Re: [MUSIC} playing in other keys .. . and a question . . .

#1 · November 25, 2003, 12:12 am

Posted by: FBandDb <FBandDb@...>

Dennis replied to Phil:

". . . then transposing is merely moving the known pattern to a different root"

I've found this to work well also. I have no formal music training (4 years of choral in high school - which I bluffed my way through in the music reading part) so moving the pattern to another string or so many steps up or down the fret board works for me. Usually our worship leader will just tell me how many 'steps' we're modulating. This way I can play the same pattern, but don't always know what key I've modulated too; or he'll tell me the key to modulate to and I play the pattern from that root. He doesn't throw that out too often, which is good b/c we never know what we're playing till he gets there.

And Wulf responded:

". . . It's not dissimilar to playing by ear - if you can hear where you need to go, it cuts down on the amount of conscious 'mathematics' you need to process."

Which brings me to my question (which changes the subject). I can 'hear' where I need to go. I can sing it (which I was told is the first part of playing by ear and transcribing). But I have the HARDEST time figuring out where what I hear should be coming from on my bass. Is this just a gift, or is this something I can learn? I'm always amazed when someone can hear a single note and tell you what it is. It would take me somewhere in the vicinity of 12 tries : ) Or hear a song and tell you the key.

So if it's not a natural gift, is it trial and error until you just learn what you are hearing?

Thanks for all the input

(Donna)