How can I play like him??

[valor]

This year i've found 2 really good piano students in my keyboard class, 1 whos been playing piano for 6 years and the other who has an extremely good ear, i think. I'm not particulalry worried about the one who played for 6 years because im not far from passing her, but the one with the good ear is worrying me. 

Today I noticed he was playing an unusual amount of pieces of music, not complete but still unusual that he'd know so many. I eventually figured that he was playing them entirely by ear. I can do this too, not very well though, but what really bothered me was that he was able to play left hand accompaniment on the spot.

I was wondering, how is he able to do that and how can i learn how to do it too? Thanks for taking your time to read.

[shortyshort]

This year i've found 2 really good piano students in my keyboard class, 1 whos been playing piano for 6 years and the other who has an extremely good ear, i think. I'm not particulalry worried about the one who played for 6 years because im not far from passing her, but the one with the good ear is worrying me. 

Today I noticed he was playing an unusual amount of pieces of music, not complete but still unusual that he'd know so many. I eventually figured that he was playing them entirely by ear. I can do this too, not very well though, but what really bothered me was that he was able to play left hand accompaniment on the spot.

I was wondering, how is he able to do that and how can i learn how to do it too? Thanks for taking your time to read.

Maybe it can be learned. 
If it can, I have not learned it yet. 

Try not to worry about what others can do. 

It is you that are important. 

[valor]

Maybe it can be learned.
If it can, I have not learned it yet.

Try not to worry about what others can do.

It is you that are important.

Lol thanks .  Theres no doubt that im the 2nd best in class, but having that ability will really help my playing.

[faustsaccomplice]

it's something that you can develop an ability for by playing everything by ear that you hear and like. 

keep it simple at the beginning.  just reproduce the melody, and a couple of chords, if you can--even just a few bass notes are ok.  don't worry about being totally exact...it will come with time!

as you progress you will begin to bring in more and more elements such as accurate harmonies and multiple voices.  but again, don't be afraid to approximate in the beginning.

...and most of all, do it for fun!

[valor]

it's something that you can develop an ability for by playing everything by ear that you hear and like. 

keep it simple at the beginning.  just reproduce the melody, and a couple of chords, if you can--even just a few bass notes are ok.  don't worry about being totally exact...it will come with time!

as you progress you will begin to bring in more and more elements such as accurate harmonies and multiple voices.  but again, don't be afraid to approximate in the beginning.

...and most of all, do it for fun!

Thanks Faustsaccomplice I'll do that. By doing this i'll develop my relative and perfect pitch right? I already know what an F sounds like from playing one of my favorite melodies over and over again lol.

Btw, I've been wanting to practice out of a book that teaches you how to make chords (C major, D augmented) and how to apply them with melodies. In the book they're called Waltz bass, inverted waltz bass, Swing bass, and some others. Will this help me? or should I just learn accompaniment on my own? Im really only interested in learning the chords but if learning the other stuff will help then i'll learn that too.

[amelialw]

you don't have both relative pitch and perfect pitch, you only have either.

[amelialw]

I'm sure that you are aware that perfect pitch is not trained nor is it developed, It is something that you are born with, either you are or you are not

[dan101]

I have perfect pitch. You are born with it and it really helps in composing and improvising.

However, many of my colleagues without perfect pitch are amazing improvisers. It's all about being able to judge the distance between notes. The more interval and relative pitch expertise you have, the more artilliary you have in performing skillful improvising.

[valor]

I dont want to start an argument but i dont understand how your born with an ability. If perfect pitch is an ability your only born with then why is it i can identify an F? Even my teacher said anyone can learn how to identify notes if they practice. I'm going to try, even if its true that its only an ability your born with. Anyways...

Btw, I've been wanting to practice out of a book that teaches you how to make chords (C major, D augmented) and how to apply them with melodies. In the book they're called Waltz bass, inverted waltz bass, Swing bass, and some others. Will this help me? or should I just learn accompaniment on my own? Im really only interested in learning the chords but if learning the other stuff will help then i'll learn that too.

[amelialw]

you can identify an F. that is relative pitch.

if you can sing a note for example F as you said without the piano or any other instrument to help you, that is perfect pitch. I have perfect pitch.
another example would be if someone played a chord on the piano. would you be able to identify the a)type of chord, b)key and c) all of the notes?

it is something that someone has and is passed through genes.

your teacher is right, anyone can learn how to identify notes, but that is not perfect pitch.

https://www.answers.com/perfect%20pitch
https://www.answers.com/relative%20pitch

[amelialw]

Thanks Faustsaccomplice I'll do that. By doing this i'll develop my relative and perfect pitch right? I already know what an F sounds like from playing one of my favorite melodies over and over again lol.

Btw, I've been wanting to practice out of a book that teaches you how to make chords (C major, D augmented) and how to apply them with melodies. In the book they're called Waltz bass, inverted waltz bass, Swing bass, and some others. Will this help me? or should I just learn accompaniment on my own? Im really only interested in learning the chords but if learning the other stuff will help then i'll learn that too.

this is why I brought up the subject on perfect/relative pitch

[valor]

you can identify an F. that is relative pitch.

if you can sing a note for example F as you said without the piano or any other instrument to help you, that is perfect pitch. I have perfect pitch.
another example would be if someone played a chord on the piano. would you be able to identify the a)type of chord, b)key and c) all of the notes?

it is something that someone has and is passed through genes.

your teacher is right, anyone can learn how to identify notes, but that is not perfect pitch.

https://www.answers.com/perfect%20pitch
https://www.answers.com/relative%20pitch

Ok i think i understand.. so perfect pitch is the ability to identify notes and stuff without having heard it previously or something? and relative pitch is the ability to identy notes with assistance? So, is the only way to identy chords is by having perfect pitch? And do singers have perfect pitch? And also, what are the advantages and disadvantages of perfect/relative pitch?

[amelialw]

there are many advantages, you could search perfect/absolute pitch and you will find it easily, there are of course a few disadvantages too.

no, not all singers have perfect pitch but there is a great advantage too. I'm a singer as well/ or rather I sing and it helps a lot

[faustsaccomplice]

you could search perfect/absolute pitch and you will find it easily

please tell us how

[dmc]

I wouldn't worry so much about what other people in your class have or don't have.  You should just concentrate on getting better in as many areas as possible.  One of your fellow classmates may be good at one thing (ear training perhaps) but chances are that you're better at something else.  Everybody has different strengths so its a waste of time to compare yourself to them.

FWIW, I have perfect pitch and my ears have been a strength.  But when it comes to classical music I think that sort of thing is only of limited value because you learn music off the printed page.  Not by ear.  In some ways I think I've used my ears too much at the expense of building my reading skills.  Just keep working at improving.  You'll be fine.

[valor]

I wouldn't worry so much about what other people in your class have or don't have.  You should just concentrate on getting better in as many areas as possible.  One of your fellow classmates may be good at one thing (ear training perhaps) but chances are that you're better at something else.  Everybody has different strengths so its a waste of time to compare yourself to them.

FWIW, I have perfect pitch and my ears have been a strength.  But when it comes to classical music I think that sort of thing is only of limited value because you learn music off the printed page.  Not by ear.  In some ways I think I've used my ears too much at the expense of building my reading skills.  Just keep working at improving.  You'll be fine.

Well im not sure what my strenghts are. I have poor accuracey so I hit wrong notes a lot, especially cords, I'm not a very fast player and I'm a pretty poor sight reader. Well, I guess the only strength i have is my motivation.

Oh, and i have a question for those who really understand how music work (composers, arrangers, people with perfect pitch). Does your deep understanding of music change the way you feel towards it?

[jazzyprof]

I was wondering, how is he able to do that and how can i learn how to do it too? Thanks for taking your time to read.

1.  You could simply ask him, "Hey bud, how do you do that?"
2.  You could try one of the many play-piano-by-ear courses (e.g. Pianomagic).  I know of people who've had great success with it.  You learn to figure out melodies by ear and work out suitable left hand accompaniments.  (And you don't need perfect pitch for that.)
3.  Try not to compare yourself to others.  You'll either become vain if you're better than they are or discouraged if you're worse.

[danny elfboy]

Perfect pitch can be taught and learned even if it's a bit of an hard work.
No one is born with perfect pitch but certain experiences, circumstance, environments and stimulus during infancy helps to develop an absolute perception of vibrations rather than an analogic one. No kind of gene has ever be found for perfect pitch and babies don't seem to possess perfect pitch.

Perfect pitch doesn't help much with composition or playing as the analogic perception of sounds is more than enough and even better in certain situations (accompanying and duets)

Someone who can improvize perfect accompainments has a stronger harmonic perception (which depends on many things, stimulus received, experience maid, sounds experienced but not genes) People with a weak harmonic perception perceive the songs and pieces they listen as a whole. People with a stronger harmonic perception perceive the single voices that build the whole song. Because of this they just apply what they have been spontaneously perceiving on years of listening to the piano playing.

You can improve your harmonic perception by focusing on the lower voices on a piece or song, practicing the left hand first and sight-reading the left hand first, starting with an accompainment and then adding the melody (rather than the other way around) and paying particular attention to progressions.