Not everyone will be able to master the technique of knowing how to play a piano by ear. It is a technique that requires long hours of practice and determination to learn, with a bit of natural ability. By mastering the ability to play by ear, a pianist will be able to play any piece of music without the need for sheet music.
A first step in learning how to play the piano by ear will require an individual to immerse himself in music. This can come in the form of playing the piano, listening to a wide variety of music or making music if one is interested. The more you do it, the more connected you will become with music over time.
A pianist will need to do this often since it takes time and effort to master piano techniques. Becoming a better player will naturally come if enough practice and effort is put into it. It will make trying to learn any song by ear a much easier objective since the techniques are available.
Another ability that one needs is to have perfect pitch, or close to it. Basically, if you are not tone deaf, then trying to distinguish different notes from each other should be simple with some practice. The more you try, the easier it becomes in the long run.
There are millions of musicians who are unable to read music but are still able to learn songs, thanks to perfect pitch and playing by ear. These include many self-taught guitarists and pianists are quickly catching up. This illustrates the usefulness of such a skill for any musician.
It will be advisable for any pianists to actually spend time trying to develop his or her ability to play by ear. This could done in various ways and in a manner that is fun. One could set aside at least an hour each day to learn how to play a favorite song without sheet music.
Begin by divving the songs up into separate parts whereby one could help to dissect slowly. Listen to the parts repeatedly and then try to reproduce them on the piano. Try different chords and progressions if required to find the best possible replication. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to reproduce and play a whole song with the use of the ear alone.
A piano player becomes much more versatile once the ability to play by ear is developed and learned. The requirement for sheet music disappears and there will be a greater hunger to learn new music and techniques without restriction. The end result can only be a masterful pianist destined for better things in the future.
