Music: Play-by-ear

Play by ear has a different learning goal to generic music education. The focus is on 'here and now' music rather than 'excellence' i.e however accomplished you are. What music can we make now in this room, on the spot, unrehearsed, with what is at hand? (Dr Tom Benjamin)

Music: Play-by-ear is a simplified music-learning series mapped to SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) and the entire ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) K-12+ music curriculum.

The Play-by-ear method was developed by researcher Dr Tom Benjamin and awarded an Australian Innovation Patent based on its novel use of one finger chords. This method empowers and engages novices to instantly participate in music projects without fear of hitting a wrong note.

Beginning with simplified chords and patterns common to most popular music, this resource is suitable for a wide audience ranging from total beginners to accomplished musicians and learners in school settings to adults in aged care. Unlike formal musical training, play-by-ear skills are useful in a wide range of settings and equip learners with skills for continuous development.

This music-making resource pack consists of instructional PDFs with chord diagrams and thirty-five audio files (MP3 and MIDI files) for song practice. Suitable for both classroom and/or online learning. This downloadable resource will guide educators and/or learners, step by step, through fundamentals of music making including:

• The secret to play-by-ear
• No-fail methods to 'level the playing field'
• The only 'magic chord' you need to know
• Two, three, and four-chord pop songs
• The 12-Bar Blues

Contents:

1. Free study guide (10-page PDF)

• Music as a key media component
• Simple chords and progression examples

2. Play-by-Ear (21-page PDF)

• Zero and one-finger chords
• Methods to 'level the playing field' for inclusive participation
• The 'secret' to play-by-ear
• Guitar and ukulele chords and activities
• Progression and transposition tools
• Activity suggestions for Primary and Secondary curricula

3. Worksheets ×7

• Worksheet #1: One-chord songs, Zero-finger chords
• Worksheet #2: Two-chord songs, One-finger chords
• Worksheet #3: Three-chord songs, One-finger chords
• Worksheet #4: Four-chord songs, One-finger chords
• Worksheet #5: Five-chord songs, One-finger chords
• Worksheet #6: 12-bar blues, One-finger chords
• Worksheet #7: E-music

4. BONUS – Worksheets ×2 and audio files ×35

• Two-Chord One-Finger song sheet for 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands' (Ukulele Version)
• Musical Rosetta Stone – Analysing and Transposing Progressions
• Audio files (MP3 files ×28 and MIDI files ×7)
• Practice files for one to three-finger play with simple progressions. They are in two keys: D for one-finger guitar and C for one-finger ukulele.
• The MIDI files are smaller file versions of the songs and ideal for easy file sharing. MIDI files can also be edited by students and teachers to extract different instrument tracks if desired.
• The MP3 tracks are larger but have a more complete sound than midi and are more fun to jam with the one-finger chords.

Relevant areas within the Australian Curriculum:

• Music
• Media
• Arts

This resource also addresses General Capabilities within the Australian Curriculum:

• Literacy
• Personal and Social Capability
• Ethical Understanding
Multicultural and indigenous music applications

Technical requirements:

• Learners have access to laptops or larger computers with USB and audio
• Learners have access to Wi-Fi
• Learners can download the required apps to their devices
• Access to a recorder (woodwind), a guitar and/or ukulele
• Adequate space for learners to work and move safely, sing and play
• Learners have access to an email address
• Students will be encouraged to download free software: Audacity and ChordPulse Lite

Please note: References to music available on the internet are subject to copyright considerations.