The Five Commandments

First, if you haven't already, read “How does ‘playing by ear’ work?”

In our book Get Started, we use simple songs to plant the roots for playing music. Upon this foundation, the life-long journey of playing music by ear will grow. We have based our method on what we call ‘The Five Commandments of Playing by Ear’. Just briefly...

I: Feel the Melody

There are seven tones in the musical scale, with only five or six used in any particular song. Happily you'll never need to learn to read them. The key to playing by ear is listening to how the melody flows. So, simply listen to our CDs and the hundreds of Song Clips. It doesn't get easier than that.

II: Keep the Beat

This music is rooted in a driving rhythm. So, feel the beat, keep the beat, drive the beat, become the beat. The happy thing here is that as long as you keep the beat, nothing else much matters. All you need do to keep the beat is, again, listen and feel. It doesn't get simpler than that.

III: Use the Pattern

Each instrument, whether it is a guitar, banjo, fiddle and so on has a fundamental spatial pattern or two which are integral to its design (tuning). This forms the basis of our ToneWay Picking Patterns for each instrument. This is like learning a simple dance step—when your feet know where to step, you can forget about them and dance your heart out. When your fingers learn the simple pattern through briefly using our Nonation, you'll be able to plant them anywhere on the fret board and intuitively pick in any key. It is simpler than you can think. That's why you'll let your fingers do the thinking for you.

IV: Make Mistakes!

Mistakes are the jewels of playing music by ear. The more of them you notice yourself making, the more fluent a musician you naturally become. However, our method is so straightforward and easy, you'll have to keep on your toes to hear your mistakes. That is one good reason why we believe that the most important commandment of all is...

V: Play with Others

It is the social experience and mix of 'talents' that bring it to life. This music is fun when it is played with people. If it is fun, you will want to learn to do it, and then likely continue until your last breath. Oh, and playing with others helps you realize your mistakes, which makes you play better, which helps you enjoy it more. That is one happy vicious circle!