HotspurJr

Good!

Once you've trained your ear to hear a resolution, you'll discover than finding the key is really really easy. (ANd yes, I say this all the time but: the functional ear trainer from miles.be. Download it).

Sometimes I have to think about it for a second. But it's almost completely intuitive for me now. I put my finger on a note, listen ... and then almost always find it no later than the second note. Sometimes I play a little scale run to be sure, to check for major/minor, etc.

mdc

No no, you got the wrong end of the stick, and so did I when I answered post 14.

I need a instrument (guitar) to transcribe. It's nothing to do with Levitin effect, or PP.

I can transcribe easily with a guitar to hand cuz I have good relative pitch.

I can't recognize pitches out of thin air, which is PP.

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macashmack

Oh so you did check it. I feel dumb now.
Like hotspur said, use functional ear. Im pretty sure after a few days the tonic will be very obvious in most songs. In some jazz the key changes every second but i don't think you'll need to be worried about that yet.
Sing it as you play. you'll internalize the sounds faster.

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Modes and scales are intelligent and useful. Start learning them. Seriously.

91RG350

mdc can tell the key because he has practiced learning songs by ear.... he was once in the same boat as you TS... so dont feel inadequate or anything...

imo you can tell the key to most songs by the time youve worked out the chords to the first verse and chorus.... and generally...they'll be major or minor chords... im talking super sweeping brushstrokes here... but that'll get you started on many basic songs

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danyal92

well i use the note F. so i think its G minor?

mdc

Yes the key's G minor. There's a F in the melody, and as a chord (Fmaj).

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danyal92

can you tell me what notes/chords are being played while the vocals start in this song?

mdc

What part? I don't quite understand your question. The power chord riff before the vocals start, or the clean channel arpeggios when the vocals first start?

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fanapathy

Since I assume you've been doing this for a while and seem to have good knowledge, I have a question

The song that was posted first, I could "hear" the key note (this is actually the first time I'm even consciously trying to find a key since I don't quite understand what it's used for) and that it's "obviously" minor - I think hearing difference between minor and major is clear to most. It's kind of weird even, that just a semi tone can make that much difference in sound. I was note sure exactly which note, so I estimate-guessed A and held the note in my mind. When I found an instrument and played it, it was a G. This made me a little bit sad.

My question is this, can you over time with practice learn to hear the exact pitch without using a reference? For example just powerchords on a non-standard tuning but hear which chords it is, or ie listen to a singer and know their exact note(s)

I can transcribe very accurately and it's still improving, but if I am not comparing the sound in real time with an instrument I can't tell for sure which note it is - unless it's something like standard clean open chords

I would love this skill, is it possible to learn?

danyal92

the arpeggios when the vocals start i cant even hear them.can you figure them out? the power chords at the openging are Em G5 D5 C5 right?

mdc

I don't know if it's possible cuz I've never tried to achieve that level of pitch recognition. I've always relied on my relative pitch skills.

I suppose the question is which one is more useful in a musical situation where you have to improvise etc.

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mdc

Yes.

No, I can't hear them either.

you've just transcribed the chord progression, so use your initiative and arpeggiate the chords.

Here's one for the Em chord

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danyal92

aryt thnx alot anyway

macashmack

learning perfect pitch would take so damn long Fanapathy that you might as well forget it and just work on relative pitch. It'll get to the point were you will know every note when you have a reference (this takes a long time as well, but not nearly as long as trying to obtain the Absolute Pitch)

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Modes and scales are intelligent and useful. Start learning them. Seriously.