As you learn more songs, you find that your ear improves.
Try the following procedures when learning a composition:
1. Internalize the melody.
- listen to a recording of the song by a major artist
- play along with the recording and try to capture the style, energy, and rhythmic interpretation
- sing the melody and then play it on piano
- play it in different keys once you know the melody
2. Study the harmony and form
- sing the roots of the chords, then play it on the piano
- analzye the chord progression and form. Simplify the chords by reducing the progression to a few primary key centers. Look for sequences and familiar chord patterns from other tunes you already know.
- outline the chord progression using guide tone lines.
- guide tones are pitches that define the sound of the chord: 3rds and the 7ths
- start by playing the 3rd or the 7th of the first chord and hold it for the duration of the chord; then move to either the 3rd or the 7th of the following chord, whichever one is closest
- outline the chords with the appropriate scales and arps, using the harmonic rhythm of the chord progression. If the chord lasts 2 beats, play only the first, second, third and fifth notes of the scale.
- play the chords on the piano
3. Write a solo on the form of the tune
This is helpful to clarify what you are hearing in a song.