Originally published at: How To Play By Ear - The Musical Feedback Loop - Olicana Music
In this lesson we’ll be talking about how to play by ear, using a concept called the musical feedback loop. Clearly, being able to play by ear is a vital skill for any musician. From copying a phrase that someone plays to you, transcribing your favourite songs, to improvising and writing your own music, playing by ear facilitates these skills and more. This post covers the four main things you need to be doing in order to play by ear - Audiation, Fretboard Mapping, Technique, and Comparison - and how these four skills come together to form the musical feedback loop that facilitates playing by ear.