An easy way to build your ear skills

Learning to pick out the key to a song (the “tonic”) is a very useful skill to have as an “ear” musician.

Many of you have found this tip very helpful…

Go to a site like TowerRecords.com or open Itunes, where you’ll have access to hundreds of thousands of song samples (no purchase necessary).

Simply go to your favorite genre and start listening to the samples.

Just take your time and listen for that ONE common note that can almost be sang over any chord in the song. Try to fast-forward yourself to the end of the song and figure out what the keynote of that chord would be. Often times, the keynote (root note) of the first chord is the key of the song… but not always.

Also, you can review this post for more tips on finding the key.

Have fun with this one!

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Jermaine Griggs

Founder at HearandPlay.com

Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way... if you know the rules of the "language!" I started this site at 17 years old in August 2000 and more than a decade later, we've helped literally millions of musicians along the way. Enjoy!

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