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Learning a song by ear

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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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YES. Please that would be incredible. I guess because we listen to so much American music, one of the difficulties I am having with my original pieces is getting the music to have that feel to it. But I am trying. LOL

Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Topic starter  

Well frustration is setting in because I cannot find my capo to try anything.. :( so rather than being sulky I was trying to figure out how those chords would look if I capo'd the second and played the D chord shapes. So the E becomes a D, and the B becomes an A.. correct?

When I get to the C#m7 I get confused. I dont want someone to figure it out for me.... but is there something I could look at to have it makes sense so I can try to figure out the next ones?

Thanks
Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@kent_eh)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1882
 

(*is there a smiley for "slapping one's forehead really, really, really hard? :wink: )

You can borrow this one from my collection, if you want

And, I am in awe of those of you who have ears developed enough to do what you did in this thread.

I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep


   
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(@davidhodge)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Well frustration is setting in because I cannot find my capo to try anything.. :( so rather than being sulky I was trying to figure out how those chords would look if I capo'd the second and played the D chord shapes. So the E becomes a D, and the B becomes an A.. correct?

When I get to the C#m7 I get confused. I dont want someone to figure it out for me.... but is there something I could look at to have it makes sense so I can try to figure out the next ones?

Thanks
Jim

Good on you, Jim!

You're right about the E and D. Now, following along with the "I don't want someone to figure it out for me" rules, I'd suggest you give this old article a read:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=53

and then think about the relationship (how many musical steps) between E and D, and also how B and A relate and then you should get it.

PM me your hard mail address again and I'll send some of these out to you. Can you read notation?

And Kent - great smiley! Love it! Some people suspect it's all the forehead slapping I did as a youth that led to my hairstyle...

Peace


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Topic starter  

David, I have a better idea.. I will pay you 30 bucks for a half hour guitar lesson and you can bring them to Oklahoma by hand. :D It would be a tax write off, correct? All kidding aside I will PM you my new address now that I am married. (Did I mention that?)

ON TO THE SONG

So this is what I came up with (Great lesson by the way)

My original chords were

E
B
C#m7
C#7sus4
Am6
A6/G#
F#m7
G#m7
B7
G/F#
Em7/D

And I felt like they should transpose to

D
A
Bm7
B7sus4
Gm6
G6/F#
Em7
F#m7
A7
F/E
Dm7/C#

Now if that is correct then I can instantly see how that would help. I recognize many of the transposed chords. There are still some that I find very difficult just by looking at them but it might be that once I start learning those chords that I dont know (IE: F#m7, B7sus4, Bm7, etc) then I might learn some new chords I like.

and unfortunately no, I dont know standard notation. I am not totally ignorant to it (I played piano some a while back) but its not familiar to me.

Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

It looks spot on, Jim - good job.

Remember since this is primarliy finger picking, you can have some freedom with the chords. For instance, on Gm6, try the 3x0330 fingering and don't play the low A string.

And if I ever find myself anywhere in Oklahoma, consider yourself recipient of a free lesson. Likewise if you're ever up this way.

Peace


   
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(@wes-inman)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

Jim

Here are three ways to play the F#m7 chord, I think the first one shown will suit this song with moving bassline best. The B7sus 4 is very easy to hold, and there are two ways to hold the Bm7. I would use the second Bm7 I have shown, again because you will find it easier to move your bassline. Barre chords using the index are not as good when you have moving notes in the bass, you want an individual finger to be holding one note. I hope I haven't completely confused you by saying that. But here are the chord forms, try all of them, but I have a strong feeling this player used the forms with the * under them.



F#m7 B7sus4 Bm7
e-2r---2i---2i----0------2i----2r--
b-2r---2i---5p----0------3m----3p--
g-2r---2i---2i----2r-----2i----2m--
d-2r---2i---2i----1i-----4r----X---
a-X----4r---4r----2m-----2i----2i--
e—2m---2i---2i---------------------
* * *

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Topic starter  

No confusion at all Wes, thanks for that. I am going to get another capo tomorrow so until then I am just playing it with those shapes but a key lower I suppose.. Is that right?

Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

You don't have to suppose. That's exactly what you're doing! Instead of playing the song in E, you're playing it in D, which is one whole step (two frets) lower.

Nice work on figuring all this out, Jim.

Peace


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
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Posts: 2801
Topic starter  

Not to beat a dead horse but I got my new capo today.. YEAH.. and imported the song into Audacity. It is really a pretty easy song with it capo'd at the second fret. Thanks again for you guys help and more importantly the lesson.

Jim

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@kachman)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 155
 

I usually try to figure out the chords first. I strum along until I've got all the chords, then I try to follow the picking pattern.... but only if it's a really distinctive pattern. Other times I play something similar with a little twist to fit my own playing style.

So pretty much, just do as you do to learn songs with strummed chords, then try out a couple of picking patterns on the I chord. Lots of times the picking pattern is repeated through the chords, sometimes there'll be a small variation at intervals.

All the best

http://www.myspace.com/kachman


   
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