This video is part of the new monthly series inside the Ear Laboratory, an extension of the Breakthrough Banjo course’s 4 part series on how to learn to play by ear.
(note: this lesson will be available through May 5, after which time it will remain available inside of the Breakthrough Banjo course. Click here to learn more about the Playing by Ear modules inside the course.)
Nicely explained and taught, Josh! Thanks for your expert help! Brian M
Thanks, Josh. Very helpful, especially presenting the concept of looking at a tune in terms of up and down beats separated by off beats. The lesson also makes me realize I need to get busy learning how to pick out the chord structure!
Great lesson. I´m 71 now and I used to do that chord structure, melody, embellishments etc. kind of thing when I learned Carter guitar style maybe 55 years ago. There was hardly any info in the early 60 here in Germany about that stuff and I felt like a mountain man doing my thing in a world of the Beatles and Rolling Stones (which I really like as well). But now that I´m 71 I feel I don´t have the time to develop it all myself and I prefer ready made tab for Jazz guitar, bluegrass banjo, mandolin , acoustic guitar etc etc. Time is running out. All you younger guys (Josh Turknett, Bennett Sullivan etc.) seem to delve into learning by ear which is the appropriate way of learning music, I guess. I always thought the other way is the faster road. Maybe I was wrong Fred
Fred, I learned the way you did, and have found it has limited my ability to play tunes in a jam. It was adequate when I was playing with a string band, though. I am getting the ability to improvise much better on the fly from the ear training.