Did you know that there are pianists who play unbelievably well without a single idea how to read music sheets? Most of the YouTube Piano Vloggers are in fact, self-taught pianists! They play songs based on the familiarity of sound heard (play the piano by ear). The talent you see in the self-taught pianists doesn’t just come, it takes practice, practice and more practice!
If you’re a renowned doubting Thomas, probably thinking that it’s not actually possible, check out Kodi Lee, who is a living proof that pianists can be brilliant even without any idea how to read music sheets. He is the 14th America’s Got Talent season winner, a 22-year-old pianist who is autistic and legally declared blind since age 4! A self-taught pianist, he blew everyone’s minds away by outdoing pianists who have gone through music school! Here’s how you can be a self-taught pianist, and play the piano by ear, just like Kodi!
1. The secret of playing by ear is simply listening
The secret to great playing is simple: Have a keen ear, one able to recognize even the most subtle difference in chords of different songs. Listening is also the best way to to memorize a piano song, so you can play it by ear easily. When beginning, choose simple piano songs, listen to the songs severally then internalize their melody. With this, you’re able to develop a rhythm after which you attempt different chord progressions on the piano, sticking to the one that seems the most natural for the set of songs. Keep trying out different sounds until you familiarize yourself with different piano keys and the sound they produce. From here, keep listening to a variety of songs and relating them with your knowledge of the piano keys and chords.
2. Four magic piano chords
There are four magic piano chords, familiar to most people in the music production industry. They are quite easy to learn; all you need to do is look them up and try them. The good news is that most pop songs use the same chord progressions in a variety of ways. Knowing these will make the playing of most common songs a walk in the park simply because you’ll be familiar with most song parts!
3. Be Brave!
As with anything new, teaching yourself how to play by ear without the pre-required music reading skills will be a bit hard. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes therefore, the skill will develop with time.
With these three tips, you’re on your way to becoming a great self-taught pianist. Keep practicing and in no time, it will yield perfection and you can play songs on the piano by ear effortless!
Easy Piano Songs 