This Melody Taught Me To Play Music By Ear

[@mlungisindlovu5794]

I’ve been looking for this lesson my whole life. Thank you🙏🏿

[@teemewgek683]

Thanks, I am so lucky to hear that you’re teaching, it ‘ s useful and I need to practice over again

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Great lesson.. Back years ago. when iI was twelve or so in caveman times , I didnt even know about reading music.. playing guitar was always by ear..we would lift the needle of the record and try to pick up the next Chet Atkin lick. We all just picked up by ear or sharing. Blues comes easy for me but jazz is different and has umpteen rules, but it is a boon to have a good ear. I recently stumbled on an app called function ear training.. I now can play the root c let's say and all the white notes I recognize.. its free..it does chromatic s and it is based on the major scale.. also you can take out any notes you want. thanks great lesson .

[@ricomajestic]

Great video! Ear opening for sure. Would love to see more examples of these common interval patterns (other common shapes).

[@dangin-1000]

I really like your voice!

[@mzphitslave]

This's is mad brilliance! I can think of hundreds of songs that have this! Adele's Hello, Geogy Porgy, Maria Maria, Rolling in th Deep, Somestimes You Gotta Do Right (Incognito), Back to Black, Ain't Nobody, Thrill is Gone, Summertime. 4 Leaf Clover, etc..

[@jazztutorial]

Yes - Yes - Yes! All great examples Mohini - I'm so glad you think this way. Had you spotted this shape before this video? Or did these all come to mind while watching? This is the same way I categorize all music in my head - I group all the songs together that use each common melodic shape, and each chord progression shape... this makes it easy to recall dozens of songs that all use the same patterns - just as you've done here. Great job at thinking of so many!

[@SoulGuitarMetal]

I'm finding it much fun to learn theory and aural skills than playing an instrument. When I tried playing years ago it was interesting but not really fun. Now that I started studying theory and composing a bunch of music and starting to transcribe songs I like, it got really fun. It's the difference between the hassle of practicing just to get muscle memory and the fun of creating or understanding something by yourself.

[@evilmarc]

I really identify with this. I can play my guitar and piano a little bit and sometimes it's fun to play songs I love but when I try to learn theory and mess around with learning and creating music hours seem to fly by in an instant.

[@tallulah2]

You’re fantastic. Love the way you teach.

[@leonaranzazu5080]

Thank you very much!!!! great work , i was struggling trying to understand how to train my ear, this video has helped me to understand the process. Now i feel that it is becoming every time easier and easier. Greetings from colombia south america

[@adrianbrome6652]

Hi, Julian. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing the lesson(s) learnt from your experience. QUESTION - In the context of Accompaniment of a vocalist(s) where you are playing chords in the Right Hand (RH), do you think knowledge of the Common Melodic Shape (CMS) would help the pianist derive the Chord Progression of the song (Bass) in the Left Hand (LH)?

[@Troy1g]

Same question, when and where do you play the chords? Thx

[@karolyhorvath7624]

Could you mention a couple other famous melodic shapes? Thx.

[@philkenner6885]

Excellent way of showing how songs use melodic shapes. The examples you gave were very helpful!!

[@andyracksthecams]

This is a WINNER. Glad I came back to this. Amazing

[@twangbarfly]

Great ideas and very well presented - thank you!

[@KS-yn8hc]

Thank you, Julian. Makes good sense. I just this week began driving myself crazy with attempting to become proficient sight reading and playing in all the major keys and planned an extensive block of time to concentrate on just that. Yes, save that for later! However, a little whisper of doubt came in to my mind about all this.The light came on when I realized the pieces in your 3 emotional Jazz pieces do not go into exotic keys, in fact, Falling in Love the for the First Time is in C--yes it moves off C--but nevertheless one is able to easily get a grasp of the underlying logic of the chord changes. Plus considering the Circle of Fifths---I began to wonder...Why? Why? Why am I perseverating on switching from scale to scale to scale. What's it got to do with anything now in the beginning--when as you say-- " Ear Training is King". So, thank you again for becoming the voice of reason. Yes, I totally agree, because once you are trying to develop any slim natural ability of hear tones--you are then confusing your brain by switching chords from key to key. Obviously that seriously impedes your ability for your hands to smoothly find the right chords that you sense inside your head come next in a song. My situation is exactly how you stated it and I am now able to switch over to a more reasonable approach. Somehow though, I still think it makes sense to have your ear sensitized toward the Lydian--and your pieces do well with that.

[@andrewwright6893]

Brilliant approach. Nice one

[@abhijeetdutta6156]

Thanks jazz

[@dabihopi4359]

Thanks..basically taught me to play the piano... respect...

[@wolkowy1]

It did help - the common shape is indeed the key to many problems. Thanks for the advise to compose and thanks for giving us the common shape in different sounds available on the elect. piano, other than the acoustic piano: it helps to focus on the pattern itself.

[@bertaga41]

Get it! Very interesting and helpful. Thank you so much. I find the notes below very helpful as pointers and as a summary! Thanks for taking the time. This really narrows down the search when trying to figure out the music.

[@hstrinzel]

As a beginner I wonder if it would not be easier and more basic to START ear training with the C-MAJOR Scale instead, then one would play only white notes, and not have to keep in mind all these interspersed black notes? Could you explain the advantage or difference of your C-MINOR in a video? There should be enough music pieces that somehow fit into C-MAJOR, but maybe not in JAZZ or what's the problem? THANK YOU for your awesome videos!

[@thatonefrankie]

The BEST|VIDEO|EVER

[@isaacgomezrivera9917]

Thank you so much, I really have been learning a lof

[@thatonefrankie]

A lot not A lof

[@hyperbolemasterkerry1307]

Something new to add to my arsenal. I love it. Now the next frequently asked question is going to be what are some other common patterns? After noodling around a little bit I came up with a song from fiddler on the roof. "If I were a rich man".

[@marcblandel3538]

Bravo Julian En francais aussi tu mérites des éloges pour tes brillantes vidéos. Thanks a lot for your help and knowledge .

[@BluePi1313]

I feel like there's a lot more songs out there that modulates rather than stay in the same key. I mean, contemporary pop tunes are known to modulate between each sections, either verse/chorus, or bridge. Occaisionally you'll get that last chorus that modulates up a half step. In classical music, there's typically key changes at the end of a section, or in the case of a sonata, it could be found all over the development. Jazz speaks for itself really, I don't think I've ever found a chart that stays in the same key.

[@p1anosteve]

Your right, but then if you know the new key, you can apply the same logic. Turns out our teachers were right though, when they said you need to learn all your arpeggeos

[@BluePi1313]

p1anosteve yeah, for the most part I don't have a big issue learning a song by ear, I was just wondering if this video would help me with constructing better melodies in my improvisation. Besides, I always found it interesting to see how people explain basic musical concepts to people. For example, the information they omit for the sake of simplicity (im not saying there's anything wrong with that). But the most important thing is learning how they approach it, which also shows how they use it, and think of music. Sometimes revisiting a basic concept to reconstruct the way you play, and use it in new ways cam really help further your understanding and skill. You're right, learning arpeggios is really important. Not only would it help you play melodies more easily, but with all of that time you've spent practicing it, it'll be more ingrained in your ear.

[@jazztutorial]

Can you think of a song that uses this melodic shape???

[@jazztutorial]

Alessandro! Yes - perfect example. And this one adds in some blue note for variation, bending it towards the b5th - which is a common variation on this shape. Very well spotted :)

[@SouthingPapey]

Vincent d'Indy: Symphonie sur un Chant Montagnard français (également appelée Symphonie Cévenole) début du deuxième mouvement. Sugar (Stanley Turrentine).

[@SouthingPapey]

Also (not in the exact order, but same shape) Summertime, Cantaloupe Island.

[@SouthingPapey]

Stolen Moments (Nelson) Elegy for a duck (Nelson) After you've gone (Creamer & Layton) Work Song (Adderley) etc...

[@jazztutorial]

Yes - great examples. Summertime, and Cantaloupe. Perfect!

[@eddieloid]

!!! A Girl Like You !!! - I recognised that theme instantly but just couldn't for the life of me remember where it was from, probably because I'm unfamiliar with hearing it played on a keyboard rather than a guitar. It eluded the subtitling too at 1:24 - it just says (melancholy melody) whereas Another One Bites the Dust (1:37) and Thriller (1:47) are explicitly referenced.

[@mkmeed]

Excellent and great tutorial. Thanks for sharing...

[@ajadrew]

I'm a bass player & this has made so much sense to my ears...literally! Thank you..;-)))

[@jazztutorial]

Arr I'm so pleased Ajadrew. You know what - you hear this shape in a lot of bass lines too - not just melodies. Especially funk bass lines. Can you think of any songs that use this?

[@ajadrew]

Jazz Tutorial - Kool & the Gang/James Brown though I can't remember the names...but I know countless bass funk bass lines because they virtually all revolve around some rhythmic variation of that intervalic shape. & I love, for example, C-9/Galt sound...that alt sound is delicious..;-)) I've been studying the (A)harmonic minor modes with Quist who's loading a playalong mode each day this week, presently up to E phrygian... some are difficult to solo over, ie, the 3rd degree, major7 with #5...ouch!!

[@rockstarjazzcat]

“La Do Re Mi,” for the win! Thanks Julian! :)

[@themfu]

Or Do Me Fa Sol if you think in C minor

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Behfar Bastani yup

[@andresbaroja6703]

Great tips! Keep up the great and super helpful work!

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you so much Andres. I really appreciate that. Can you think of any melodies that use this melodic shape?

[@divepeace1]

Fresh Prince!! Nice!

[@negushak]

Thank You Mister

[@jazztutorial]

Arr it's my pleasure Threepac, thank you

[@southpark5555]

Excellent video!!!! At 4:03 ---- you're playing an F-minor chord, right? So we can choose to play (with the right hand) the sequences of notes involving F, Ab, Bb, and C? That's first, third, fourth and fifth of the F-minor scale? Thanks very much!

[@zettepix2009]

Brilliant

[@oscarr1899]

I liked it. Cool training

[@jazztutorial]

Arr thank you Oscar, so pleased this one helped. Can you think of any songs that use this shape in their melodies?

[@immteam]

Excel video! Thanks!

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you so much Goran - I'm so pleased this one helped. Can you think of any songs that use this melodic shape?

[@bubblekeiki7395]

I just love you for explaining that!

[@jazztutorial]

Bubble Keiki! I really appreciate your inspiring comment - thank you so much, I'm so glad this one helped you

[@bubblekeiki7395]

also makes me think if saving up for cyber monday etc. to buy software really made any sense...as this advice was a lot more helpful and completely free. ^^

[@bubblekeiki7395]

rather spend my next 30$ on "best chords in the world" than on another vst...

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you Bubble. I appreciate your kind words. I agree that learning music theory is more important than any bit of tech. I love synths myself - but it's only useful when you understand the theory first (harmony). I'm glad these new ear training videos are helping - as ear training is just as much about learning how harmony works.

[@derekPhilipMonteiro]

Thanks you so much

[@Des_Armoni]

Just wow man! Do you sell a full course on melodic shapes? Maybe with a theoretical look on where to get next from the shapes to make amazing melodies? (For songwriters)

[@jazztutorial]

Hey J.D., really appreciate your comments each week. Yes, The Musical Ear course focuses on these shapes - all demonstrated in the key of C minor / Eb major. You can start with my free video series - and then I'll let you know when enrollment next opens: www.TheMusicalEar.com/ One other common melodic shape I want to share with you is Eb D Bb. It's not as common as the one in this video - but you can practice hearing it in songs like: 'Diary' by Alicia Keys 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’ - The Police ‘Say It Right’ - Nelly Furtado I might follow up with a video on this shape - which is one of my favorites. Thanks J.D. for your kind words

[@Des_Armoni]

Jazz Tutorial yes please do and thanks so much! 🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@PLanBBeaTZ]

Great video!!

[@GEORGE.M.M]

Amazing!

[@GerryMoningkey]

Very useful.. thanks! :]

[@edamdiazvilla4068]

Greetings.Out of curiousity can you explain Stevie Wonder?💡Thnks

[@swankypants6227]

WOOOOO

[@moksh8]

I couldn't find the common chord shapes video at your site - also I did subscribe to the 4 part series - unless I missed something

[@sideli2]

Your choice of the C- scale is smart. Beethoven's favorite scale was C-. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beethoven_and_C_minor

[@mrconcept]

excellent video

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you so much Mr Concept - that means a lot for me to hear. Can you think of any songs that use this melodic shape?

[@natureoflove4394]

Thank you very much ,👍👍👍👍👍🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

[@jazztutorial]

Arr my pleasure Prasanta! Glad this one helped

[@proff1999]

Very interesting 🎹🎼

[@jazztutorial]

Glad to hear it Proff1999. Can you think of any songs that use this melodic shape?

[@JulianFernandez]

Cool!

[@tinotrivino]

Awesome Friend :D

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you Tino! Can you think of any songs that use this melodic shape?

[@akiramatsuda3844]

The common shapes your'e referring to is the pentatonic scale

[@AndrewWeisMusic]

A littlle off topic but do you remember your favorite songs in their correct key? I think of the song, play the melody on a keyboard and play the original song to see if it matches. I'd say I get it right about %80 of the time. The more I like the song, the more I get it right. Could this be a way to sort of fake having perfect pitch? For example when I think of "Shot in the Dark" by Ozzy Osbourne I know the first bass note is a Bb and I always hear it correctly in my head.

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Andrew Weis - If I may chime in, pitch recall is only one of a suite of absolute pitch related skills but I certainly wouldn’t call it fake! Cheers, Daniel

[@ValirAmaril]

I'm like Andrew, I don't have perfect pitch in the sense that I couldn't just sing or identify notes, but I'm able to remember certain songs in the right pitch, so if I want to sing the note 'A' for example, I remember a tune that starts with an A, then I can sing it back. It's strange that I can't seem to remember simple notes, while much more complex pieces of music are no problem. The weirdest thing is, I have a memory of a classmate singing 'DO RE MI...' (in spanish) after school, he was a minor third off at the time, so using that memory I can recreate all the notes, I just need to go up three half steps.

[@TheRevJoe]

You guys are talking about a phenomena literally called 'pitch memory', as one's ear training and musicianship get better your brain is able to recall with greater accuracy the pitch of certain 'iconic', at least to you, phrases or sections of music. Thus, you are able to essentially play them in your head as if you were hearing them on a recording and transcribe them. This is not unusual in trained musicians without absolute pitch. An interesting test of your pitch memory is to try to alter the notes of the 'iconic' phrase you have in your head - it's amazing how quickly you lose your precious certainty of what the original key is.

[@karolyhorvath7624]

Repetition, repetition, repetition... :)

[@ramv1564]

Is there a major shape too like this minor.scale shape? Do you have a video of that?

[@ramv1564]

is there a melodic shape in major key as well? Which one?

[@swabygw]

Interesting idea on common shapes. My jazz teacher (Reggie Moore in Berlin) calls this "neighbor motion". Do you have more practice pieces we can listen to and check our answers to see how we did?

[@jazztutorial]

A few I can think of are: 'Shape Of You' - Ed Sheeran 'Thing Called Love' - Above And Beyond 'Summertime' But you could also read the comments people have left at the top of this page - since there's lots of tunes people have mentioned. I would look those up and try to spot it. And the other way to ingrain this shape - is to write a short composition / improv using it.

[@melodylawqiuyi]

I'm sorry but i'd like to ask, for non-pop songs or folk songs where the melody line is very obvious, let's say...jingle bells. Isn't it hard to play it in C minor when i have already internalised the starting note as E leading to a G and not starting on Eb and then leading to a minor sound on natural G? Any help will be greatly appreciated

[@TheAndreas1008]

Can't stop thinking of "the lick" when you say "common shape" aha

[@thatonefrankie]

LOL

[@stefan1024]

"Intervals Floating in Space" would be a cool bandname! ;)

[@premiumbackgroundmusic]

The reason these notes are used so much is that they are one note away from the minor pentatonic scale, just add the seventh on top.

[@jazztutorial]

Hey Peter - yes, this is one of many melodic shapes that can be found within the pentatonic scale.

[@babawawayoyo]

5:10 👌

[@thatonefrankie]

Hi

[@brittdavid8591]

👊🏾

[@caqueto3347]

Why you chose to transcribe all in Cm and Eb major and not in C and Am Or any other key?

[@dnch]

do you have somewhere the interlude music as a whole track?

[@jazztutorial]

Yes - on my hard drive. I haven't posted it publicly to date.

[@dnch]

you should:)

[@thatonefrankie]

Yeah, brit

[@Missingnin]

So I signed up for this and Video 2 is “9 misconceptions” and you hint at video 3 being melodic shapes and I got video 3 and it starts off with chord shapes and skips melodic shapes entirely. completely threw me off. is there a way to get the video in between?

[@Missingnin]

never mind. i watched this and it covers what i was looking for. might just want to fix the video series if that isn’t intentional. Best piano teaching method i’ve come across btw

[@KudosCultureCartel]

11:58

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Hat tip to Julian and DO ME FA SO. :)

[@jazztutorial]

Thank you Rockstar JazzCat! Great name btw. Can you think of any songs that use this melodic shape?

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Jazz Tutorial , I first think of Coltrane changes, as Jerry Bergonzi presents it as a fragment to play over minor 7th chords in different permutations in his Melodic Structures book. (DO, RE, MI, SO over unaltered dominants and major chords.). That said, in part inspired by your channel, I’m actively singing fragments on a daily basis to where I hear them when playing guitar or keyboard in twelve keys. So theoretical to immediately practical. I’ll get back to you with what comes to mind next. Thanks Julian. Best, Daniel :-)

[@bmmusic]

i believe your playing the 6 which is Aeolian or the key of Eb, you start on Cm which is the 6.

[@jazztutorial]

Hey Bm music, yes - the minor scale (C minor) is also known as the 'Aeolian mode' - just as the major scale (Eb major) is also known as the 'Ionian mode'. Is that what you're referring to?

[@bmmusic]

Jazz Tutori! l yes...thats the one...also alot of melodies that your playing are made from the pentatonic scale...very well done video..thanx..very helpfull...

[@corridor444]

We didn't start the fire ( billy Joel)

[@Victorjky]

What is the song at 9:57?

[@jazztutorial]

Hey Vicotrjky - that's 'Praise You' by Fatboy Slim. Did it sound familiar?

[@koekoeloeloe]

Sandstorm Darude

[@jimt2430]

La Do Re Mi

[@MrBoybergs]

Interesting how Game of Thrones definitely sounds minor whereas the Bee Gees feels as if they were thinking more of a condensed blues scale.

[@seiph80]

Stayin' Alive

[@Pianistiq]

Could of pointed out it's a minor pentatonic

[@jazztutorial]

Yes - it's one of many shapes that can be found within the pentatonic scale.

[@armbarfan]

Please stop being so critical. This was a short one off. This man is brilliant and unselfishly sharing his knowledge. Of course there could almost always be more added. But his major point was well made. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot.

[@charlesjordanlove8403]

...not fair u sneaking' in a g#

[@jazztutorial]

Where was that? Do you mean an Ab? Ab is in C minor scale I did play a Dorian example at one point - the Bee Gees 'Staying Alive' - but this common shape is heard just as often in Dorian music (C dorian scale) as natural minor music (C minor scale).

[@thatonefrankie]

Wha-

[@dangin-1000]

Are you playing Fresh Prince of Bel Air?

[@Timhttrsn]

I love these vids but it feels mega aids to have to sign up for an email and get mailed videos.. Stoneage.

[@thatonefrankie]

He's British

[@thatonefrankie]

Lol

[@mannyortiz5805]

To fast little more slow

[@YouDoTheShoot]

97% of music stays in one key? ...90% of jazz modulates ...or are we just talking melody not harmony

[@nafisdelacruz9703]

what % of all music is jazz, tho?

[@bobbywu7701]

He is talking about his learning method, which is playing everything within one key to learn the "sound" of each interval note

[@coachwillridley1374]

Awesome 👏