I’ve been learning to draw and paint. It’s something I’ve always loved and brings me great joy. The funny thing about it is that I’m not learning to draw so much as I am learning to see. For instance, if you want to draw a convincing face they teach you anatomy. If you want to draw a convincing still life they teach you about value and shading. And it really works.

Now what does this have to do with music? Only this. If you don’t know how to hear as a musician you can’t play like one. For instance when I sit down to play a piece of music that I’ve never seen before, I can hear it in my inner ear. I look at the notes and they produce pitches in my head (and no I’m not hearing voices). This is much like an artist who has a good idea of what they are going to paint even before putting brush to paper. How do I get to this point? Ear Training!

Check out my new game at www.GuitarGames.net it’s called The Melody Game. Start learning to hear and you’ll be surprised what you can play.