• Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 55

Topic: Learning by Listening to the Radio

Is it possible to learn how to play or improve your playing by by trying to play what you hear on the radio?

There are times when I am driving and I hear a song and I think of the strum pattern or the rhythmn of the song and try to duplicate the sound on my guitar.

Sometimes I feel like I use the same old strum pattern all the time. I guess at the very least listening to songs on the radio or iPod playlist can get me to think about different rythmns or harmonies.

  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

Not only possible, but a good idea.  If you imagine yourself following the song, strum pattern, it will help.  Anthony Robbins says that picturing what you want will help greatly.  Picture yourself constantly doing a great golf swing or playing guitar is the best way to achieve your goal.  And of course, lots of actual practice.

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  • NELA
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  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
  • Registered: 2007-11-28
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Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

I am constantly listening to the radio / cd player while driving. I keep a couple of picks on the console and as I am listening I strum across my chest to the rythem of the some. This helps me understand the strum patterns and be ready when I can sit down with guitar in hand.

Nela

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  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

Thats pretty much how I learned. I would put on a record and try to play along. It makes it easy to figure out what key to play in. As well as the strum patterns. Plus you will be playing to the beat. That will improve your timing. Make sure once you've learned the song to play it without the track. That way you can listen for your mistakes instead of letting them be covered up by the band you are emulating. Don't forget jam tracks also.

  • Registered: 2008-07-19
  • Posts: 128

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

I struggled with learning songs that way. There are some very talented people on Youtube covering songs. I find someone who does a good job on the song I want to learn and watch them. There are a couple of benefits, the first one being that you can hear just the guitar without all of the other instruments to distract you. Also you can usually see what chords are being played, If there is a chord you don't recognize you will have to look it up so you will learn more chords. You can also see how they add in imbelishments.

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

I can identify tunes I am interested in from listening to the radio. Radio is not a good tool for learning a song well. Back in my bandleader days, my wife would have her radio with the tape player-permanently on "Record" with the "Pause" button down. A good tune would find her quickly pushing "Pause" off to record what was left of the tune. I could then try to record the missed beginning of that particular song if I wanted to learn it or to make up my own intro until better informed.
My job then was to play the tape, a phrase at a time, over and over until I figured out the lyrics and chords. After years of doing this, I can figure out a new song using this antiquated method in an hour or two.
These days we have U-Tube to help us learn the arrangement, Google has lyrics, chords and tabs.
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  • NELA
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  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
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Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

One other thing - listening to a radio, cd or any other tool will allow you to get the rythem, melody and the lyrics for that song. In order to listen and play that song correctly you need to discover the key it is being played in and practice it until you have it down pat. If the song is in a key that does not match your voice or the singer' voice you will need to learn to transpose the sone into another key. This is all a learning process and is not as difficult as it sounds. But that is another story.

Nela

NELA's Website

  • zguitar
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  • From: Mentone, Ca
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
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Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

craig23 wrote:

... It makes it easy to figure out what key to play in.  ...

I have no idea about the key of a song. I for sure can't pick it out on the radio.

Southrnrockr - You nailed it on the head for me. Youtube is how I learn. If this were 50 years ago and we didn't have the internet, I wouldn't be playing guitar.

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Registered: 2009-11-16
  • Posts: 605

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

The best way to learn a tune by hearing is to get a cassette. You can stop and rewind to the part you are having trouble with.

  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

What I mean is I listen to the guitar and I usually just fret a barre chord and try to strum along. If I sound high, I slide down a couple frets. If I sound low, I slide up a couple frets. About a third of the way through the song I usually have it figured out. Now this is the way I learned... now days I also use youtube alot, or tabs from chordie. I have a cheap electric guitar and a pratice amp at work. Most days at lunch I can be found hackin away at my newest favoritest song of the day with my headphones on one ear,  listening to the amp with the other.

  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: Learning by Listening to the Radio

I forgot to add... In "Windows Media Player" there is a really cool feature which lets you slow down the music without affecting the pitch. Go to the now playing tab-->enhancements-->play speed settings. There is a slider bar that lets you controll the speed. Now if they just had it in ITunes I'd be set.