Figuring Out Songs Lesson by Korry

From: LIVENGOOD.MIKE@a1gw.gene.com (Mike Livengood)
Subject: LESSON: Figure out tunes by ear

Today's lesson

When I first started playing guitar I was ultimately frustrated that
I couldn't play the songs that I heard on the radio unless someone 
showed me how. This was pretty tough, seeing as this was before the
days of the Internet and guitar publications and because I was raised
by a pack of roaming wolves who were completely tone deaf.

Then out of desperation I sat down with a tune that I knew pretty 
well, but didn't know how to play (I think it was an REO Speedwagon
tune.) I fiddled around and poked and experimented and finally after
three days of trying...got it completely wrong.

But the silver lining to my otherwise gray cloud was that I figured
out what it takes to pick up tunes by ear. It just takes time. The more
you try to pick out tunes by ear, the better you get. I promise.

Chords

So how do you do it? Well, I first listen closely a few times to the CD
and get the general feel for the song, the layout, the sections, the
different instruments etc. Then I sit down with my guitar and pick out
the bass line, or even just the bass notes to the chord changes. This
may take a while if the bass is tough to hear. Sometimes headphones help.
The thing about bass notes is that there are no majors, minors, sevenths,
suspensions or anything like that to confuse you when you're just
getting started. I just start at the open E and continue up and down the
string trying each note until one fits. I usually try the common keys
(E, A, D, C & G) first. Then I restart the CD and narrow it down even
more, until I have the first note, then the second, then the third. This 
process usually drives my wife crazy because she has now heard the first 
part of this song 14 times. So you might want to consider headphones.

So once I have the bass notes I play along with the CD and just play the
bass notes. I'll also try experimenting with other