When you hear "I play by ear", there's usually two types:
1. I just hear what everyone else is doing and just "feel" it. This is implying that you can guess/assume what notes sound good and just roll with it.
2. I understand chord structure and function, and can hear the chords and scales going on, and can jump in with that knowledge.
95% of the time, "by ear" players are #1 and not #2
Guitar is one of the few instruments where mediocrity is acceptable. It's an instrument where most players coast on the easy stuff with no challenges for their entire life.
And avoiding hard things like music theory and heavy technique work is something all other instrumentalists do.
By this metric, you shouldn't wonder why a lot of players are stuck in the intermediate stage.
Aidan Halm
Hot take:
Playing "by ear" is NOT a flex.
If anything, it makes you much worse.
...
Lemme clarify,
When you hear "I play by ear", there's usually two types:
1. I just hear what everyone else is doing and just "feel" it. This is implying that you can guess/assume what notes sound good and just roll with it.
2. I understand chord structure and function, and can hear the chords and scales going on, and can jump in with that knowledge.
95% of the time, "by ear" players are #1 and not #2
Guitar is one of the few instruments where mediocrity is acceptable. It's an instrument where most players coast on the easy stuff with no challenges for their entire life.
And avoiding hard things like music theory and heavy technique work is something all other instrumentalists do.
By this metric, you shouldn't wonder why a lot of players are stuck in the intermediate stage.
I'll make a video about this soon.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 8