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BOUZOUKI WORLD
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THE NEW FORUM at BOUZOUKI WORLD
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Welcome to the New Forum at Bouzouki World! Here you can converse with your fellow bouzouki enthusiasts from all over the world. Share your thoughts about bouzoukia, music theory, musicians, luthiers, electronic equipment and memorable experiences. All we ask is that you follow a few simple courtesies. Please see the posting entitled ETHICS & RULES!
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Subject Playing By Ear
Date
Mon Mar 29 2004 09:01
Author Photos Hajigeorgiou
(photosh@cytanet.com.cy)
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Petro
When I started playing in 1976, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, there were no teachers anywhere near. So playing by ear was the only thing I could do at the time. Basically, playing by ear IS itself a method, there is no methodology for making it easier. You use a trial and error type of playing, and your short-term memory tells you which notes to avoid. Play along with professional recordings, especially of instrumental bouzouki music, and time will take care of the rest. As time passes, your ear will become trained in recognizing modes even though you may not be able at the time to name them. Later on, you can relate what your ear can recognize with book information on various modes. This means that you must learn the notes on the fretboard, very important.
I made a giant leap in my playing ability when I discovered through a cousin the various modes. This was a prescription for knowing BEFOREHAND which notes to play and which ones to avoid. More help for your ear.
As you develop, you will need to learn chords as well. Here you are lucky in that there are many excellent books to help out. Developing your ear is extremely important. I think my start as a "play-by-ear" player helped tremendously to develop my (nearly) perfect pitch, which I probably would not have if I hadn't relied on my ears to begin with.
Continue playing by ear, but at the same time learn about music properly either through books or through finding a teacher or a music course. After 28 years at it I can vouch for the fact that it is crucial to learn to read music, learn about theory of music, learn how to read and write notes on a staff, so you can become a good all-round musician, not just a bouzouki player. Only in the past two years or so have I started to read/write music properly. It helps in getting your thoughts down, and in mapping out the course of a tune, taking the uncertainty of "what do I do next".
But more than anything else, enjoy what you are doing. Whichever way you choose to continue, get at least an hour per day of playing, more on the weekends.
Hope this helps
Photos.
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