The MOST Important Musical Skill

[@BauKim]

For people who take this to heart and want to then transfer it to your fingers for whatever instrument. here are some exercises I've been doing at home: 1. Play a chord and put it on some kind of repeat, so you have something to play on top of 2. Start from the root note, and sing a 3 to 4 note melody. Then play the exact melody on the instrument. 3. If you want to hit some certain notes but the notes aren't coming to you mentally, try playing a little riff and then sing it back to yourself, and then play it again. Another exercise: 1. Key agnostically just sing the first 2 bars of a popular tune. 2. Try to play it on the instrument. 3. Continue the song. I've been trying to do this about 15 to 30 minutes a day (to an hour if I'm having too much fun), and my ability to find the "right" notes has gone up quite a bit. My ability to also mentally think up new licks and then play them as intended is also going up slowly.

[@stefanstolarchuk5766]

My favorite part of this is your kids singing these tunes and getting them all in the right key off the top of their heads.

[@Zimzamzoom95]

layla didn't get it in the right key. but dylan did, he has perfect pitch

[@javiercisternasnajle]

Yeah! I'm so impressed!

[@Bubu567]

@@Zimzamzoom95 What do you mean? It was in the right key, for the video that she learned the song from.

[@Zimzamzoom95]

@@Bubu567 she was slightly off key

[@JaeCole1]

@@Zimzamzoom95 maybe the exact frequencies weren’t right lol but it was the right key

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Dylan's growing up to be such a rockstar. Love it! ...Very important concept as well.

[@LUCDmusic]

This is why Beethoven is immortal. He composed some of the most amazing pieces in history WHILE HE WAS DEAF.

[@ynotttt]

I’m deaf in 1 ear…..maybe there’s hope!!! Ha!! I always think of that Beethoven thing when I’m struggling.

[@zanderday4466]

but he could hear the music "in his head" - that is the most important part of creating New Music - imh

[@aperson8438]

@@ynotttt hey brian wilson (of the beach boys), arguably one of the most innovative producers and arrangers ever, is deaf in one ear. always has been, so he could never hear his own songs in stereo. listening to the instrumental track for “don’t talk” may give you some hope 😂

[@morpeli-s2z]

Beethoven could also feel the vibrations of his piano

[@MarkPeotter]

Rick says "It's not perfect pitch. It's not relative pitch. It's the ability to take a sound from your mind and make it louder." That's heavy, man! AND, that is exactly the same advice I receive from my Vocal Teacher. She says that our ability to sing ANYTHING comes from this skill.

[@pe1er1]

This is such a difficult task for me. I can sing starts of melodies etc, but I find it very difficult to hear anything in my head! It's like my brain is connected to my voice, if vocalcords is whispering/quiet then my head is pitchless!!

[@nathanielfaerman]

@@pe1er1 Interesting, I have a similar problem, but with visualisation, rather than audiation. I can hear any instrument or timbre in my head, but I can’t visualise even simple things. I know, what they look like, but I cant „see“ them.

[@dubbs733]

Rick has got to be the coolest dad out there! How lucky are his kids to have him and be able to grow up with him and learn from his vast wealth of knowledge!

[@AimeeNolte]

I could sit here and listen to Rick’s kids sing melodies all day.

[@pringelsthegamefreak]

Lol

[@JustPlaneStupid69]

Not gonna lie homegirl, same

[@DrVonNostrand]

I couldn't.

[@finn9000]

Creepy af

[@alex0589]

They're like mini super heroes who dont know the full scale of their powers yet.

[@RICKRATT1]

I’m a musician and always assumed everyone could do this . Amazing stuff Rick, this why I love and value your channel.

[@mikemogul2263]

Taking a cue from Rick Beato, my first child's name will be BucketHead.

[@Bldyiii]

ThatsRaidillonActually am I saying this right: “Balsac the Jaws of Death?”

[@elisabethseaton6521]

Will your second kid be Meatloaf?

[@theraven6836]

mike mogul Gonna insist my first grandchild is called Leadbelly.

[@d.c.8828]

@@theraven6836 Absolute legend!

[@davidstair9657]

My old dog was named Lars.

[@cacophonyguitar]

Absolutely. Ear training is more about translating the head sound on your instrument. A lot of people can sing it but not put it on their instrument. So there's nothing wrong with the ears. It's just the mapping of the note on instrument. Great video to demonstrate this. :)

[@RCAvhstape]

Adam Neely has talked about audiation before as well. I've always done this in my head, and always assumed everyone else does, too. Translating it to my instrument is a bit harder, though.

[@abhisheknautiyal8877]

Yeah when you have no music theory knowledge like me but i manage to play solos somehow

[@cacophonyguitar]

Abhishek Nautiyal Agree. In fact I always see my self confused when I get into the theory of these things. Probably bad in the long run.

[@ffggddss]

Making it easier to translate to your instrument just takes increased familiarity with your instrument. So just work at that, and the rest will come. Fred

[@michaelscott356]

Every time your son demonstrates his perfect pitch, it breaks my heart. a) because I'm so happy for him that he HAS that skill, and b) because you've told us that no matter how hard we work at it we can never LEARN this. (I had "acquiring perfect pitch", in retirement, on my bucket list! 😂)

[@secretmission7607]

@@michaelscott356 But great RELATIVE pitch is way more useful than 'perfect pitch' (really, absolute pitch) and that CAN be developed.

[@davidcochran6291]

In answering deadstar44 below, I woke up in the middle of a dream and I was singing the notes to a song I'd never heard, or thought I'd never heard, coming out of my mouth. I remembered the verse melody and part of the transition to the chorus. I kept humming to myself all day, gradually it faded from direct memory. About 6 months later I was walking by a house on a street where I live, when out of an open window I heard that tune. I am not shy when it comes to something that has been driving me crazy. So I knocked on the door where the music was coming from an attractive lady a little older that I was, this is probably 20 years ago I'm 68 now, answered the door. I apologized and told her the story and finally I asked for the name of the song. She said that is Billy Joel, and the name of the song is, "And So It Goes" from his 'Live' album in Russia. Now while I am a fan Billy Joel's early stuff I had not listened to anything past his first double album of greatest hits. So now I had I heard this before in a situation where it would have been passive listening, like walking through a mall, or had I heard it and just forgot, to this day I do not know. So to end this, I think the music you listen to can trigger some sort of ability to have an idea for a song, or whatever you find interesting. I've read where engineers will have ideas come to them in sleep mode so why not music. By the way that Billy Joel remains one of my favorites, and if I'm wandering by an idle piano anywhere devoid of humans I'll sit down and play and sing it. I've been 'caught' a few times and got a few "that was nice" comments. Sorry about the ramble, but my Mom said I started talking at 14 mos. and I haven't stopped since.

[@juanoliveiraguitar]

Nice story! There is an incredible version of this tune by Jill Seifers and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Jill was an amazing singer who sadly took her own life a few years ago

[@OrionHellraiser]

I'm a self taught guitar player, I never even had idea about the notes I was playing, all i cared was for me to sound right, whenever I play a song it's not like thinking about the next note, it's about jamming with the song that I can clearly hear in my head. I got a song stuck from just hearing it once from my dad, I pulled it on guitar and some years later I played it for my dad so he could tell me which song it was, it was "Apache" from The Shadows, and I swear I got every note right and remembered very well just by listening to it once. that's one of my skills I love the most

[@Mr.CrackZapIt]

Enjoy the blessing!

[@mercydominickalio7183]

Orion Hellraiser Fuck! This is me!!!! Like, ME! Self taught too. Exactly my situation

[@criddycriddy]

Me too, 30 years and I still don’t know the chords by name 😀

[@criddycriddy]

Fantastic what a great idea

[@sonibraun4971]

@@criddycriddy But does it work for you? I feel people without some basic music theory really miss out.

[@redmed10]

Music stays with you all your life. There are 3 or 4 songs or pieces of music that I've loved at an earlier point in my life that I've completely forgotten the identity of but have later on in life come across them again and recognised them straight away. It's one of the joys of music. Certain bits of music just become a part of you.

[@eggbass]

This is how I was always able to learn songs on bass. If I heard it in my head I could play it.

[@davidshepherd445]

Me too! When people ask me do I know how to play a song on bass, I say yes if I can hear it in my head, even if I've never played it before.

[@jimandlizhudson2501]

Me too....on most instruments.

[@65micheal]

My band director said, “if you can sing it you can play it”. That hasn’t failed me for 45 years since I heard that. So much truth in this video.

[@GeorgeSPAMTindle]

As a young kid I believed that we had record players inside our heads and that we can listen to any song we know just by playing that record on the turntable in our head. I have been told that I could whistle recognizable tunes before I could speak, which apparently my mum found very embarrassing. I was regarded as being a weird child.

[@JohannesSteinray]

As a musician composer this has always been my go to method. I actually developed it based on wanting to one day be able to play piano bebop solos without reference to learned scales, like many great singers do, the ones that doesn’t know much about music theory.. it honestly took me many years but I love the fact that most of my solos and even chords comes from a choice made by ear and not by “oh I can use a Dorian here and an 8 tone scale there. Writing orchestra music I have similarly learned to hear the choice of instruments in my inner ear/mind before putting anything down on paper, and yes it’s not developed over night, but it’s a true joy to work with music this way and being quite independent of theory in both writing and performing.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Dylan and Layla. .. yeah, you're a musician! Great video, thanks for sharing your insights!

[@SimonJohnOwen]

At least he didn't call his kids Rimsky and Korsakov

[@TheSnos15]

this is one person

[@seantracey6968]

I was just thinking that. His favourite songwriter and favourite rock song maybe.

[@notalcno9]

I believe he has a child named Lennon too.

[@PianoHooks]

Absolutely Rick! To audiate and intonate is crucial to being able to play/sing what we want. That is what my whole piano course is all about. I used to teach how I learned; by brute force of memorizing and playing over and over, and focusing on reading notes. Focusing on HEARING the music is ABSOLUTELY the MOST IMPORTANT skill! Thank you for this!!!

[@micheleparker8123]

Exactly!!! There have been times in my life when I had no access to music and out of desperation, would go through a whole song in my head, including the parts with no words, or instrumentals; or when I'm trying to think of a song/name of a song I have to sing the parts I remember until my mind/memory catches the rest of the song, and THEN it all comes back to me. 😀

[@CiscoDuck]

Rick, this video just reinforces something I was taught first from my father who was a great musician - and many times over the years by various people whom I connected with in a musical way; many of them as musicians I worked with and others I met who told me over and over like so many others before dating back to my Pops, "The most important musical skill is that of listening & hearing." I asked all of them what they meant, and the response was to really listen to each musical composition or piece with my real ears. In other words to really hear the song. As a tot I heard songs like 'Sleep Walk', 'Tequila' and other tunes that caught my young ear and stuck in my mind; eventually getting down in my heart - LONG before I ever touched a mysical instrument and LONG before I even had a recognizable desire to even play. I could sing those notes out, pretty much in time and in very close to key or pitch. A decade later when learning to play the guitar I could still sing out those notes to the songs but I was a disaster when it came to attempting to play those tunes. I couldn't find my butt with either hand as the saying goes. I couldn't even approximate the rhythm much less the melody. Eventually my musical skills caught up with my already mentally processed familiararity with those tunes but I had to learn to hear what I had already present in my head - I had to re-listen to what I had heard as a youngster. Then I could discover where those tunes were on the guitar. It took years to recognize all of that but over and over I came to the same crossroads as I was learning many songs I had heard as a kid, songs that I really dug, and ones that made an indellible impression on me - so much so they worked their way into my psyche, etched upon my mind and dear to my heart. Over the years I learned thousands of songs - just by ear. How was I able to learn so many songs without the benefit of formal musical training or having copies of the sheet music? Simply by listening and really hearing the songs. Over fifty years have come and gone and after learning many things about music, listening and hearing are still the most important skills I ever developed and they appeared long before I ever showed any aptitude to play an instrument.

[@SendilSelvan]

This is perhaps the most vital lesson for those of us ‘searching for that sound’. Thank you Master Rick

[@dcool2u2]

I use this when I need to learn any song for my cover band. Before I even pick up the guitar or sit at the keyboard I'll listen to the song multiple times so all the parts, the intro, verses, chorus, vocals, are in my head. Makes it so much easier and faster to learn.

[@jonthecomposer]

Another great video!!! I agree. I was going to say "listen," but that's all part of what you are talking about. Because you have to listen (in your mind) to what you are imagining in order to bring it out. And in direct opposite of that, you must listen in order to internalize anything you hear with your ears. I taught myself listening early on because I used to be obssessive about getting things correct as a kid. So instead of hearing something and approximating it and saying, "That's good enough," sometimes I'd take hours (back before I had any actual ear training) and listen over and over and over ad infinitum until what I played matched. The great thing was it was all self-taught with no reference point. In other words, I "toughed it out" with a trial-and-error approach until I'd gotten good enough that it started just coming to me. Then once I learned intervals, it was easy. It literally helped EVERYTHING. It helped intonation, playing songs, writing songs, transcribing, memorization, everything. Music is all relative. There is ALWAYS a correlation somewhere no matter how melodious, dissonant, or atonal. And once you start to recognize the landscape of the building blocks of music, you can appreciate more greatly how things relate, diverge, cooperate, clash, harmonize, and convey emotion/meaning.

[@jfo3000]

I also learned a lot of music by ear. I tried to teach myself guitar from 1972 to 74 and actually learned solos note for note, by ear, before TAB, instructional videos, the Web, as we all did back then. Such a valuable experience. I believe that helped me develop strong audiation. I've named songs in two notes, and even one note at public events. I hear that one note and my mind jumps through the entire song to the end in a fraction of a second. I'm sure many can do this, but it always amazes me. But I don't do it, my brain does it, I just listen.

[@jonthecomposer]

That's awesome! I do that too with songs. And the more I like the song, the easier it is to do. My favorite song, A Whiter Shade of Pale, is like that. As soon as I hear that first E from the organ on the original, I know instantly. It's amazing what the brain can do.

[@simpleeye7950]

Dylan described the audiation process really well! That's exactly what it feels like. Perfect pitch operates like that too, how you hum a pitch seemingly out of thin air. Each pitch is a book on a shelf that you pull down and open up at will.

[@PaulWelsh]

I can never think of superman's theme after hearing star wars! Impressive talent

[@BenjaminGessel]

Those two melodies begin rather similarly, yes...

[@reggiejones6999]

Rick, I can not get over the wealth of talent, knowledge, and ability to entertain. I think you are genuis. Thanks. I just discovered you a few weeks ago

[@JPLodine]

I basically have a few hundred albums "recorded" in my head that I can play at will -- typically I do this as I sing to myself while working on the lawn or in the workshop, painting the house etc. I'll sing a record (say, any of my dozen favorite Sinatra albums :-) ) in order, with each song in its proper key, or at least in the right key relative to what came before. I don't have perfect pitch but do have a strong pitch memory -- if I notice that I don't hear all of the orchestra stuff in my head, I'll realize that I'm not in the right key and will hunt around up & down a few half steps until I find where the "recording" resonates. Once I have that, I'll sing the whole thing with the right key transitions from song to song, and I'll hear all of the orchestra parts along with my vocals. I thought everyone could do this, but I guess that's not the case. Btw, Aimee Nolte makes this same point all the time: you really want to know what a note or phrase will sound like coming from your instrument BEFORE you play it -- otherwise you really can't improvise. Great video as always, Rick (and Dylan)!

[@angelocast]

I got that skill (IS A GIFT)...and I almost let it go without use...but not anymore! This help me to create my songs...most of the songs I create started like a "melody singing to my ear"

[@russell_szabados]

It’s great to hear you identify and explain this skill, Rick. I don’t have perfect pitch, but I do use the first chord of a number of songs as pitch references - songs I’ve heard countless times. For example, I use the 1st chord of Highway to Hell for an A. Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song for G. Sweet Home Alabama for D, Tom Sawyer by Rush for E, etc. Thanks for exploring this!

[@psychlos21]

We just experienced this with our guitarist during rehearsal. My son and I pointed out that he was playing the wrong notes and as we sang it back to him, he immediately locked in playing it correctly. I do agree that the ability to audiate is definitely something that can be cultivated over time with practice and repetition. So glad I found this video.

[@FrankRideausonore]

The most important musical skill is the hair.

[@tonyiommi2380]

I wanted to start playing guitar my I looked in the mirror and remembered that I'm bald - fucked

[@mrgone658]

I think Joe Satriani would disagree.

[@TS-gn2wy]

LMFAO!

[@SkylarLux]

Maynard James Keenan disagrees 😂

[@aussie_philosopher8079]

Hahaha that's awesome

[@simpleeye7950]

You are spot on Rick about audiation/imagination. It's a really great skill that can set the stage for musical/ ear development. I like to listen to things and then listen them play in my head.

[@Armov]

Literally say this to my students every day.

[@MacyZC55]

Part of what Rick explained reminded me of how I unconsciously apply this when I practice speaking/reading on the foreign language I’m learning! Loved it!

[@JeffreyGold]

When I was in Cambridgeshire, I remember a famous English composer telling me that half the great composers had perfect pitch and the other half had relative pitch, and that having relative pitch was not a disadvantage-in fact, it is more versatile, because people with perfect pitch can be _discombobulated_ by a piece not being in the right key.

[@Cr8Tron]

Maybe not "discombobulated", but I think even people with relative pitch can be at least "bothered" by music after it's been transposed. I know it often bothers me. I'm definitely never off by more than a semitone, when tested without a reference. Perhaps even more accurate than that. But I'm pretty sure perfect pitch implies something more like being able to never be off by more than 10 cents?

[@johnhaller7017]

If you can audiate (hear in your head) then relative pitch is all you need. The intervals in your head can be transposed if you need to later. The trick is to recognise when your mind is receptive to hearing the inner Music. Generally when you are doing something like jogging or walking or even washing the dishes. During these times you have to switch your attention to your inner ear and then you will hear the"youv'e got mail" in the form of whatever music is coming through at that moment.

[@JeffreyGold]

LOL. Well, I struggled to find the right word, and when I tried to suss out the nuance to the word *discombobulated,* it stated _disconcert or confuse_ (and _confuse_ need not have the permanence we usually attribute to it). The origin of word in the mid 19th century was likely based on _discompose_ (disturb or agitate) and _discomfit_ (feel uneasy), which I thought were equally apt.

[@Cr8Tron]

@@JeffreyGold I wasn't trying to point out any misuse of your words (I wasn't even implying such). You used "discombobulated" to describe peoples' experience with PERFECT pitch, and I just wanted to point out that I can still perhaps relate, even with only RELATIVE pitch. I was only suggesting the milder word "bothered" to describe a relative-pitch person like myself, as I didn't want to come off like I was downplaying the severity of a perfect-pitch person's negative experience.

[@JeffreyGold]

@Cr8Tron No worries. I totally got you. :-) I did use it as an opportunity to delve even more into the nuance. Regarding your other note: As a relative pitch man myself, I have absolutely no idea of what you speak. LOL (I just tested myself again to see if I have transcended to perfect pitch, and I have not.)

[@alcondragon]

Rick, great video. I have 2 friends that were grads from MIT( wait, not true, 1 grad the other dropped out after 2 years took a job) in Boston (actually Cambridge). This was something we have discussed for 30 years. I always contended that memory is a file system within our brain, because I could always pull (such as your son Dylan) either sound or video. I could see a movie or memory as if video were playing in my head. Any movie scene that I saw once, or like in high-school band, all I needed was to see the sheet music once and i would retain and then always be able to recall it. I never needed the music in parades and I always knew the order of play. Same as in stage band. (And-while always tuning) In band I played the Tuba and stage band guitar. I always had perfect pitch, and didn't need to tune to any machine, I was always tested on it. Both my friends that were grads went on into computer science and have done very well, we only talk 2 to 3 times a year now as life takes its travels, they are both on the west coast. My point here is YOU...Rick!..... Every one of your videos touches a base of the past, the present and the future. You are like sitting with an old friend and talking and discussing life from within the Musical Realm!....I can't thank you enough for the memories that you have reopened and brought back to the surface.........As well as YOU being responsible for what no one else could do, get me back into Music Theory.....Mr. Rick Beato, may you continue to be blessed and teach, the doors you open to so many now a million or more. God Bless Rick! ENjoy!

[@wishnewsky]

Fun and important scientific fact: people audiate music at 2x speed of the original (as you can see in this video as well). No idea why though

[@enkiea8322]

Wow, I've always noticed I do that. Never realized everyone did. Cool.

[@MatthewHarnage]

I don't know either but I do it sometimes to remind myself of the next part. So say I remember the verse but not the chorus. I'd audiate twice as fast through the verse to jog my memory, or I guess go get my book of the shelf. ;)

[@alex0589]

I think i can do 8x, just like a dvd player!

[@pebblenapkins]

you need to be born with perfect tempo. Jk idk

[@justgivemethetruth]

so you can catch up with yourself.

[@davesteel7513]

First, thanks Rick. Your videos are always a treat. Second - cute kids and they are as musical as their father. What you're talking about here is the primary auditory cortex. It is a clear and separate part of the brain. Even stroke victims can still recognize songs and can often sing the melody. Keep up the great work.

[@baconair]

When I write music I always imagine the tune in my head, where it brews for some time. Days or weeks later I have a complete song in my head, almost without me thinking about it. With harmonies, base, rhytm, feel, everything. At this point it's for me to decide if the tune is decent enough to record it. I have multiple ideas brewing at the same time. Sometimes they feed into each other, merge, and two tunes become one. Kinda cool. I'm just a "transcriber" really.

[@johnulrich5572]

At first I was sceptical so I thought I would test myself. I haven't played Mozart's Marriage of Figaro Overture in over 55 years since I was in high school orchestra. But I must have played it a thousand time rehearsing and preacticing my part for E-flat alto clarinet. So I tried to bring up a memory of it in my inner ear and then I hummed it. I thought to myself, I may have the relative pitches of the notes right but probably I'm not in the right key - maybe close, but not perfect. I then played a recoding of the piece on youtube and it blew me away. I was spot on. I was amazed. Thanks Rick.

[@almundeyes]

the inner ear thing is something i naturally had since i was a kid but frankly i thought everybody could do it

[@andsalomoni]

It is imagination, and everbody has it. If it is not musical, it is visual or any other sense. You can even have smell imagination.

[@justsomeguy892]

@@andsalomoni Actually, not everybody has it. Most do, but some can't imagine music, and some can't imagine images or smells or tastes either. Some can't do any of those.

[@justsomeguy892]

@@andsalomoni I can do all of them but sound is by far the most vivid and realistic for me.

[@khaled7stars]

me too

[@Miamia_01]

Same here, I didn’t think it was unusual. This is also why it can be so annoying to have a whole library of songs running through your mind when you don’t want them to. F. ex baby shark on repeat😂 my tonal memory is very good and I learn songs fast.

[@justingutube]

I love this. I'll never forget when I was a kid driving somewhere and my father and he taught me rhythm. He told me to tap the center console with the beat to whatever song was on the radio, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I was way off initially, but he was very patient and i caught on. Eventually he patiently showed me how to listen to the beat and by the time we got to our destination I was tapping the console to the beat of every song. I will never forget that and it was a lesson many people still don't know as years go by, how to follow a beat. I love this Rick, nice work.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

The rhythm feel is so hard to get.. anyone can learn to play scales.. play fast.. But you have to know where to play on the beat, and even more so when and how behind the beat - if you´re into rock or blues

[@wienerwoods]

Listening is the most important cognitive skill a musician has. Close listening.

[@TS-gn2wy]

It's the most important skill in life. Thanks for reminding me! 😎

[@ferox965]

Absolutely. Without a developed ear, you don't make it to practicing an instrument.

[@mrridikilis]

Werd!

[@j74s98]

When I tried to learn to play bass as a 16 year old, I had a brilliant guitar teacher. I never practiced and eventually sold my bass. But what he taught me, and what I still do today, is to listen. When I hear music now I separating bass, drums, keys, guitar, vocals, everything. Then I can understand why I like the song or dislike the song.

[@s4lroachclip]

There have been a great deal of deaf musicians that proved otherwise. I knew this guy that played guitar completely amazing, and was gigging, but he had to have someone else keep his guitar tuned because he, like me need a needle to tell me not my ear.

[@markmanczuk3458]

This segment is fantastic! I have told my students over the years-“if you can sing it...you can play it.” Many of the musical traditions from Africa and Asia require you to sing are transmitted via oral tradition. Good stuff Rick...we should chat sometime. Be glad to share my experiences on learning tabla as it relates to this...

[@007380]

I thought everyone could do this. I'm 63 and I can't remember not being able to do this.

[@palliaskamen5722]

The problem is, getting songs OUT of your head, like Dancing Queen by ABBA.

[@theoneleggedchef]

Just curious, are you a fellow musician? I've been obsessed with playing guitar for 34 years now...

[@mackhomie6]

I doubt that, Roger. you have perfect pitch and didnt realize it?

[@wiltisdabest]

@@mackhomie6 this isn't perfect pitch most people remember familiar songs in the right key in their head. If they have training with the voice they usually sing it in the right key too or very close.

[@mackhomie6]

@@wiltisdabest i haven't found that to be the case, and "very close" being á half step? two steps? also, the kid has perfect pitch.

[@fionaottley4976]

It's like a recording of the performance I know best, in toto. All the instruments, the vocalists actual voice. I can literally hear it in my mind.

[@temporarymomentary]

What makes this song great - King Crimson

[@MrBorderlands123]

As long as Fripp is around, that's not happening.

[@abisamraj4408]

Are you have a fox

[@mattmarkus4868]

TempuS truth

[@abisamraj4408]

Are you all women or lesbians kind of guy good to know that you are a musician

[@giovannicerva5522]

You are very wise black Phillip.

[@michaelstellajr3931]

Greetings my friend. I hope you and your family are well. Your video brought back to me an old adage that I learned from my music academy days: "If you can't sing it, you can't play it." That phrase has stuck with me over the years. It's a "truism" in just about every way one can imagine. And I think it is the essence of the musical truth that you're trying to unlock. Hope you might think so too. Thank you for introducing us to your beautiful children. They truly are a blessing to you in more ways than you can shake off an Eb Minor 9th arpeggio over a Db progression with a Diminished Mu Chord, based on a Db Dorian modal configuration. So to speak. Lolo. And they are wicked smart too. Wow!! What ears they have!! Awesomely beautiful children. You've done an absolutely fantastic job with them. And you should hear that once in a while. Every father does. Even from a complete stranger. But in all sincerity. You truly are a lucky man, to have so many positive things going on for you. Your music, the studio you put together, which looks to me like something out of a dream, your playing, your harmonic styles, analytic skills, your teaching approaches and methods, which all combine to form an organic whole that will knock you off your chair just about every time. You truly are fortunate, with all the things that have materialized for you. But I'm sure that you already know that (I'm not saying that you lead a "charmed life" or anything like that, either. I'm sure you've worked extremely hard to get to where you are musically. Those skills are slowly and steadily honed over many years of study, practice and just plain old hard work, and a compilation of blood, sweat, passion, toil and pain. But you already know that too). And sticking with something after you've made your commitment to it. That might just be the most difficult part. I've rarely found an artist for whom everything just simply happened by chance. Almost never. Even the greatest players (Miles, Coltrane, and including such notables as Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Steve Lukather and the like, have struggled at some phase of their career. It happens even to the best of the best. I do tend to "Ramble On." Which I think is a fantastic musical composition, studio recording and performance, We truly enjoy what you do on your videos. Wishing many and most abundant blessings to you and your family. So glad to see everything come together for a guy such as yourself, as you appear to me to be deserving of all the blessings that have come your way. Truly. Amen amen amen!!

[@MiataTravels]

I love the variety of thing you come up with, Rick. Stimulating!

[@jamesnudell4190]

sir . you are a really goood father figure and a great grandpa. love watching you. I've been a music teacher for 3 decades and have played viola in the Spokane Symphony back in the 80's as a prodigy turned into street kid meets L.A in the 80's then Seattle in the 90's. Guitar mostly

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Very cool episode, Rick!

[@rylanhudson9319]

What if I told you Rick owns a bass? I bet your statement would change.

[@cartermartin2887]

HE FUCKED UP THE VOCALS

[@audiolego]

Very cool

[@ottmarsoulier7432]

Dear Rick, your son does have perfect pitch. Recognize that immediately. My son and I also. Tuning a guitar without device 440! This you can also practice and condition by imprinting first notes from favorite songs. Hearing well... listening preferably, to oneself.....even more to fellow musicians is probably the most important thing there is in making music. Especially in improvised settings. Nice video Rick, great message! Cheers

[@Oilid]

I got this skill. Sometimes I hear wonderful pieces of music... but I'm too lazy to work on it! It would be so great if a piece of gear were invented to record into our inner ears!!!

[@alex0589]

i think you mean to record our thoughts, cause recording your inner ear is exactly what a microphone is trying to do, just without the bones and liquid slushing around ahah yuck

[@Oilid]

ha ha

[@mcclendonreport]

Now you are getting to the essence of music. This is your BEST EPISODE.

[@thomaskelly2040]

SHOCKING! Rick Beato uploaded a video at 10:30pm Sunday night. It's important I will watch!

[@bretolson8484]

This is why gear matters. I listened to a lot of things on crappy stereos, with crappy speakers. Quality breeds quality. If we cannot hear with fidelity what is being done, we cannot do it right, let alone truly enjoy it. I’m so grateful to have my faculties 🙏 Thank you for this, Mr. B !!!

[@lphilpot01]

Many times I'll find myself on a drive and instead of listening to music on the stereo, I'll "play" tune after tune, completely, in my head. I can even hear things I couldn't figure out (to play) but when I get home and try to replicate on it guitar, it's gone. :-\

[@RCAvhstape]

This happens to me in the shower. By the time I towel off and get to my instrument it's gone. Like trying to remember a dream fives minutes after you wake up, so frustrating.

[@lphilpot01]

Helium Road exactly. It's in my head until I play the first note on the guitar and it vanishes. I can 't hold onto it.

[@gyurko]

Haha YES! I've been doing this for some time now, and often it is more "pleasurable" to listen to the song inside my head than the actual song itself! Haha!

[@bobparsonsartist564]

My early guitar teacher was teaching me to play Little Rock Getaway. He said can you hear the melody in your head? I said yeah. He said , you need a way to translate that into audible notes...can you hum it or whistle it. I found I could whistle it. Then, having the sound out in the open I could find the notes on the guitar. One thing, “singing “ the phrase will do, well two things is: It will give you I the amount of notes and the timing of the notes within the phrase, even if your pitches are off.

[@wesleyAlan9179]

Len Philpot ...hahaha, me too, happens all the time!

[@allancrow134]

When I first started learning guitar licks off records(decades ago when records were a thing) it was a labour-intensive process. Eventually, I just started memorizing the guitar licks and the music in my mind's ear and I didn't need the record. I did however have to listen to the piece until it was in my DNA. The more I liked a particular song the easier it was. I became a very focused listener.

[@SamyakJainMusician]

You are the best rick..! Love from 🇮🇳 India

[@topquark22]

I can audiate everything I've ever heard, including Beethoven's entire 9th Symphony, Bach fugues with each line discriminated, etc. Ususally in the correct key, although I don't have absolute pitch as defined by Rick Beato. It's an incredible ability to have.

[@ihavetubes]

The MOST Important Musical Skill Is...............persistence.

[@aidanschram9652]

Is that really a skill tho?

[@Waltzhybrid92]

Yeah very musical.

[@ingridayarza]

@@aidanschram9652 I think so. You have to cultivate it.

[@HBSuccess]

That’s critical in getting the gig - but once you’re hired, above all else (even above persistence) you have to be able to work easily with people. Being professional- on time, no excuses, low maintenance, self-contained, and FLEXIBLE, especially when things are not going well for a gig or a production. That’s way more important than talent unless you’re one of the elite few headliners who can get away (for a short time) being prima donnas because they can fill classical concert halls or rock arenas. For the other 99.999% of the folks lucky enough to make a living in the music industry it’s about the relationships you make over years and decades. Burn even one bridge and it could take a lifetime to get another opportunity.

[@trydigama3]

ihavetubes i thing discipline would be more important

[@christopherpayne8776]

this is hands down my favorite articulation of this idea. aimee nolte addressed this in a slightly different way talking about imagining melodies in modes and whatnot. but never from that video did i get the impression that this was something ANYBODY can do. very encouraging. liked.

[@thejasonknightfiascoband5099]

If I ever have kids I hope I have a similar musical relationship w/ them.

[@arkansaswookie]

Joe Pass!!! Nice call out to the legend Mr.Beato. Joe Pass & Carole Kaye "Black Cat" that song knocked the hair off my scalp. On another note; You're a great father for sharing your gift of music with your kids.

[@lisawanderess]

I don’t know how many gigs of RAM I have in my brain for thousands of songs: the lyrics, melody, base lines & harmonies but its a LOT! My kids always joke “Mum do you have a song for everything?” because I’ll hear someone say something and start singing a song that phrase brought up in my brain. My daughter once phoned me asking “Mum, I know you’ll know this but whats that song that goes ba, ba, bah bah, ba, ba ba bupah?” And instantly I replied “Thats Bronski Beat’s Smalltown Boy” 😂

[@hectorjayala]

Really, Rick, you have changed my LIFE. No price, no way to tell you how much I Thank YOU.

[@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN]

This is in-part exactly how I learned how to make music from a framework of the mix of artists I enjoy and take inspiration from. Perfect explanation.

[@novacadian4745]

Such wonderful children, Rick! The brief interaction on the video supported what had been my thought for a while now... that you truly are a nice guy and as it turns out a loving father.

Hey Rick! Digging your videos a lot. I guess you are familiar with Edwin Gordon's music learning theory? He basically outlined the whole process of how to teach music through audiation. I was working for 2 years in a music school which principal was very into this and it has also helped me develop more my own 'ear'. I remember having this friend in primary music school who was able to play anything by ear, reharmonize it or play a small invention based on it. I used to think that is some cosmic skill you randomly get from the universe. Now I know that anyone can learn it! Of course the earlier you start, the better. But as I've been learning music since I was 7 years old, only around my 18th year of living I realized I lack the skill of AUDIATION! But thanks to some open minded people I met on my way I started to also develop this ability and now, for example, I rarely need any sheets for the music I play. I just ask someone to play it for me or I learn from a recording. Actually I don't know why I've mentioned all of this, just wanted to tell you about Edwin Gordon and say hello. Thanks again for your classy content :)

[@CanopyFlyer150]

This video and Bobby McFerin's video on the pentatonic scale should both be required watching for a neuro researchers and students. Stunning demonstration of the human mind. Spectacularly good video Rick.

[@maxkaledin3462]

I have been a bass player for almost 10 years. This is a story of how I learned the piano. On my last job there was wonderful electric piano. Being a terrible ping-pong player (this was a natural option to spend time during lunch break), I found myself on this instrument. Time was tight, about 30 minutes every day, so I did not even think about printing scores and trying to play them (or it was just my laziness :) ). The framework was simple: I had in mind some tunes (musical themes, songs) and some idea about chords. So I applied my knowledge and translation skill. I just started playing on the piano! I had never ever played it, only had theoretical understanding. I started to use my translation and memory to continue with that. In the evening I watched some youtube video, or a film, or listening to jazzFM. In the lunch time the most impressive tunes were sounding from the piano. JUST after hearing it several times! On the instrument I have never played! Easily combining two hands with a melody and chords/arpeggios. The progress was amazing. Practise is essential to adsorb techniques in the hands. However there is no mechanical practice which could be as effective as pure exploration of your musical memory and trying to transcribe the ideas you heard.

[@xyzyzx1253]

Maxim Kaledin this is encouraging thank you!

[@MichaelEBeard]

The ability to audiate is the most important musical skill. Thanks for sharing Rick.

[@nicktaylor5264]

I always though that the theme from Star Wars was basically Born Free (about lions and such) upside down.

[@PhilBusby]

More of this philosophy of music please. If anyone else is making videos like this, please list as reply. It is so important to consider these aspects and I cannot get enough of them. Thank you Mr Beato.

[@russellworkman9262]

doesn't everyone's brain do this? sad. I still remember feeling delighted when I was about 7 or 8 years old and realizing I could instantly "hear" any song I wanted to just by thinking of it. Was it as exciting as actually listening to it? no. But it really kind of amazed me that I could do this at will, because I really liked music.

[@DBLRxyz]

This is definitely something valuable in mastering. Simple yet highly effective. This is how I have been able to translate my favorite artists methods of drum loops to chord progressions laying tightly under some other instruments in more experimental music.

[@poopypanysou812]

When I listen to an album a few times, I can hear the next songs intro in pitch and time and hear it's dynamics....Only in the space before it plays. I'm not sure but can't everybody do this?

[@ephraim9367]

Exactly, me too

[@joemorgan1854]

Thank you, Rick, for talking about the developed skill to audiate. Just a few years ago, I had to realize this on my own as the reason I got sloppy or was fuzzy or had a bad day in terms of execution. None of the countless teachers I'd taken from over decades ever broached this idea. I've been teaching my voice students that it's almost certainly not a physical issue when they're having trouble - it's a matter of not audiating. Hear it, and get out of your own way.

[@brentmoore3778]

Rick just wanted to thank you for the wealth of information you have laid on us I couldn't message you on you're live s'

[@RickBeato]

Why is that Brent? If you can message here you can message there.

[@rebluecrow]

I completely agree with the subject. Audiation is a natural thing one develops when learning to speak and has to be developed for music. A key ability for improvisation.

[@victorwilburn8588]

I think even before that, listening is the most important skill for a musician, especially an ensemble musician.

[@paulquigley8576]

Listening is most important skill in life, listening to everything, everyone, and each other... Been listening to some improvisation recordings, thinking, why didn't I repeat that bit ? It's totally different listening back than it is while playing it, or, making it up as I hear it, or, the other way round, or something, or ghosts controlling thought...

[@dariuszwolanin997]

I thought for many years that vai, satrani are my idols. From today Rick Beato is my idol. Best regards, Darek

[@chrisa7498]

So here's the question. I can hear a song, seemingly almost perfectly in my head, but when I try to sing/hum it, it doesn't come out right, often, because I am not a good singer. Getting it from head to voice can often disrupt what the song sounds like. It's usually easier for me to go from head straight to guitar. So the question is, how does one take advantage of that shortcoming? I'm not sure how singing out the parts of a song, if not in pitch, or close to pitch, helps someone because without being close to pitch, you can mess up what the song sounds like, intervals excepted perhaps. Does that make sense? It's so frustrating because my 10 year old daughter has an amazing singing voice, but probably mostly because she's a songbird and has been singing all day every day since she was born....likely inherited from my wife who has a very good singing voice.

[@MrKittles1123]

This is really important and it can take a long time to be aware of it enough to start consciously using it. It’s amazing how obvious it is when it dawns on a person, but it eludes many.

[@AaronLaFalce]

great vid, brother. i love that you incorporate the kids.

[@yurik1068]

That little kids awesome, with his perfect pitch and is very musical. I love it whenever his in the show.

[@MarkZabel]

Spot on! But why is there such a resistance to do this? Wish all of my students would take this to heart.

[@mkivy]

Hey sir, I really enjoy ur expertise and experience....love Layla’s name...Eric Clapton original! I’m an old Rocker from the sixties seventies and early eighties life...I toured mostly the east coast with Charlie Daniels and Nazareth...and yes I lived the rockers life. I was a lead guitar player N lead singer....I also wrote most of the music. I was classically trained from age 8-12 the the Beatles when I was nine and that was the change in my music 🎼 taste, but when I heard Hendrix, the Doors, and especially Cream, I begged for an electric guitar...I am impressed with ur experienced...I wish there had been classic guitar colleges around me when I was 17 in 1972...but my parents couldn’t afford it...so...I wrote music practiced, and formed my first band 1969...the drum auditions was Wipe out and the guitar auditions were “Sunshine of ur love”, they had to be able to play the drums and guitar parts...I hired most bass players bc they were hard to find...my first PA was a Altec Lansing and Shure Sm57 mics. I still remember saving up and buying a Wine Colored Les Paul...hard shell case “included!” But soon learned my short stubby fingers couldn’t reach the high end register. I then bought an SG and the rest is history...(which I have a degree In). later sir...as I said , I’m very impressed with ur resume, and life experience...and u play very well....bless u and ur beautiful family....my 4 kids changed my life...got me off the road and a world who knows how it would of ended bc I was totally a rock star 💫 well not really but I drank a heck of a lot like a Rock Star...Mr Daniels paid for our beer which was brought to us not by hand but buy hand-truck- lol, those were the days...hard to believe I survived it...so many did t and or earned early deaths...I’ve had kidney Cancer and now Heart disease...one of them will finish me. Enjoy these times with ur family. Now that I’m a Grand-father, I just adore those kids...but I miss my kids. I can close my eyes 👀 and remember the days when they were small! Relish these times. U only get one chance per kid...and they are beautiful and talented like their father...thank u for the time...sorry I “Ramble On”....

[@russell_szabados]

Mike Ivy: you’re not rambling, you’re sharing and I enjoyed reading it. All the best my man. 👍

[@jstnxprsn]

We're almost exactly the same age and had many similar experiences, it seems, and we're still both here to reminisce about them. Peace brother. Keep on rockin' the free world.

[@elisabethseaton6521]

I usually don't read really long comments, but I read yours to the end. I was 26 in 1972 and the music was amazing. ( I remember the Fresh Cream album.) I found your remarks very interesting and somewhat nostalgia-inducing. I hope you are still on the planet enjoying your grandkids. Waylon and I shared the same birthday, but he was 9 years older than I. RIP Charlie and Waylon. Thank you for posting your comment

[@agento86]

Wewt!! Story time with Rick. Bring it! ./pass popcorn. I love the fact that from time to time you refer to Bach. BWV 1048 is my favorite of the Brandenburg Concertos. In fact, right after you mentioned it, I started whistling his Variation no. 6. (popped in my head for some reason) While the melody is great, the Variation no. 6 has this wonderful "perpetuum mobile" in the harmony that is just as fun to sing as it is to play. Nice. It's going to be stuck in my head all night. Might as well head over to the piano and play it. :D

[@andyq9669]

Yeah, I got that earworm too now. Bach is the Boss.

[@aakashr2101]

Rick, sitting in the garden... With his kids somehow feels so sweet and I feel I want to have a life like this

[@JariSatta]

So this is audiation, which is similar to active perfect pitch (vs passive perfect pitch, naming chords and notes you're hearing) Edit; People with audiation lacking active perfect pitch can not reproduce notes correctly when other sounds are disturbing this inner ear. People with active perfect pitch can reproduce notes perfectly when the inner ear is disturbed with other sounds or noise. Yes/No ?

[@wesleyAlan9179]

Jari Satta .....idk, but what you said sounds right, lol

[@Jon_lust_]

Indeed, it can be really hard to find the notes at the right key for me if there is too much noise around, like trying to sing anything during a gig which is something else than what would be actually played.

[@alex0589]

No, i used to have a chord from a song that was anchored even through all the bullshit and tiredness of hearing other stuff all day in school. I dont have perfect pitch, i just developed relative pitch, partially from that and other go-to notes that i trained with. Rewatch this video again.

[@thomyyyyyy]

Alex Exactly the same for me, there is that one song that starts with F G for the first two chords and idkw but it is so stuck in my memory that now i always have these two chords « registered » in my head, which helps my relative pitch, just like you

[@4GotSumthing]

What you describe has a label - Static relative pitch. You measure other notes compared to the static notes that are permanent.

[@justinfbabay]

Ive said this too. Like i always say the most important thing with guitar is being able to hum or sing the solos or songs. And then when youve played songs so many times you know where certain sounds are on the fretboard. So then you combine the two and voila ear playing 101. Atleast thats been my way. Love your content Rick!

[@joekyleboston]

OK Rick, I think you're on to something here. Its hard to articulate this concept but I think I follow you. There is some mechanization within our brains/minds which actually allows us to "hear" a song or tune in our heads. Then the challenge of being able to translate that from "inner hearing" to outer vocalization. And thus your question here in this video, "What is that and how does it work?" And how can we harness it. Its sort of along the lines of; Well, I don't think about my heart beating or my lungs filling with air, it just happens. I'm able to remember my name, and recognize peoples' faces etc. But what, Rick, is it that allows us to recall a tune and allow another human to hear what we hear? Thanks for this, please expand.

[@HardcorPardcor1]

I’m stumped. Your last question seems to be what Rick is asking, but that’s not helping me. What I’m concerned about is hearing tunes in my head that don’t actually yet exist so that I can translate them on guitar and write something awesome. I wanna know how I can do dat.

[@srgttamtam]

how about being less of a douche, and talking more to other composers, cz every single one will tell you, that the hardest and most crucial part of composing is to translate whats in your head onto paper.

[@johannalvarsson9299]

Right, but thats just the basic skill. Then you need to be able to hear multiple lines simultaneously as well as to remember multiple minutes of music to create big forms.

[@PeKlim]

Training to recognize intervals (distance between notes).

[@johnhaller7017]

It's called the magic universe. It comes from somewhere outside our head, just like radio waves, then into our head and then back out again, via our body to be heard by others. Magic universe right?

[@alancarter4044]

Sir, you are a genius. I like the sound of this sentence. And, it happens to be true. Thank you so much for touching on the topic of listening, memorizing, singing, and playing. Well done, I look forward to more insights.

[@curiousfigment]

I'm no musician but is this similar to what I experience in bed before falling asleep or just after waking up? Sometimes random tunes play in my head and they seem to compose themselves. Though grinding my teeth to the beat is a bad habit.

[@curiousfigment]

Eh, why? A lot of my favorite dope comes from Class A like Ambient music, Anime and Alternative. I won't stop using them- just like I won't stop doping on other drugs like blues, classical, doujin, electronic and so on, which I won't list because I'm too high right now. ;P

[@michagestwa64]

@Curious Learner Wow, good to know someone has the same thing. Too bad I can't write them, and humming into recorder allows to save only one melody even though sometimes entire song bits with harmonies play in my head. Though it's even stronger in hypnagogic state, for example when you're so tired/sleep deprived that you wanna sleep but something barely keeps you from doing so.

[@kylej.whitehead-music309]

I had that once where I was half asleep just about to drift and I heard this avant garde soundscape thing for orchestra and it was insanely realistic. The oboe was in counterpoint to the horns and the timbre was so realistic and the whole orchestra was playing a kind of quiet drone underneath it (texturally underneath it, not lower in pitch necessarily). Of course when I woke up I couldn't remember any of it but man was it a cool experience.

[@plaxdan]

Same here!

[@hellNo116]

I am a bad musician, but this is the best thing I learned to do and be able to do it on my instrument. I am a bad guitarist but I find immense joy on thinking a Melody and be able to play. It might be on the wrong key as you said, but I have found it. I love this especially with Greek songs I can't find anywhere online but my head suddenly out of the blue finds the melody

[@nickmaille5951]

Yoooooo i dident even realize it but i can hum my guitar strings in tune holy s***

[@NewTownMV]

Bro, I can do it too.

[@ciccaj]

I think this is so true for finding harmonies as well. I can hear a chordal harmony in my head and though I don't know what chord it is if I'm persistent enough I can find it or come very close to it. I think this if very essential for good songwriting. Sometimes songwriters just accept the easy harmonization rather than trying to hear cool harmonies and find them on the instrument.

[@brandonquaite7739]

I Love Your Channel! :) Your son is awesome! :) We both have perfect pitch! ;)

[@freeman7079]

Brandon Quaite Rick doesn’t have perfect pitch but his children do.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I think Brandon was referring to himself, and to Dylan. “We” both have perfect pitch.