How to improve my listening and knw wat chords and notes?
- Thread starter gyaradozz
- Start date
Creeping_Deth
New member
I know this doesn't help, but just play chords and notes over and over again until it gets into your head. Alternatively you can go to sites for ear training, but its not easy.
guitarman78
New member
ok .. this is interesting ... 
Some people have perfect pitch .... some ppl call it a ear for harmony. Some ppl don't ... for me ... my hearing is developed instead of innate.
What you can do i to study chord structures. Know how each chord functions in a given scale and identify the accidentals.
Example, in the key of C ....
C is a Major (Tonic)
D is a minor (Super Tonic)
E is a minor (Mediant)
F is a major (Subdominant)
G is a 7th (Dominant)
A is a minor (Submediant)
B is a minor7(b5) (leading tone)
Basically .... to apply this to all keys ... you name them in numbers instead of Letter names. Hence ...
1 is a Major (Tonic)
2 is a minor (Super Tonic)
3 is a minor (Mediant)
4 is a major (Subdominant)
5 is a 7th (Dominant)
6 is a minor (Submediant)
7 is a minor7(b5) (leading tone)
From here ... you can play progressions like 1,6,2,5 .... 1,4,5 .... 1,2,3,4,5, etc.
Secondary dominants are 7th chords that are not in the fifth positions. They can be Diatonic (in the scale) or accidentals (not in the scale).
Basically by learning how each chord functions in a scale ... you will develop a ear which could tell you whether a chord is in key or not in key.
Also try to learn songs from song books or fake books .... there are many progressions in them that you could learn from. The more progressions you learn ... the more vocabulary you will have ... then figuring out chords will be chicken feet.
One very good way is to find the bassline .... it will bring you to your root. But watch out for Hybrids like G/A ... A/G .... C/E ... D/F£ ... these will give a different colour to the song ... which i should say exists in almost every pop songs.
Some people have perfect pitch .... some ppl call it a ear for harmony. Some ppl don't ... for me ... my hearing is developed instead of innate.
What you can do i to study chord structures. Know how each chord functions in a given scale and identify the accidentals.
Example, in the key of C ....
C is a Major (Tonic)
D is a minor (Super Tonic)
E is a minor (Mediant)
F is a major (Subdominant)
G is a 7th (Dominant)
A is a minor (Submediant)
B is a minor7(b5) (leading tone)
Basically .... to apply this to all keys ... you name them in numbers instead of Letter names. Hence ...
1 is a Major (Tonic)
2 is a minor (Super Tonic)
3 is a minor (Mediant)
4 is a major (Subdominant)
5 is a 7th (Dominant)
6 is a minor (Submediant)
7 is a minor7(b5) (leading tone)
From here ... you can play progressions like 1,6,2,5 .... 1,4,5 .... 1,2,3,4,5, etc.
Secondary dominants are 7th chords that are not in the fifth positions. They can be Diatonic (in the scale) or accidentals (not in the scale).
Basically by learning how each chord functions in a scale ... you will develop a ear which could tell you whether a chord is in key or not in key.
Also try to learn songs from song books or fake books .... there are many progressions in them that you could learn from. The more progressions you learn ... the more vocabulary you will have ... then figuring out chords will be chicken feet.
One very good way is to find the bassline .... it will bring you to your root. But watch out for Hybrids like G/A ... A/G .... C/E ... D/F£ ... these will give a different colour to the song ... which i should say exists in almost every pop songs.