Hi, Michelle.

I do not believe that the ability to learn by ear is a gift or knack that you have or haven't got. I believe that it is a skill that you can teach yourself.

I, too, was rigorously paper-trained, but I have always learned songs by ear so with the mandolin I am having a comparatively easy transition from learning tunes from tadpoles to learning them by ear.

For me, the first stage of learning a tune is breaking it down into phrases about two bars long. This is easiest to do with another person or a cassette tape, but it is also possible with computer CD players such as RealPlayer.

When I can play the first phrase perfectly, I start learning the second, then join them and play the tune from the beginning. Then I start the third, and when I can play that perfectly I go back to the beginning and play as far as I can. When I can play the first three phrases without error, I learn the last phrase, then go back to the beginning again and play to the end. Most traditional tunes repeat phrases, so this process is less complicated than it sounds.

I then repeat the entire eight-bar section until I can play it perfectly and without hesitation. Then I am ready to start learning the second part of the tune, which I do exactly the same way.

When I can play the second part of the tune without error, I start at the beginning of the first part and play the entire tune to the end with the repeats.

When I have completed the entire process, I find the new tune is fairly well established and I can recall it correctly with only a little refreshment (i.e., listening to the original). At this stage, I identify the specific combination of notes and rhythm that becomes the "tag" I use to recall the tune.

The next stage of learning for me is when the tune becomes an "ear worm" running through my head constantly. Whenever possible during this stage, I give in to the ear worm and play the tune repeatedly.

After two or three days of ear-worming, the tune is fully learned and well seated in long-term memory. I can then retrieve it correctly at any time, usually by playing or humming the "tag" phrase, and play it accurately.