| Have you always wanted to learn to play the | | | | lower the note 1/2 step.2. After learning the |
| piano by ear? Well, now you can! Playing the piano | | | | names of the white and black notes, my students |
| by ear is easy and fun! My students have been | | | | then learn the C scale. The C scale begins on |
| learning to play the piano by ear for over 17 | | | | middle C and continues "up" playing each white |
| years. In fact, one student is 65 years old and is | | | | note until you reach the next "C" note. That |
| having the time of her life learning songs from her | | | | consists of eight white notes in consecutive order. |
| youth! Other students are children as young as 9 | | | | (CDEFGABC). The scale can also be numbered as |
| years old (although some children begin as early | | | | 12345671. That means that the letters and |
| as five years old).To learn piano by ear, one must | | | | numbers should coorelate as:C D E F G A B C 1 2 |
| first learn about the piano as an instrument. | | | | 3 4 5 6 7 13. Students then learn how to make |
| Different from reading notes, the student is | | | | the C chord by learning the rule for making a |
| required to have some knowledge of the | | | | chord. To make the C chord, the students learns |
| instrument so he/she can learn piano. In my | | | | to play the numbers 1-3-5 together in order to |
| lessons, I follow some easy basic steps to learn | | | | play the C chord.4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated |
| piano by ear.1. First, I teach students the names | | | | for the scale and chords for F and G.5. Finally, the |
| of the white and black notes on the piano. This | | | | student is ready to begin learning how to pick out |
| involves learning what a 1/2 step and a whole | | | | the melody to a simple song. This is a very |
| step is so that the student can name the black | | | | important step and is the most exciting step, |
| notes as either a sharp or flat. Sharping (#) a | | | | because the student is learning how to predict the |
| note requires the student to raise a note 1/2 step | | | | next note when learning a melody. |
| and flatting (b) a note requires the student to | | | | |