Play Piano By Ear

By Morgan Showalter

What's Play Piano By Ear about?

Learn how to play piano by ear! In this podcast you’ll learn the “secret” those people seem to have who can just sit down and play a song they heard! Everything from practice ideas, to ways to start as a beginner, to advanced improv techniques, this podcast is for the music lover with a passion for learning!

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Play Piano By Ear episodes:

07.17.2023
The LAST Episode of This Podcast
This is the very last episode I will publish on this podcast! But not to worry - I have been working on creating a new podcast called Melodies with Morgan where I will upload weekly episodes every Monday. Join me...
12.31.2022
My Crazy Journey Learning Piano Chords
It wasn’t all clear and laid out when I learned piano chords. This episode goes through my journey (and what I learned the somewhat hard way) of figuring out piano chords.
12.19.2022
3 MUSTS for FUN Music - Riffs, Runs, Range
I loved making this episode! I’m answering three specific questions a personal friend of mine asked! I apply the answers to a vocal perspective as well as playing piano by ear.
11.28.2022
Why You Should Learn Chords FIRST
When playing by ear, it can be easy to start with the typical approach (sounding out the melody.) Here’s some insights on what you should really start with as well as some examples at the piano. Near the end, I...
10.10.2022
Theory - BIG Approach
Let’s turn piano theory, inside out, backwards, and upside down! This episode will give an overview of piano theory from a new perspective!
10.03.2022
How to Practice Chords
Here’s a golden method to master piano chords! Listen to this episode to find out the practice strategy that I give to all my students when they are first learning piano chords. This is a holistic approach, and we use...
09.26.2022
4 Practice Strategies to Play THIS SONG By Ear
Wouldn’t it be great if three was a way to practice, incrementally, a musical improv? (Can you even practice “improv” or playing by ear?) In this episode, I teach you how to do that!
09.19.2022
PIANO EXAMPLES: How to Play Any Song in Any Key
OF ANY EPISODE, LISTEN TO THIS ONE! A lot of you have requested that I include piano examples in my podcast. This episode is it! It’s a piano lesson on how to play any song in any key. I literally...
09.12.2022
Finale and GarageBand Tutorial
I use Finale and GarageBand to write digital sheet music. Here’s some great tips with getting started (and things I wish someone else would have walked me through when I was first learning these programs.)
06.02.2022
Life Updates / Live Lessons Opportunity
Hear what I’m up to this summer, ways you can take lessons with me in June 2022, and a behind the scenes scoop on running a business!
04.29.2022
Composition Lesson
Recently I taught a student how to compose a song. This episode takes you through that whole process along with us!
06.26.2021
Life Updates / Keeping a Song Flowing / Student Story
The title says it all. :) I’m exited to share some life updates as well as offer 4 keys to keeping a song flowing when you make it up on the spot. Stay till the end for a fun student...
05.16.2021
Why the I, IV, V Progression Resets Your Ear to a New Key
This episode covers sooooo many fun things!!! What is the I, IV, V progression? Why is it played so often before a song? Where does the “one, four, five” come from anyway? And some cool bonuses: what does God have...
02.20.2021
Chord Examples at the Piano
I’ll be playing through some favorite chord progressions (dramatic/happy/calm) and using the piano to describe how chords sound different depending how you play them.
02.07.2021
Great Ways to Begin Chord Charts
In this episode I tell you what to google to find great piano chord charts. I also explain ways to begin playing the chord charts on the piano.
01.13.2021
How to Count Rhythms You Make Up
As playing-by-ear musicians, we often come up with fun little tunes in our head. This episode describes how to take one of those tunes and figure out the rhythm. Listen til the end to hear a clear, easy example! (It...
12.29.2020
What My Practicing Looked Like
This episode describes how I would practice - by ear and also with my piano books. There’s a great way you can use each technique to lead into the other. Guidelines give opportunity for creativity! Learn effective ways to enhance...
12.20.2020
Hymns by Ear - 3rd Instrumental
Variation/medley of well-known hymns - all by ear. Includes: Great is Thy Faithfulness, A Mighty Fortress, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Blessed Assurance, Amazing Grace, Morning Has Broken, and more.
12.13.2020
Songs from My Heart
This is the second episode of 100% piano instrumental music - songs from my heart. It’s all by ear and I’m just playing wherever the music flows! Listen for a variety of key and rhythm changes.
12.08.2020
The Circle of 5ths Within the Circle of 5ths Within the Circle of 5ths!
Personally, this is my favorite topic to explore when it comes to the piano! I didn’t learn about the circle of 5ths until after 5 years of piano lessons. Once I learned it, it was like a lightbulb went on...
12.05.2020
Inside My Brain for a Song by Ear
Ever wonder what goes on inside someone’s brain when they’re playing by ear? Here, I’ll take you on a little tour through my mind as I play a song by ear and I’ll explain each segment of the song at...
12.04.2020
Play Your First Chord Inversion!
This episode is basically a free piano lesson on playing your first chord inversion. There’s 3 ways to play the same chord!! I’m at my piano and will be playing along so you can hear the notes!
12.03.2020
The Fun Non-Traditional Way to Learn Scales
Did you know you can take 3 chords on the piano and instantly turn them into a scale? In this episode I’m super excited to share a non-traditional way to learn scales! I also compare it to the traditional method...
12.02.2020
Can Playing by Ear Actually Be Taught?
I get this question all the time! I love answering this question! It is not a scary question! This podcast episode is my answer to the question.
12.01.2020
Instrumental - Piano Christmas Music by Ear
This episode is pure instrumental music!! I’m playing by ear at my piano. :) Listen to a medley of Christmas songs blended together in a variety of keys.
11.30.2020
How to Group Chords Together to Learn and Memorize Quickly
The 12 major chords can be broken down into 4 groups of 3. This helps to learn and memorize the chords quickly! Find out what the patterns are in this episode.
11.28.2020
Why “Happy Birthday” is Not Easy to Play by Ear
Join me as I go through “Happy Birthday” note by note and explain why this song is not as intuitive as it seems!
11.27.2020
All the Weird Chords
If you look at a chord chart, it appears that there’s a huge variety of chords like D2, G7, Asus, F#m, Bm and so on - not as easy as C, G, D, and the basic 12 major chords. In...
11.26.2020
Backwards Piano Teaching - Let’s Jump to the Fun Stuff!
Hear me thank my dad for my car oil right at the beginning of this episode!
11.25.2020
How Many Chords Are There?
There are 5,286 chords on the piano! (Just kidding!!) Actually, the answer might surprise you! Also, don’t miss the free giveaway described in this episode - there’s not just one winner - every listener can get it!
11.24.2020
How to Instantly Play Any Song
This episode explains how to “predict” what a melody is - in other words, how to hear and melody and know what notes to play on the piano.
11.21.2020
So Easy You Can’t Miss! - Learn Your First Piano Chord
In this episode, I reveal all the tips and tricks of the method I use to teach students their first piano chord! This is so easy that I even have 5 year old students playing chord arpeggios in just a...
11.20.2020
Why First Guitar Lesson is More Fun than First Piano Lesson
Learn what guitar methods got RIGHT that piano methods MISSED!! So, I am biased toward piano, but I’ve got to say, guitar teaching methods have one up on the piano methods! Guitarists are doing something right that pianists NEED TO...
11.20.2020
Q&A: Do You Practice Playing by Ear?
True or false: People who play by ear - they just, POOF, play anything by ear - no practice, no effort, no knowledge, no idea how they do what they do... is that really how it works? (NO!!) So how...
11.20.2020
You Need to Know This Cool Chord Connection!
This is something not taught in traditional theory piano books! The diatonic chords from the major scale parallel to the major chords on the circle of fifths and their relative minor chords! Understanding this connection will boost your ability at...
11.19.2020
How Classical Training Helps OR Hinders Playing by Ear
There’s a lot of ways classical training is beneficial to playing by ear but also a lot (more) ways where it can hinder someone from making the change from sheet music to improv! Here’s a variety of pros and cons!
11.18.2020
Demystifying Worship Team Chord Charts
Here’s the things I wish I’d have known when I began to play piano on a church worship team. There were a lot of things that were assumed or expected that I didn’t know which were totally different from my...
11.18.2020
What Does it Mean to “Play by Ear?”
There’s a lot of different ideas that might come to mind when we think of playing piano by ear. In this episode I go through a lot of those ideas and also give my definition of what it means to...
11.18.2020
My Music Story - How I Learned to Play by Ear
There are 3 influential experiences that helped me learn to play piano by ear. In this episode I share those experiences!
11.18.2020
Play Piano By Ear (Trailer)

What's Play Piano By Ear about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Play Piano By Ear episodes:

The LAST Episode of This Podcast

My Crazy Journey Learning Piano Chords

3 MUSTS for FUN Music - Riffs, Runs, Range

Why You Should Learn Chords FIRST

Theory - BIG Approach

How to Practice Chords

4 Practice Strategies to Play THIS SONG By Ear

PIANO EXAMPLES: How to Play Any Song in Any Key

Finale and GarageBand Tutorial

Life Updates / Live Lessons Opportunity

Composition Lesson

Life Updates / Keeping a Song Flowing / Student Story

Why the I, IV, V Progression Resets Your Ear to a New Key

Chord Examples at the Piano

Great Ways to Begin Chord Charts

How to Count Rhythms You Make Up

What My Practicing Looked Like

Hymns by Ear - 3rd Instrumental

Songs from My Heart

The Circle of 5ths Within the Circle of 5ths Within the Circle of 5ths!

Inside My Brain for a Song by Ear

Play Your First Chord Inversion!

The Fun Non-Traditional Way to Learn Scales

Can Playing by Ear Actually Be Taught?

Instrumental - Piano Christmas Music by Ear

How to Group Chords Together to Learn and Memorize Quickly

Why “Happy Birthday” is Not Easy to Play by Ear

All the Weird Chords

Backwards Piano Teaching - Let’s Jump to the Fun Stuff!

How Many Chords Are There?

How to Instantly Play Any Song

So Easy You Can’t Miss! - Learn Your First Piano Chord

Why First Guitar Lesson is More Fun than First Piano Lesson

Q&A: Do You Practice Playing by Ear?

You Need to Know This Cool Chord Connection!

How Classical Training Helps OR Hinders Playing by Ear

Demystifying Worship Team Chord Charts

What Does it Mean to “Play by Ear?”

My Music Story - How I Learned to Play by Ear

Play Piano By Ear (Trailer)