Ear Training Made Easier Than Ever
Learn to Figure Out Songs by Ear, Even if You’re a Beginner
Learning to play music can be one of the most meaningful and rewarding things you’ll ever do in your life.
There’s nothing like the feeling of being able to express yourself freely through your instrument.
Unfortunately, music is often taught in a way that skips over much of what makes playing music so incredibly awesome.
Here’s what I mean:
The very first lesson usually starts with a piece of paper. This piece of paper tells you how to move your fingers in order to play a song correctly.
Very often, this is what the first couple of years of learning guitar looks like. If you’re lucky, that is.
Because with all the tabs and tutorial videos online, many guitarists never get beyond this stage. Many guitarists spend their entire musical life simply memorising how to play songs.
But you can be different.
You can choose another path and learn music the way all the greats did.
From Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer. From the Beatles to Slash. From B.B. King to Joni Mitchell. They didn’t have YouTube, Google or Ultimate Guitar to help them.
And so they just learned songs using their ears.
By learning songs by ear, they laid the foundation of their musicianship. Those well-developed ears were key in writing amazing songs, improvising incredible solos and simply becoming overall awesome musicians.
You can do the same, by deciding to go down a path that focuses on developing your musicality instead of just technique.
And that path starts with figuring out songs by ear.
Talent is Practice in Disguise
You might wonder though: do I have what it takes to go down this path?
Don’t you need to be extremely talented to be able to learn songs by ear?
I totally get that question. From 15+ years of teaching, I know that most people feel that figuring out songs by ear is really hard. It looks like magic when they see someone figure out a tune by ear.
Many people don’t believe they could ever be ‘talented’ enough to learn songs by ear themselves. But after a few weeks of practice, they’re shocked at how much better they’ve gotten at it.
Talent is practice in disguise.
Just like learning to play a D minor chord, learning songs by ear is a matter of practice.
I’ve seen it again and again with my private students. From students who’d been playing for ages to ten years olds who’d never touched a guitar.
And these aren’t Beethoven/Hendrix/Bieber(?)-type musical prodigies. Nope, I’m talking your average, run-of-the-mill kiddos. (Like I was at that age.)
What I also know from teaching this to dozens of students, is that it can be overwhelming to start figuring out songs on your own.
- What songs should you start with?
- What do you do when you get stuck?
- How do you know if you’ve gotten the song right?
I created this course, Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter to answer these questions and make it as easy as possible to get started.
The course gives you note-by-note instructions to make sure you never feel lost. You’ll get feedback on each note you figure out, so you know exactly when you’re making a mistake and when you’re totally nailing it.
Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter features 24 songs that are perfect to begin training your ears. They start off simple and slowly introduce different challenges, such as more instruments playing at the same time, faster melodies, or melodies played on a weird sounding instrument.
In short, this course helps you put in a ton of super-focused practice that will kick-start your ear training.
Enroll in the free sample course and get the first three lessons for free. You’ll like it.
Click the button below and get started right now!
- Joel
Enroll Now
You can take this course by becoming a StringKick All Access Member! The membership gives you access to Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter and all other courses on StringKick. As always, if you change your mind for literally any reason, you’ll get a full refund within 30 days.
- Connor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter?
Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter is a beginner-friendly ear training course that teaches you to figure out songs by ear through 24 carefully selected songs. The course provides note-by-note instructions and interactive feedback, so you start learning the same way legendary guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer did: by training your ears with real music.
What exactly will I learn in this course?
You’ll learn to figure out melodies and riffs from real songs by ear. The course features 24 songs from artists like Alt-J, The Cure, Interpol, and Santana. Through interactive lessons with instant feedback on each note, you’ll start to develop the fundamental ear training skills that separate guitarists who just memorize tabs from those who truly understand music.
How long does it take to complete the course?
The course includes 24 songs designed as focused practice sessions. You can work through the lessons at your own pace, so how long you take depends on how much time you practice. With a few lessons a day, you’d finish the course in about a week. With a few lessons per week, you’d complete it in under two months.
Do I need any prior experience to start this course?
This is the perfect starting point for ear training, even if you’re a complete beginner. The course focuses on the most basic ear training skill, called tone matching: hearing a note in a recording and matching it on your guitar. To make this easier, you’ll choose between just 2-3 notes instead of all possible notes. Songs start simple and gradually introduce new challenges. If you can play basic guitar, you’re ready.
How do I get access to this course?
This course is available to StringKick All Access members. When you join, you get instant access to Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter and all other courses on the site. You can login and start training your ears right away.
What if I don't like the membership?
Simple: if you decide the membership is not for you, you’ll get a full refund within 30 days. No matter the reason.
Why is learning songs by ear important?
Learning by ear is how all the greats developed their musicianship: from the Beatles to John Mayer. It gives you insight into how music is constructed, sharpens your perception, and builds the foundation for writing songs, improvising solos, and becoming an overall great musician. Most importantly, it transforms you from someone who just memorizes tabs into a musician who can play by ear.
How do I figure out a song by ear?
I’ve written an in-depth, step-by-step guide on how to learn songs by ear. Check it out here! If you have any specific questions, leave a comment on that page or email me: just(at)stringkick.com.
How is this different from the other Make Your Ears Awesome courses?
All these courses focus on figuring out songs by ear, but they are at different difficulty levels. Make Your Ears Awesome: Kick-Starter is the entry course and perfect for beginners. Think of it as your foundation course. Once you complete it, you can move to Make Your Ears Awesome: Riffs and Melodies or Make Your Ears Awesome: Chord Progressions, as well as all the other courses on the StringKick ear training roadmap.
What artists are the songs in the course by?
The course features songs by Alt-J, The Kills, Bloc Party, Whitest Boy Alive, The Shins, Bic Runga, Feist, Future Islands, Kaiser Chiefs, The Cure, Editors, Interpol and Santana. I also made a bunch of tracks myself specifically for this course.
Can I take this course on my phone, tablet, or laptop?
Yes, the course works on any device with a web browser. You can login to StringKick on any device you own and switch between them whenever you want. Whether you’re at home with your laptop or practicing on the go with your phone, you can continue right where you left off.
How can I get in touch if I have any other questions?
Feel free to contact me here or email me at just(at)stringkick.com if you have any questions!
