playing melody problem(poor memory)

[morrism357]

Having a lot of trouble playing melodies by ear. No matter how simple(happy birthday, or whatever). I beleive I have trouble remembering pitches. For instance when I listen to a song I sing along very much in tune and I also match pitch very well. But when I'm asked to sing to a backing track(karaoke) and there is no other instrument to carry the melody I'm way off key.My voice coach was very frustrated and didn't really know what to do about it.Same thing happens when I try to play a melody on piano. I can sing notes and find the notes on the piano. But I always seem to sing to high one time or too low another. I have a hard time finding starting pitches of a musical phrase whether I'm singing to accompany or trying to figure it out by ear. I've had a lot of music theory training and can sight read pretty good. Playing by ear has always been the missing piece too my musical puzzle. I usually like gospel, R@b and pop , soul, smooth jazz and neo-soul. All of these genres require me to play by ear. Must learn this been searching the internet for answers for years.

[Mysteryman]

Do you sing in the scales you practice? You may have to work harder than others.

[morrism357]

if you mean play scale then sing it note for note as I play it yes very easily. if you mean sing a scale accuratly given only the tonic(first note) usually not.

[morrism357]

my biggest problem seems to be remembering a pitch then finding it. I usually lose the pitch before I find it . I believe the technical term is tonal or pitch  memory. I had to sing with the live recording turned down slow at my recording because I couldn't sing to the backing track. Only way I can sing to the backing track is if the track contains another melody instrument. If I just sing or hum a note at random I can easily find it on the piano.

[littlelamb]

I would try the system of solfege. Do re mi fa sol la ti do. It sounds silly but when used correctly it works. Think of the Sound of Music. Your ear has to be trained like exercise. Each of those syllables is related to a degree of the scale, those particular ones are related to the major scale. Since you're having trouble stay in major scale land.

So, in the key of C:

Do (C); Re (D); Mi (E); Fa (F); Sol (G); LA (A); Ti (B); Do (C). Sing it up and back down. If you can sing and play do both. If you understand triads sing the notes of a major triad on C, F, G which are I, IV, and V. Do this as a warm up in different keys.

Once you've practiced that for a while apply the solfege syllables to a melody that you're trying to learn. Like Happy Birthday. If I apply solfege to Happy Birthday it will be:

So, so, la, so, do, ti (Happy Birthday to You)
So, so, la, so, re, do
So, so, so(Up and octave), mi, do, ti, la
fa, fa, mi, do, re, do

If this is confusing hit me up. It does work if you stick to it.

[MrTea]

Having a lot of trouble playing melodies by ear. No matter how simple(happy birthday, or whatever). I beleive I have trouble remembering pitches. For instance when I listen to a song I sing along very much in tune and I also match pitch very well. But when I'm asked to sing to a backing track(karaoke) and there is no other instrument to carry the melody I'm way off key.My voice coach was very frustrated and didn't really know what to do about it.Same thing happens when I try to play a melody on piano. I can sing notes and find the notes on the piano. But I always seem to sing to high one time or too low another. I have a hard time finding starting pitches of a musical phrase whether I'm singing to accompany or trying to figure it out by ear. I've had a lot of music theory training and can sight read pretty good. Playing by ear has always been the missing piece too my musical puzzle. I usually like gospel, R@b and pop , soul, smooth jazz and neo-soul. All of these genres require me to play by ear. Must learn this been searching the internet for answers for years.

  You have all the tools but, you are not using them correctly.  It all comes down to "Knowing thy intervals" the distance from one note to the next.  Chords are made from intervals and melodies are made from intervals.  You play by ear the same way you play by lead sheet.  By intervals.  Then take those intervals and form  patterns, and chords.  Lets take a simple blues bass pattern.  Pick a key, any key, doesn't matter, because as you know we are not reading notes, but numbers, intervals off the tonic or (1) to be exact.  The only note, that is inportant is the starting note, so lets make our bassline starting not  C.  There, thats your tonic, or you One.  To stay on pitch,  you have to know where the One is when the chords change.  So if my first chord is C7, my tonic (C) will keep me on key.  Your first bar may go something like, 1(C7),3,5,6,  and in the second bar the tonic  becomes, 1(F7),3,5,6 then back to 1(C7),3,5,6 for 2 bars.    Then 1(F7),3,5,6, for 2 bars. And back to the key, 1(C7),3,5,6 for 2 bars.  Then 1(G7),3,5,6 and 1(F7),3,5,6 and back to the Key, 1(C7),3,5,6.  So all you do is add rhythm.  And you got your bass pattern in the left hand, you got your chords in your right.  And you got your tonics, to keep you on pitch.  Practice singing, or playing melodies over these simple patterns and let the tonics keep you in key.  And listen to more blues.  You will be amazed at how it will help you with ear training.