels on KZbin

[@chriskluczyk8455]

I second to that! The guy is a genius!!! That was my feeling about learning more in minutes than in years! ;)

[@cokecl]

I agree!!!

[@richardpowell1772]

I was born in 1972 and taught myself how to play guitar in the 1980’s. I figured out a little music theory just by absorbing and figuring out how songs were played. I bought music theory books trying to teach myself music theory, but just couldn’t do it. If only KZbin existed back then. This is really a wonderful time for information and learning. Mr. Beato is a wonderful teacher.

[@bofoenss8393]

Being hearing impaired and using hearing aids I was told I would have inherent difficulties learning music by ear, but this was so easy to follow and understand. Thank you, it's always a joy to watch your videos and learn.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Learning music by ears unlocks so many more possibilities to writing or composing, or simply just having a better appreciation for the music you do listen to!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@robertclarkguitar Yeah!

[@peterjansen4826]

Also the most difficult part of practicing music. I think that I am pretty good at listening to music (hearing all the details and how it fits together) but I still struggle with hearing chord progressions.

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@peterjansen4826 Ahh gotcha. Yeah it can be tough at first, but you simply need to dissect the parts to really make it out.

[@peterjansen4826]

@@RC32Smiths01 The example which Rick gave, from a high 1 to a lower 6, that is difficult to hear if you lack experience.

[@sabrosso1]

There's no better feeling than learning a song by ear.

[@RCAvhstape]

I discovered the cycle of fifths was a lot easier to learn by just doing it on a bass or guitar. Play a major scale starting with the note C. What's the fifth note in the scale? G. So play another major scale starting on a G note. What's the fifth note in that scale? D. From there, A. Then E. Then B, Gb, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F, and finally back to C. Do this while looking at a picture of the cycle of fifths in front of you. Follow along with the diagram and you start to get the relation.

[@nicoladisvevia]

Excellent! That really makes sense.

[@rains0return]

For that, I'd have to know the scales. Oops

[@SkinSlayer26]

You can learn the Circle using mnemonics. Invent four sentences (that will work for you), where the first letter of each word is (i) increasing sharps, (ii) increasing flats, (iii), order of sharps and (iv) order of flats. This method works for memorising anything that doesn't carry information, because you are turning it into information by this process.

[@marshalbaek5580]

That was great! But you lost me when you started calling the 5th's with a flat and ended on an F that wasn't a flat. I have very little music knowledge other than what 4/4 time is, 3/4 time is, cut time, what the treble clef notes are from the bottom - up: the lines: E, G, B, D, F and the spaces are F, A, C, E. I know basic things like a whole note gets 4 beats, a half note gets 2 beats, etc...I played drums in band until 10th grade, but even then, I played the bongo timbales and when the band would play something the first time, once I "heard" the pattern of my part, I would play it by ear memory and not "read" the music. It's a shame really - because I walked all the way up to the edge of what it took to start to "read" music, but there was nothing further I needed to know being in the percussion section bc I didn't play the bells or xylophone - nothing that needed the ability to read musical notes - just the beat of the notes. I'm in no man's land. But your style of teaching would have been a perfect fit for my way of learning. That was a lot of words to get to - "if you're not a teacher, then you should be." The only question I have is, "based on what I said, do you recommend a course or set of courses I could take or buy online that would be a solid place to start based on my limited, but not completely naive knowledge bank?" I would like to understand music and the chord progressions, etc...with a slant towards guitars...as I play the guitar. Thank you...

[@wutheringheights01]

@@marshalbaek5580 because clockwise starting from F on the circle of fifths up until B are natural notes. F would be 11 o clock and B would be 5 o clock. It goes F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Then F#/Gb and C#/Db . After that and continuing clockwise they are only flat notes. Ab, Eb, Bb then you end up back at F (11 o clock). The reason why the natural notes turn accidental after B is because if you count 5 whole steps up from B on the chromatic scale, you end up on F#/Gb. Then it’s the same when you get to Bb, count up 5 whole steps you get to F and the wheel is back to natural notes.

[@axeman3d]

It's like showing a dog a card trick. Most of it just bounced off my skull, but I do appreciate the effort and skill.

[@olsonspeed]

What language is he speaking?

[@quarantony588]

Thank God I'm not alone.

[@the_original_Bilb_Ono]

Keep pounding it in your head, you WILL eventually get it. I am 100% completely taught from books and magazines (then later internet and youtube) i never even had a friend or family member teach me anything. I thought i would never intuitively know music theory, but over time it will click.. in the top 10 greatest decision i had ever made was to not give up on guitar and stick it out. As far as ear training, this is something that just kinda happened. I think learning the theory will then develop your ears because you will be able to assign a name to what youre hearing. Anyways good luck!

[@olsonspeed]

It is all "Music Theory" to me.

[@jarodreddig63]

Lol totally man

[@tomy.1846]

I started off enthusiastically, but after a few minuets I began to feel like the slow student in the class. I'll have to watch this more than once for sure. Thank you for teaching it! :)

[@jamesstewart8054]

Rick I went to Dick Grove School of Music and learned this theory. Your teaching is just as good. I hope people appreciate this. Cheers James.

[@wolframhohmann1300]

I wished, I discovered Rick years ago. I always thought, that I do have solid musical theory knowledge. But Rick connects theory so brilliantly to songs, which is amazing. And he has perfect skills with respect to presenting to an audience

[@marksatterwhite316]

In college, we called it sight screaming and ear straining.

[@RickBeato]

Haha!!!

[@stephenashworth2480]

Fear training

[@steelstrings4]

That's what we called it in my undergrad, too!

[@howardjohny]

My ear gets better with age, I'm finding. I'm 63, and playing my best ever.

[@mrbananaman8032]

You're talking about how well your mind communicates through your instrument. This is not what Rick is talking about at all.

[@Axwage]

That gives ME hope!

[@spiderbabybill]

@@mrbananaman8032 Not necessarily. My technical playing is not a lot better than it was a decade ago but my ear is a lot better.

[@olehsmirnov2472]

I think it's called experience

[@dublu7883]

A little something called seasoning

[@glassslide]

As a verified purchaser I can attest that the Beato Ear Training Program is seriously awesome.

[@LD-qj2te]

I am going to buy it

[@rdrik]

nice! im checking it out.

[@michaelmcguire650]

glassslide do you think it’s suitable for young kids?

[@glassslide]

Michael McGuire definitely. Any age. It’s got a great feature that lets you practice before taking the rest for that particular interval.

[@brianfunshine]

But in the video, Rick does a random note test. I have the course, that is not on there, to my knowledge. Am I wrong?

[@daviator4720]

Sometimes I feel like I am a dog watching TV ...

[@cyprn6600]

Hey don't despair even a dog can learn tricks! We're all here to learn.

[@seanmchugh3476]

That's funny! :)

[@RK_peace]

haha i can relate

[@cosmos5308]

So you're colour blind ?

[@seanmchugh2709]

@@cosmos5308 Only in red and green

[@calwells5612]

Another great video, Rick! Putting a plug in here for Rick's ear training program. Well worth the investment. It's very thorough, going well beyond other apps/programs I've used.

[@RickBeato]

Thanks Cal!!

[@calwells5612]

Rick Beato Anytime, Rick! You know I love ya!

[@rarepolarbear]

Rick Beato I’ve bought a few of these courses. ( not yours yet) My ears have improved but at a glacial pace I.e. many years. Very frustrating process. Other than doing interval drills and chord drills, are there any other key concepts one should consider in ear training?

[@gregorgiebel1377]

@@rarepolarbear learn sightsinging, try to memorise and transcribe melodies, do both not only with intervals but also with the do re mi stuff. And learn to improvise freely (singing) in the major and minor scales, then the modes. Then you can take a chordprogression and build the scale over each chord and learn to switch scales, learn to target every note over each chord one by one. And for the chords you should practice to hear the basslines from real songs. Just try to hum the bassline of whatever song you are listening to. (If you want you can also figure out which intervals the bass moves (using intervals or do re mi) and imagine how you would play it on your instrument.) you can do this last one whenever you are listening to music on the bus or in the car or whatever. (Just dont hum too loud, when there are people around, but you can also whistle barely audible. This helps with audiation as well.)

[@calwells5612]

@@rarepolarbear One thing that Rick's course includes that others don't (among a number of things) is he includes videos for every section (or at least pretty much every section) to provide guidance on how to recognize or practice whatever it is that that particular section is concentrating on. For example, he has videos explaining practice tips, approaches for hearing different intervals, approaches for hearing different chord inversions, approaches for hearing different scales, etc. So it's not just a bunch of testing, but also numerous tips on how to practice and internalize different concepts. Also, I hope you don't mind a nobody like me offering a word of encouragement: Please don't let slow progress discourage you. Some people pick up ear-training quickly, and others more slowly even with the same level of effort. And that's OK. I think I'm OK at this sort of thing, but a great many people are far quicker than I am. If you're somebody to whom ear training may not come easily, not a problem - you no doubt have strengths in other areas that others don't have. So, make the best use of your strengths while continuing to work on weaknesses. Also, and perhaps you're already doing this and doing it at a high level, but if not here's another word of counsel: Don't wait to become proficient at ear training before you feel you can make music. Make ear training a part of your daily routine, but don't forget to make music and have fun doing it. I'm sure your ear-training efforts will be rewarded.

[@cameronross5923]

Hi Rick, I’m a beginner pianist (under a year) and beginner guitar player (couple weeks) and it is crazy how much I have learned about music just from watching your videos. Keep it up man!

[@johnryan1154]

When learning the Circle of 5ths, there's a cool way to remember the order of sharps and the order of flats... Sharps - FCGDAEB - Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle Flats - BEADGCF - Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father

[@WomanNextDoor]

I just learned more in 10mins than I did in a year of music theory and violin practice. Amazing channel, Rick, thank you for giving your knowledge and time so freely. Next step, buying your book.

[@ja1doyle]

I've purchased the book, watched several videos on this channel. I've learned a lot. I'm grateful for this particular video BC I feel like this described how to use the circle of fifths better than anything I've ever seen before ever! Love this

[@josephbuscarino8264]

I’m a metal head on a journey to understand other genres to make my guitar playing better. This video was very informative. I understood most of the theory u discussed in this video which is good. My ear training definitely needs to get better tho so I don’t have to depend on tabs and this video helped a lot

[@orwellsgoatatemyradishes4358]

Rick,you're a brilliant communicator.

[@darkalligraph]

My dad figured this out on how own when he was younger. He developed his own system for identifying chord progressions, and taught himself to play by ear - completely without the internet, and without a formal music background. Now, when I started to play the piano, he taught me this, and I was just blown away at it. You explained it so well, and you explain the theory behind it so well. It really is just practice, I am nowhere near perfect, but I can get by, and am starting to recognise those non-diatonic chords - III, II and iv, and things like suspended, 7 chords and that sort of thing. It's going to take a while to get to the level my dad is at, but it is really fun, and I want to persist with it. I got a guitar recently, and turns out my dad has figured out and applied this theory to guitar too, sort of like you have. So now, I am beginning to get the basics of playing by ear on guitar. Awesome video, and I think more people need to know that it is very much possible to learn to play by ear, and to develop this as a skill.

[@howardy8333]

how do I start when I know the theory? Let's say I find a cool song and want to play it by ear, how do I start?

[@DaveSteele07]

Since I'm a pattern based guitar player, I use the location of the half steps to determine the key a song is written in. Simplistic but it works for me. The only thing that trips me up is R&B and Jazzier tunes since they modulate and coming up with a solo with songs that modulate within the span of 4 chords really twists my ears. I'm not a natural talent so I just work within my limitations. Thanks for all the lessons!!!

[@alexhoward1884]

For soloing over a jazz progression you typically want to think in chord tones/arpeggios. Which aren't too hard to figure out, Jens Larsen has a lot of videos about this.

[@angelsantiago1566]

I like this video, I'm a self taught guitar player. Started playing at 12 yrs old...now 57..whew!! I learned to play by ear, listening to Beatles, Elvis and Puertorican old style jibaro and trio music. O never learned to read or even know notes, heck don't know my fret board keys names and so, I just wing it, and land on my feet at time's. I guess I'm just a lazy guitarist, but still by. I write, compose my own music, but all ears, can't tell you if I'm in A or B and so on...lol But I enjoy your channel very much, and will teach myself the names and types of chords. Thanks Rick!

[@K.KILLORAN]

It’s so great to have the information presented from the ground up. Thank you for your non pretentious instruction for those of us learning.

[@oglaucio]

I know ZERO about music theory and absorbed absolutely nothing but still watched the whole video in awe. I just love when knowledgeable people teach. Cheers!

[@OrbVroomer]

Best teacher on youtube . Thanks Rick.

[@nathanielchesher9304]

One thing that really helps with the idea of the circle of fifths: Each new key in the circle is the fifth note of the musical alphabet. C D E F G (5th note- next key), G A B C# D (5th note - next Key). Same thing then if we move to the circle of fourths. That has been really helpful for my students. Always know your musical alphabet A B C D E F G or backwards G F E D C B A. Keep playing!

[@leonbarron368]

That interval recognition piece was insane

[@jonahhoward5109]

My method to learning any song by ear: Clear your schedule for the next 2 weeks.

[@jeffreystockdale8292]

I’m with ya. There’s no way I could do it without my guitar in hand. He just hears it and rattles off the note.

[@Saskia-bq5hm]

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE

[@laodamasdimopoulos2655]

I never had ear training class or music theory lessons, I only had a few years of guitar lessons as a kid. Now Im 24 and ive been teaching myself guitar and music theory for 10 years consistently. I don't have perfect pitch nor my relative pitch is notable. But honestly recognizing diatonic chord progressions is now instinctively easy at 99% of songs. It occured to me as a teeneger and got better as I practised music that every chord of a particular key has a very specific feeling or color. Its almost like magic.

[@redsix5165]

2:59 anyone else start humming “mother mary comes to me” after he stops playing...I have no idea if that is really the chord but those lyrics jumped straight in.

[@martinwalls7151]

It was 👍

[@gzurti]

No woman No cry

[@redsix5165]

gzurti nice!

[@adarshjohn6407]

@@gzurti yeah momma this surely is a dream

[@smol_white_bat]

2:51 Fixed it

[@thelonetwangster]

I can't believe that you got all this vital information into a 10 minute video. Succinct and comprehensible - just great teaching for everyone who plays an instrument and who hasn't had the benefit of any real formal musical education. This channel just keeps getting better and better.

[@groksr]

Excuse me for a minute while my head explodes.. as a self-taught guitar player about your age I have gotten quite proficient playing by ear not really knowing any structure , this does help me but also make me realize how much there is to learn

[@brianstanmore5503]

Omg dude! Its frickin endless! The more you learn ..the more you realize how much more there is to learn. But it is addicting..And such a great habit and hobby..

[@calwells5612]

As Brian says, it is indeed endless, but that's the beauty of it! There's no end to the learning, no end to the potential for growth. It's a life-long pursuit and the "end" can never be achieved. And, the more you know, the more you realize there is to learn - particularly when you consider the physical skills it takes to apply the ear-training and the more intellectual learning to your chosen instrument (or to songwriting, production, engineering, etc.).

[@jakdaxter6033]

Same honestly. However, since I've been playing for a few years, I actually somewhat understand some of the theory now. So watching this was kinda like "Ooohhh, so that's what I was doing huh." Still very useful info though and I'm glad he made this video.

[@stevegee9087]

Another great lesson, Rick. Thanks so much! When I started self-learning guitar at age of 43, I had so many questions: Why six strings? Why the intervals between strings? etc. After lots of searching and asking questions, I find out it's all related to the circle of 5ths. I bought "The Chord Wheel" by Jim Fleser, and that made understanding the relationships so much easier. Totally recommend this tool to anyone wanting to simplify their visualisation of the circle of 5ths, and it makes composing a song an absolute breeze. I'd love to see Rick do a video on the breakdown of the standard guitar tuning and how the harmonics on each string make up the sub-tonal? parts of the strings tuning.

[@MrPajmej]

In the first part about root notes Rick is saying: "I hear 1 6 4 5 1.” And that’s quite all the trick. He hears it. When I was 19 I decided attend high school of classical guitar after one year of playing it. All the time before I was a sports guy as my father wanted. I made it in and watched all the kids 5 years younger than me analyzing all the notes played by a teacher in a second. I did not hear difference between 2nd or 3rd and so on. The kids sang songs just from a sheet! Still I struggle with this, even it is better. All I am saying is that if you are 40 and desire to develop this skill, it's going to be hard. Not impossible. First find 7 songs very familiar to you, when first stars on 2nd, flat 3rd, major 3rd, 4th and so on. And learn to sing the intervals alone. Than, if you are lucky and talented you will hear it. The quality of the chord is easy. Rick! Thanks for what you are doing. Watching you all the time. My wife is starting to be jealousy on you.

[@diretoaospontos-victorbarb7377]

I'm 18 and I started 6 months ago playing the piano, I really want to have a ear like Rick, but I feel bad seeing people that study since they were young like it's going too take too much time to be like that haha

[@spiralflash6169]

What if you are 65? Impossible, IKR?

[@MrPajmej]

Spiral Flash Nothing is impossible. It's all just a game.

[@normanfreund]

Michal Pacalaj , a bit like learning the violin later in your life and listening to other players that have been at it since 5 years old. Just keep at it and you get there and enjoy the journey. At 57 I still enjoy learning something new in music. Some things come more natural, for me it’s the harmonica which I played since age 6, then keyboards since age 7 .

[@ballhawk387]

I can *hear* it, but not *identify* it so much. Have to keep probing along until I hit it on the guitar neck. Clueless about keyboards, aside from basic melodies, being a guitar player who doesn't know keyboard chord shapes.

[@joecole5095]

Probably the best guitar channel on you tube rick beato your the man

[@thebarf9235]

The Order of Sharps. Sounds like a nefarious secret society.

[@randolphpatterson5061]

I've got diminished expectations of their potential already.

[@thebarf9235]

@@randolphpatterson5061 Their chief rival is The Order of Flats.

[@aayushi5875]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@stevechurch4728]

they're secret knife throwers and blow gun specialists with back-to-front handshakes and disguised cravats, renowned for blowing out car tyres on filmsets. you never who they really are in day light.

[@stevechurch4728]

@@thebarf9235 ah yes those peskie people who fit under closed doors and escape jail too easily by sliding between the bars, tricky!

[@j-b1370]

I started watching your channel a cpl years back not too long after you started on here. My ears hearing and ability to pick out and apply the music accurately onto from an instrument have grown so much in that time.

[@skyboy1956]

I would listen to a lecture on quilt making from Rick Beato. Somehow he would make it interesting ! !

[@heidi-jane]

So nice to hear someone succinctly describe this process and to really nail it. You are spot on that that's what it is - not magic, just learning to judge distances, just consciously devoting the time to developing a familiarity with notes and sounds. Just like with people, once you take the time to really get to know them, there's no reason why you won't recognize them when you meet them again, no matter what configuration they're sitting in. Bravo!!

[@mikerobinson9504]

"Rick, I think that you need to create your 'Rick Beato Music Theory Short-Course." That is: "sufficient information to know what Rick Beato is actually talking about." The "trick" being that none of your subjects are college freshmen. Therefore - free-associating right now here - who knows!! Maybe it just might be a series: "an introduction to the intervals!" Pick an interval, one at a time, then, after first carefully showing how it is constructed relative to all the others, "show it off!" Reach out in a thoroughly imaginative way to every prior musician who has done it - while always demonstrating the principle of "progression." Virtually anything in the "oh-my-god-i-have-to-take-music-theory" lexicon could be demonstrated in this way, including "sus-chords," and I definitely look forward to seeing what you might do with this inspiration.

[@Beastintheomlet]

Teaching is a skill unto itself. I know all the stuff you mentioned but I really struggle to explain it to others. Being able to articulate abstract things like theory is real skill.

[@kiasax2]

It's a funny thing. Physics, calculus, etc. I even taught that stuff too. Yet, I fronted 2 rock cover bands & have played & sung in bars across the country, just me & my guitar & made a living. Yet I know not a thing about music theory. I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old & taught myself both rhythm and lead. I can play keyboards, piano, bass and drums. If I'm given a few minutes I can read sheet music well enough to get by, but really stink at it if I'm required to do it quickly. The result? Rick Beato's lessons are sublimely excellent for me. One day, with Rick's help, I might know what I'm doing! (TBI from military service is really holding me back. An intractable migraine can really slow you down, you know?) Regardless of that, thank you, Rick, I really appreciate your help!

[@punkbob81]

I’m so glad you don’t have the adverts that come on during the video. I’d lose track of what you’ve just said otherwise! Top quality content, you have a great way of explaining things!

[@TheMusicalSchizo]

Leaving a comment. Because we all know it's important to have proper engagement on posts from our favorite KZbinrs. :) Next time I have some free cash I'm all over the ear training system. I did Nuryl with my toddler from before he was even born and still regularly play him harmonically dense, modulating music on a regular basis. But weirdly, the kid just loves Toto...and it's all because of your "What Makes This Song Great?" Episode 9.

[@yesterdayproductions1019]

Great video Rick! This is EXACTLY what I did to figure out many Beatles songs since I can't read music. Example: On "I Want To Hold Your Hand", I listened for the bass roots which were G, D, E, B on the first part of the verse. The chords then were G, D, EM, B. I knew it was EM because that is the VI chord in the key of G. The "quality" of the other 3 chords were really neither major or minor. The were G5, D5 & B5 power chords. I then followed the bass for the chorus and then the bridge and simple plugged in the chords be it major, minor or power chords. Figuring the harmony vocal parts was more challenging by ear, but was also accomplished since I understood music theory and realized that the part HAD to be one or the other note. The most difficult thing was figuring out WHO sang what notes sometimes because their voices were so intertwined. To do that, I watched some live videos where John's microphone was twice as loud as Paul OR vice versa. I then saw that it was John who actually sang the the high note each time on the word "Hand". Same process for many, many other Beatles songs. There was a pattern I noticed. MANY times, John would sing briefly ABOVE Paul and then work his way downward.

[@harvey1954]

I learned the trick to figuring out music from a record when I was 18. By accident, I might add. The trick is to tune your instrument to the record. Nowadays you can change the speed of the recording, but back in the 70s I would tune my guitar to the record. Even if my guitar was in tune that didn't mean it was tuned to the record. At the age of 18 I saw down with a notebook and wrote out lyrics to all my favorite tunes. Then I would go back write the chords over the appropriate lyrics.

[@allanjeong]

Thank you for sharing your ideas on how you play songs by ear. What do you do when you can't remember or hear the chords in your head (or in a recording) when you sit down spontaneously to play a song on piano by ear? What I do is play the root note at note interval 1, 3 or 5 below (+1 octave) the melodic note played on the main down beats, knowing that most songs end with a root note being the same note as the melodic note. By narrowing the options down to only these three note intervals below every melodic note play on or sometimes immediately following the down beat, I have a pretty high probability of guessing which interval will work combined with anything I remember or hear in my head. If I guess wrong, I can correct it the next time around since there are only 4 or 5 chords in a chord progression. Using this method, I can also improvise and make up new song melodies by ear on piano. Here’s a summary of the steps I used to learn how to play piano by ear in my 55-word poem titled “I Can Jive in 55!” To play song by ear end song on note C to make learning easy by avoiding black keys. To add chords to song play root BELOW melody on the first beat at intervals 1, 5, or 3. Now play each chord by rolling ABOVE root the notes 5, 8, 10 then add notes to suit.

[@WhoDeyWorld]

Im 40 and proud to have learned guitar by myself 20 yrs ago before youtube. On a basic level of course. Now with ricks channel i can take it to the next level and actually learn the language of music not just strum chords of songs knowing nothing about the rules! Rock on!

[@mrbungle7586]

Hi Rick, this information and how you can hear whats being played etc is fairly straight forward. Straight forward, for people who have played and studied the things you cover in this video for years. I remember starting to learn these things a long time ago and it was like learning another language. For a 10 minute video you cover these aspects really well. There will be people who's heads will be spinning but this video will help them out on their musical journey. Cheers

[@AlvinsWorldDotCom]

I'm working on the skills you're teaching me. Bought the ear training course. Been absorbing music theory slowly, using repetition, writing and rewriting my notes. Appreciate the challenges and the demonstrated skills showing it can be done with practice. You've satisfied a need in teaching us music in a fuller sense. Thanks Rick. I always learn something whenever I watch or re-watch one of your videos. Life long learning. It's great to have someone teaching.

[@djentransitions]

Wooow, this is amazing! Ive been playing guitar for 19 years, im writin my own songs for 11 years and can learn almost every song by ear but this way of thinkin is completely new for me, thank you so much!

[@pitchforker3304]

Like many untrained musicians, I stumble around with relative pitch -- get a riff or progression, etc. until it sounds right, then move out from there. It's MOTIVATING to know there's a method to improve that..

[@thewordofgod2010]

As a guitarist learning songs by ear, off the record back in the day, I would always start with the bass note of the chord as Rick suggests, and then find the rest of the notes in the chord. Exactly where the chord is being played on the guitar requires recognizing the tonality, such as playing a barred Am will have a different tone than playing an open Am which would also have more sustain. Basic stuff for us kids back in the day. btw. Thanks for the channel Rick really been enjoying listening to musical expert like yourself.

[@henryfaulkner6051]

I never used circle of 5ths...I just learned those first three Beatles albums and a bunch of country music...I been playing from the age of 13...I am now 71...When learning a song...I would find the melody and build a chord around that note...

[@wizmos74]

This is exactly way when I try play from ears. Melody in head and try find chords to fit. I'm not great cause hard to find sus 4,or 7th etc but come close with major and minor. Because I don't know theory just a really basics this make music more mysterious and interesting for me. Same with english language it's not my first thats why some of lyrics I don't understand and that's beauty in it. I hope you know what I mean. Greetings from Nottingham,UK but origin from Poland

[@AnthonyElsetinow]

Almost at 2 million Rick! You have become the program i turn on when i want to relax with musical discussion.

[@insanemtl5890]

I don't have absolute hearing, but I can always find the note E in my head, because I always remember the pitch of the opening note to Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" And I work my way to everything from there 😁

[@GaryMeadowsMusic]

I do that with a g note in a song "pale blue eyes" I wrote years ago.

[@ryadachaibou8098]

That's literally how you're supposed to train your ear

[@insanemtl5890]

@@ryadachaibou8098 yey xD

[@franklee7543]

9:00 Woa... thanks for that Mr Beato Sir. For those of us that started playing Guitar in the mid to late 90's, those chords fell naturally onto us as most alternative rock songs on radio used them alot. Cheers thanks....

[@3516mos]

*Still working on your ear training course, good things require EFFORT.*

[@jameslloyd611]

It took me forever just to pass harmonic seconds, and I'm still not sure luck didn't play a part. Just when I'd think, "yeah, I've got this" during practice, I'd miss five in a row.

[@diretoaospontos-victorbarb7377]

@@jameslloyd611 I really wanted this course, but here in brazil 200$ is too much, do you guys think it's worth it?

[@jameslloyd611]

@@diretoaospontos-victorbarb7377 i'm finding it very difficult so I really can't give you an opinion. I'm keeping at it but I'm sure some people get frustrated and quit. That is NOT the course's fault and I expected it to be hard work but you should know how challenging it is.

[@dad-eguitar4137]

Thank you for all your knowledge and insight, this is truly one of the best channels ever created, thanks Rick!

[@garylenius4181]

A tip for figuring out the key of a song: as Rick says many songs do begin in the root chord but many songs don't. However most songs do end in the root chord.

[@dominikgs]

I figured out songs since I self taught me guitar. First simply by trial and error. First I find one chord which is in the song from there I go ok the next chord sounds higher and melancholic so it can be a minor chord and so on. I cannot tell you all the fancy names from musical theory but i can figure out how to play a song since I started guitar. I think this is a very valuable ability and I recommend everybody to start to try this as you begin learning an instrument. Its just a lot of fun...

[@academyofmusicandartinc.1079]

Rick, when I was at Berklee there were 2 approaches to naming notes: 1) Tonal - Relate everything back to C. Ex: Ab sounds like flat 6 or 2) There is no key - you figure out the note based on the interval of the previous note. (For the brave student there's a Great ear training book called Intervallic Ear training for the Musician.) Which approach do you use? (Probably both?) Thanks

[@SaulieCo31]

Just happened to stumble across your channel. I Minored in music in college a few years back and had very minimal music theory experience going into that (self taught drummer and guitarist since I was a kid), and I forget so much from not using it as I should. Glad I found this channel because it's helping me to refresh what I forgot while learning so much more as well. Thank you!

[@Radical_Middle]

just a tip for psycho of 5ths, it goes perfect 4th anti-clockwise.

[@juice5203]

As a self thought drummer trying to teach myself piano. These lessons are exactly what I’ve been searching for and I will be buying the book. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

[@twoweeksout]

I play all my songs by ear, so this information was helpful. Thanks Mr. Beato!

[@JohnSmith-lu4yb]

Hah its kinda weird hearing him called mr beato

[@twoweeksout]

@@JohnSmith-lu4yb I have respect for the man so I call him Mr

[@claytondane9419]

Can we get a Mr. Beato chain

[@brendancompton5072]

@@claytondane9419 Mr beato

[@andrewbaker1535]

Mr. BEATO

[@justinmahar4156]

I remember doing something like this in high school music class. The teacher sat up front and played one note then another. We had to write down how many steps difference there were. I had no idea. I knew if it was going up or down but not if there were flats or sharps in between etc. I’d never studied music theory and still haven’t. That one test probably put me off because the theory was never explained. You’ve explained more to me in this short video than my music teacher did in 3 or 4 years. Bravo good sir!

[@mrgeorgejetson]

Around the 7:45 mark, I half expected Rick to start naming nuts. Love the channel. Hopefully Rick is a Christoper Guest fan.

[@RossCampoli]

Macadamia nut. Boy you gotta stop naming nuts

[@billblock955]

I majored in music and took several music theory courses ( mostly studied Bach, counterpoint, sight singing). I find your courses much more relevant to my guitar playing. Thank you for the discount on the Beato bundle which I just purchased. Keep up the good work!!!!!

[@DD-pg6eu]

I just don’t understand how you can thumbs down a Rick Beato video.

[@jimimurti]

Just envy

[@groovejunkies4436]

This will be the most important video you will ever see regarding the subject. Thank you Rick!

[@leonardobaldi7269]

So the other day my teacher told me to transcribe "James" by the Pat Metheny Group by ear, and I was doing that till'10 minutes ago. And than this video came out... Thanks, I guess.

[@jjvaleriol]

Thank you for sharing all your musical knowledge with us, I cherish your videos so much. Greetings from sunny Barcelona.

[@nirajrayker9282]

This is a gem of a lecture!!

[@koshersalaami]

I’ve had a good case of relative pitch all my life. I couldn’t keep up with how fast you were catching all those pitches, particularly in different octaves. A lot of them, yes, but not all of them. I’ve never practiced doing it. You’re right about hearing the chords. I’ve been doing that for many years also, helping whatever band I was in figure songs out. Like when you were doing that IV-I-V-vi, particularly if you hear the sequence casually the first time, you can hear that the IV chord is a nine because that ringing D becomes the fifth of the I chord, which means you hear the note first as slightly dissonant, then you hear it resolve into the extremely consonant Major, but without moving. So you don’t only hear the chord, you hear the workings of the voicing.

[@YT1344]

I was amazed by your skill watching that video. But I thought I will embarrass myself if I leave a comment (you made me feel every guitar player has that skill!!!). glad seeing I am not alone!

[@ramitebhattacherjee1688]

Keep these videos flowing. Please. We need it

[@beatrixwickson8477]

I have decent relative pitch, my circle of fifths is pretty much a subconscious knowledge by now and most pop songs I can work out pretty easily. But not if the first chord isn't the tonic. I have to have a pass through, hear it wrong then realise it doesn't make sense, then just listen again to where it does sound resolved and start over having all the pieces but rearranging how I think about them. To me, how effortlessly you managed that blew me away, Rick. You really are the musician's musician, a genuinely delightful personality and a quality human being. Never change.

[@brunomoria383]

Relative pitch is the most important thing for a musician!

[@TheBudBoss]

I've gone through 2 years of ear training and theory. You taught this quite well. Super easy for me to understand, and with some ambition a lot more people could get it too. I love like your videos. Thank you!

[@TheFitnessTutor]

Holy crap that interval exercise is crazy! Indeed it’s almost like perfect pitch. I really need to get off of my ass and get to work.

[@MXP250]

I love your work. You’re a teacher and gentleman. Thank you.

[@EdDunkle]

I'm nearly tone deaf. Watching Rick Beato is like watching a magician.

[@omartaleb517]

I can relate, it gets worse since I have no idea about the things he is talking about.

[@Nacho-Mamma]

I've been playing piano for 55 years, and learned by listening to our victrola & plunking out the songs with 1 finger. I was very young, and we had 3 old upright pianos and a victrola with several hundred 78s, and no television (never got one till 1972, and had to blackout the room to see the screen. Anyhoo, the victrola sat by the piano I preferred playing. And when I figured out chording and such, I began to mimic on the piano what I heard on the platters (what 78's were actually called in the beginning.) Eventually, I learned most of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" by listening to his first recording. As I learned to play, I showed my oldest sister & next oldest brother how to play as well. With 3 pianos in 3 different rooms, we'd take turns yelling out a song and key, and fill the house with music. I'm pushing 60 now, so I was very young. I grew up with a love for big band, and that hadn't wavered. Ella Fitzgerald taught me how to scat listening to her beautiful voice. She was the greatest singer ever! Hey, do a show on Ella, and why she was the greatest vocalist in her era.

[@lylewicks4112]

Rick could make quantum physics entertaining. Even when he totally loses me I have to keep watching

[@GeorgeSPAMTindle]

Quantum Physics is very entertaining. All sciences are entertaining, and they'll help you with music too. I am a highly qualified engineer, I have high level qualifications in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and material science, I credit this all to having a love for and fascination with the electric guitar from an early age. I am a self-taught guitar player though, but I do understand most of what Rick talks about, eventually.

[@msmith53]

Great work!! I taught music for over 40 yrs in public schools, but didn’t get a chance to teach theory until the last 10 yrs at a public school for the Performing Arts in San Diego. You do it ALL! Thx!

[@voixhumana]

I love this stuff and I also have no idea what he's talking about.

[@LalK2K23]

It's not a detailed lesson anyway. He is just touching on the general points of how he does his thing.

[@jorgeulisesgarciatorres1099]

Siento y pienso lo mismo, a pesar de que toco la guitarra.

[@nathanmantle377]

Before I watch the video, I wanna write down how I learned how to do it, and then compare. Here goes: First thing I did was learn the intervals, ascending and descending, using song references when needed (eventually you no longer need the song reference!). Next, I spent time listening to songs and transcribing the basslines (Roberta Radley's book on ear training recommended this, so I followed it). I knew some theory, so by learning the bassline, it allowed me to guess the chords pretty well. When I'd try a chord and it sounded wrong, then I'd remember how it sounded for next time. But this method was still a bit slow. So the next thing to do was I actually recorded chords into my DAW (diads and triads only), and played in random keys ( I wrote it all down). Then, so that I wouldn't "remember" what I had wrote, I waited a week and listened to the recording I did, and tried to figure out what each chord was. I had recorded about 400 chords, I think I limited it to only root position at the time. Major, minor, dim, power chords, augmented, sus4, sus2, and diads of every interval combination (aka "harmonic intervals). Once I got good at the basic chords, the rest kind of worked itself out, because I think once you are at that point, you start to hear how the intervals are "stacked" in chords, and some chords just have a very obvious sound (for me, maj7 in drop 2 voicing root position was always unmistakeable because of "Under the Bridge" by RHCP). I think having some emotional connection to certain chords is incredibly helpful, so another tip I have for people is if you have a song that you really love, learn the chords to that by ear, and I think you will find that they stick with you much better than simply trying to learn a song for the sake of ear training.

[@Snarkapotamus]

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.." - Yogi Berra

[@anakina1]

Love Yogisms. You always knew what he meant.

[@MillionthUsername]

I like the one about the popular restaurant in town. Yogi said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

[@ballhawk387]

If the people don't want to come out to the ballpark, nobody's going to stop them.

[@brianohodges]

So i was dogging on your spotify video questioning whether you were really playing these songs on the fly, and I stand corrected. You're awesome dude.

[@cubbysrig]

I learn something every time I come here. Every single time.

[@grahamriedel5043]

Love love love your interval drill training! What a fantastic exercise! I’ve been able to play by ear all my life, but just like practicing an instrument, I can really level up my skills with drills and exercises like this! Thank you!! Just recently discovered your channel @ a week ago. Already gotten so much out of it!

[@AxCYeR]

outstanding performance on figuring out those intervals, while i'm sitting here struggling to distinguish an octave from a fifth hahaha but maybe my ears are just too sensitive to those overtones, you know... ;P

[@robertodeluca9546]

The 7th chord, instead of being seen as a diminished chord, can be seen the dominant 7th chord with the third as a bass note. As you move through the scale in triads, the dominant 7th always resolves back to the tonic chord or I chord.

[@Euphoriasmotion2011]

Playing a G-sus chord automatically gets you into heaven.

[@blcsmith9080]

I read it as "Playing a Jesus chord.." lol.

[@jangeloracoma]

@@blcsmith9080 @AL Byrne is that the secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord?

[@joelbirmann3504]

@@blcsmith9080 that's the joke about it

[@Haveagreatday915]

May I have directions to said G sp erm chord pls.

[@Euphoriasmotion2011]

@@Haveagreatday915 You need directions to a teacher to show you how to write a legible sentence you lazy bastard. How hard is it to write words?