Learning Instruments by Ear: An Innovative Approach
As a musician, I find the overcomplication of music theory incredibly exasperating. I often see people who are exceptional on their instruments, yet because they don’t read sheet music, they feel they are somehow "less than" musicians. It even seems as though some people use music theory as a way to elevate themselves, saying, “Look how smart I am because I can understand this, and you can’t.”
But as Einstein wisely pointed out, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
During my university years studying music, I had to hire a private tutor outside of college to break down the unnecessarily complicated music theory textbooks we were assigned. Looking back now, I can’t fathom why simple concepts were expressed with such complicated language. Having played piano, sung all my life, and also picked up violin and guitar, I’ve realized that reading music is not a prerequisite for being a great musician. You don’t need to read music to be incredible. You can stop stressing over it, stop letting it hold you back, and stop using it as an excuse not to share your gift with the world. In fact, I would even argue that learning to read music can hinder your progress. It’s an unnecessary step in the process of mastering an instrument. I say this from personal experience.
From the age of five, I was taught to play the piano by reading notes. I became very proficient at sight-reading, but if the sheet music was removed, I was lost. Memorizing pieces felt almost impossible, and I struggled to be creative. I was trapped in a box defined by bars and lines, unable to break free. I saw the piano in terms of the symbols I’d memorized, dividing it mentally between the bass and treble clefs, not allowing my hands to cross these imaginary boundaries at middle C. It was only much later that I realized how restricting this approach was.
Fast forward to today, and I can play anything I want, create freely, and replicate almost anything I hear. It’s incredibly liberating.
When I went to university to study piano, I was fortunate to have a professor who emphasized the importance of learning to play by ear. He could play anything he heard and taught us the value of transcribing—a process where you essentially listen to a piece of music and figure it out by ear. I remember how daunting it seemed at first. I would figure out the notes, then write them down, but still I relied on those notes. But my professor challenged me to break free from that reliance and instead internalize the music. It felt impossible at first, but it’s a skill that can be developed over time. And when you do, it takes your musicianship to greater heights.
Learning by ear teaches you to hear everything: bass notes, chord changes, rhythms and melodies. It helps you develop a near-instinctual connection with your instrument, making mistakes rare because playing becomes as natural as speaking. Just as we form words without thinking, you become fluent with your instrument.
Here’s what learning by ear offers:
1. Sensitivity to all aspects of music, from bass notes to chord changes.
2. The ability to quickly find any pitch.
3. Faster memorization and internalization of melodies.
4. A deep understanding of genre and improvisational tools.
5. Improved rhythm and timing.
6. Technical dexterity.
Learning music this way removes the unnecessary steps of reading and memorizing from sheet music. Why waste time reading notes when the goal is to play the piece from memory? For a professional musician, the ability to hear a melody and play it by ear is essential. Unless you’re a classical musician, sheet music is rarely needed, and even then, playing by ear can enhance your understanding. Consider Noboyuki Tsujii, a blind classical pianist who learns intricate pieces solely by ear. His incredible performances are proof of the power of this approach.
With my own students and my son, I take a completely different approach to teaching than the traditional methods. We focus on learning music by ear first. My son, for example, picks songs he wants to learn and starts by singing them to internalize the melody. For students who aren’t comfortable singing, we listen to the song slowly. There are music speed changers available that can slow down your music, so can find and match the pitch on your instrument, to that of the recording, one note at a time. The confidence this builds in especially beginners is unparalleled. I see how proud the student is when they figure it out themselves, and they find much more enjoyment from playing the piece because they memorized and internalized it right away. With this method, as a teacher, my role isn’t to hand out answers, but to guide students to discover the answers on their own. When we give students all the answers, we rob them of valuable experiences.
Learning music theory and notes first, is like giving them all the answers. Its also like teaching a baby to read before they can speak. It’s putting the cart before the horse. Music should always be an enjoyable experience. The goal in music should be an exploration into ones own intuition, creativity, and genuine, honest expression. Not an experience where an individual is constantly told what to play and when, and for how long. Never being taught to form words and sentences of their own.
And on a side note, the most stress-free way I have found to learn to read music if youre so inclined, is to first learn the piece by ear and then follow along visually.
In conclusion, learning to play music by ear offers a more natural and empowering path to becoming a true musician. Rather than being confined by the rigid structure of reading notes, developing the ability to hear and instinctively play music allows for greater creativity, freedom, and confidence. The traditional emphasis on music theory and sight-reading often adds unnecessary complexity to what should be a joyful, intuitive process. By embracing an innovative approach that prioritizes ear training and musical fluency, musicians can unlock their full potential and truly express themselves through their instruments. Whether you're a seasoned player or just beginning, remember that music is for everyone, and playing by ear can open up a world of limitless possibilities.
