This is the most important skill a musician should have. Of course, creativity, imagination, music theory and technique - they all lead to becoming a great player, but not the excellent one.
Don't be a fool thinking: my technique is great, I'm very fast, so I'm great player. No! Don't treat your instrument like a machine, or your fingers like tools...You'll end up like fast player, who can play the hardest licks, but you'll production, your personal music, or thinking of something original, may disappear... I've been there.
I'm just not naturally gifted with creativity and "hearing" the music... - Crap! Big one. Listen, there will always be somebody better, and one better than that one...
Some get it sooner, some slower, but everybody can jam!
Self confidence + little bit of imagination and practice = you're jamming
So, back to the Ear training. Important thing you'll learn is to be able to identify:
Oh man! Remember Mozart? He was able to memorize a a piece (a long one) just hearing it once.
Or Beethoven, he wrote his famous symphonies while being completely deaf!
Ok, they are extremes, but it's all about really hearing the music...
How to train:
- Sing! Oh, yes. This is quite important. It doesn't matter how does it sound...practice scales, intervals, arpeggios...C'mon, this one is easy.
- Improvise! Do a lot of this on your Bass. You can think of some melodies, tunes, and a weird thing will happen - you'll figure out some songs from it!
- Transcribe! Figure out chords, tones, rhythms from a tune you're listening...it doesn't have to sound perfect at first, or at all. But after a while, you'll bring it to perfection... Try to do it without instrument (harder, but better).
- Imagine! Imagine a few tones, and then try to play them on your Bass....when you're able to do this with no sweat - next step is create, write, produce!
And remember to sing and play with some feelings....
