Question for da chord requesters

[T-Block]

I request chords because I am a beginner keyboard player and I have a hard time just "hearing" parts of a song, something that I'm sure comes natural to most of the people that belong to this site.

I hear this a lot from people. Contrary to what you or others may think, hearing parts in music doesn't really come natural to anyone. It only comes to the person who pays close attention. Once u pay close attention, over time you will notice patterns from song to song.

The next problem would be figuring out those patterns you hear. This is where your theory can come in to assist you. Once u write down every note you hear, theory will help u to zero in on what chords are most likely to be played.

It all depends on whether or not your willing to step out and just do it. You won't learn to hear parts of a song if u never try. I don't mean try a couple of times then give up. Keep trying, and trying, and trying. Then when u want to give up, try again. I promise, it will eventually come.

My big issue is my fingers not working independently of one another.  I don't think there's a DVD for that yet.

HAHAHAHA, that's a problem for most people. The only thing that will help that is practicing scales using correct fingering, preferably blind-folded. Not seeing your fingers will cause you to focus more.

[B3Wannabe]

I hear this a lot from people. Contrary to what you or others may think, hearing parts in music doesn't really come natural to anyone. It only comes to the person who pays close attention. Once u pay close attention, over time you will notice patterns from song to song.

The next problem would be figuring out those patterns you hear. This is where your theory can come in to assist you. Once u write down every note you hear, theory will help u to zero in on what chords are most likely to be played.

It all depends on whether or not your willing to step out and just do it. You won't learn to hear parts of a song if u never try. I don't mean try a couple of times then give up. Keep trying, and trying, and trying. Then when u want to give up, try again. I promise, it will eventually come.

HAHAHAHA, that's a problem for most people. The only thing that will help that is practicing scales using correct fingering, preferably blind-folded. Not seeing your fingers will cause you to focus more.

Indeed. Even though my ear is pretty strong, I still can find songs that make me do the rewind shuffle. I have a playlist on Media Player, with songs--which are just out of my playing ability--that I practice. I also like to challenge my friends to see who can learn a song the fastest. If I learn it first, then I help them learn it, if them, then they'll teach.

[Incognegro]

The only thing that will help that is practicing scales using correct fingering, preferably blind-folded. Not seeing your fingers will cause you to focus more.

That's some real Mr. Miyagi type stuff.

[sjonathan02]

The only thing that will help that is practicing scales using correct fingering, preferably blind-folded. Not seeing your fingers will cause you to focus more.

That's some real Mr. Miyagi type stuff.

 

[T-Block]

That's some real Mr. Miyagi type stuff.

I know man. Extreme times call for extreme measures. Why you think Stevie Wonder so talented?

Not that he has a choice, but I'm just saying.

[Incognegro]

I know man. Extreme times call for extreme measures. Why you think Stevie Wonder so talented?

Not that he has a choice, but I'm just saying.

LOL @ Small text.

 

[shachah Praise]

Hello T-Block. Well the reason why I request chords because i have tried and tried to hear a song and figure it out and it has not happened. I cannot sing, can't pick it up by ear. I am the Only musician @ my Church. I am praying that God will send another musician who is annointed and loves the Lord. I played a couple of songs @ the Church that the people knew< i backed up my Pastor when he was preaching and then boom, i became the muscian. So I really need the help. I try but,it's hard. My memorization skills have improved greatly though.

[chevonee]

I was one of those requesters until I got a good dose of reality . Most of the time that was a bailout for me, to keep me from getting fruscrated (int) but I had to learn better. If you're not careful frustration will result in laziness which will then result in dependency (sp?) and that all comes together to equal mediocrity (sp?). Now that I'm in a COGIC church, that cute little stuff no longer impresses...folks that really know how to  play will embarrass (sp?) you. What happens when someone sings a song out of the blue? I can understand if you're a beginner but don't just settle with that. Always strive to go higher in your craft so that you'll know how to stand up under the pressure of a song that you really don't know.


I'm sorry about the spelling and punctuation yall I'm just tellin ya from experience what I know. 

[csedwards2]

im so anxious to hear the response of one, but havent seen her or him yet.


btw, I dont think Ive ever requested anything either, however, I have searched for quite a few things, and if I dont see it, then its time to put in some qt. If I search, its because Im trying to learn it quick for a rehearsal or something, but usually the stuff I search fr, which I would think are common tunes, arent posted, so after I learn them I feel inclined to post.

[musallio]

I don'tknow if I've ever asked, but if I ever did, it was because I had really liked the song, tried hard to learn it but really failed to figure out the bassline (and maybe some other chords).

I started off by self-teaching, so my only weapon was paying attention to what I heard & trying hard to figure out patterns.

This is where theory came in to save me. I learnt the basic patterns before I even knew the theory When I learnt the theory it was confirmation & I just practised more.

I enjoy the posts & learned (& still do) quiet a chunkful from them because I do my own analysis of them & derive other stuff.

To me, playing from what has been posted is like saying: Play that again Sam!  I pick up a thing or 2 & apply it to other songs.

But over time, I've preffered listening to , say, solid blues or other genres of music where I can pick up a new progression & try to apply it in my music vocab in any song it fits into.

Conclusion

I do encourage requests, but you should be willing to pay a minimum labor fee to show some appreciation- it takes a long time to write (It's also very enriching by the way..I re-inforced my learning by helping requesters )

[T-Block]

Conclusion

I do encourage requests, but you should be willing to pay a minimum labor fee to show some appreciation- it takes a long time to write (It's also very enriching by the way..I re-inforced my learning by helping requesters )

I bet you if people had to pay to get songs chorded out, we would see less chord requests. For years I spent tons of money buying songbooks and stuff when I had the knowledge to learn songs all along. I just had to make a decision to stop being lazy and get down to business.

[minofmusic]

when i request chords usually its because i cant hear all the licks on the CD. but one thing i have learned from T-Block is that if you follow the bassline and build your chord off the bass note. that has really helped me. but sometimes the inversions on the CD are a little tricky

[betnich]

when i request chords usually its because i cant hear all the licks on the CD. but one thing i have learned from T-Block is that if you follow the bassline and build your chord off the bass note. that has really helped me. but sometimes the inversions on the CD are a little tricky

So true - I start with the bass line.
And chords - if I can hear the keyboard parts in the mix I go with those, but you're right, sometimes there's different versions/inversions in the guitar and the rest of the arrangement that I find I have to listen to over and over until I can boil it down to one chord symbol...

[minofmusic]

and to piggy back on my first comment. sometimes the church folk/choir leaders/pastors will ask us to learn a song by Sunday and Today is Thursday. alot of us have full time jobs during the week and we are just rushing trying to accomodate everyone. so i can see where sometimes people are asking for chords in haste because they are trying to hurry up and learn a song before rehersal or revival. But the longer you stay on this site the better you should become as a musician. Learn your chords, learn your patterns, Because if you get caught on the Organ and have to play a song there is no transpose button on the organ. lol

[hardheaded]

I dont request alot but when i do request its because a few reasons

#1 my ear sucks and i cant really listen to a song and pick out chords and progressions(i am working on it though getting a little better)
#2 you guys are such beast that i know that if i do get a song down you guys will be able to give me some sick variations and different little things to make what i play sound better
#3 I only know how to play in a few keys right now (working on that also the play in every key series is helping me tremendously) so if the song is in a unfamiliar key i know someone hear will be able to spell it out for me and strengthen my playing in that key

[musallio]

Wow! what an interesting read

I was surprised to see my comment- it's exactly the same as what I'm thinking right now- I had forgotten that I had commented

thought to self:

All the comments here are true.
If I wasn't so lazy, I would be very far right now in my playing. Like T said- when you feel like giving up, start again

-we take it for granted that we have sight and don't focus as much as we would if we were scaffolded.
with that comment, please welcome:


Try that - 'twill be uncomfortable in the interim- but I know you'll come will envelopes full of royalties afterwards

Desperate times call for desperate measures--any serious ninjas out there  [please note- address me as PianoNinja_01 from now on]

[betnich]

Shouldn't that PianoNinja be using his thumbs?

[THE WOLFMAN]

My big issue is my fingers not working independently of one another.  I don't think there's a DVD for that yet.

bone up on dem Hanon excersises.

[musallio]

Shouldn't that PianoNinja be using his thumbs?

Actually- No.....
Try to practice without using your thumbs and see how versatile your fingers will be.
Next time when you play, you will have a handicap- like someone playing with 6 fingers- more opportunity for you to do more things


Like we said, desperate times call for extreme measure- Now start practicing without the thumbs my ninja

[jude63]

Chords are not hard to learn.....I think my ears can recognize progressions without even being at the keyboard.......but the challenging part is playing those chords in different ways(voicings), the stuff inbetween the chords also are important, we all need someone to show us stuff now and again