Working Out Songs By Ear

Here's my five point method for working out the chords to any song;

1. Work out the bass note (aka root note) of the first chord. i usually do this by finding all the notes on string 6 of the guitar

2. Repeat this for every chord until the sequence repeats

3. Go back to the first chord and work out if it is major or minor. Pausing or slowing down the song often will help lots!

4. Repeat this for every chord until the sequence repeats 

5. You now have your verse or intro chords. Repeat this for every section of the song

See my full How to work out songs by ear ebook and 1 hour livestream all on this topic here!

General tips

• Choose a song that repeats often. The more sections, or the less repetition, the harder everything becomes

• Choose a song within your ability. If you can't imagine playing something like it, you probably won't be able to work it out by ear

• Use headphones when listening to the song, you’ll hear the bass better and notes clearer

• Understand musical keys

• Strum the rhythm of a song with muted strings first

• Be able to hear the difference between major and minor

• Understand cadences and how a chord sequence can resolve