Mac and Eddie, just so you know, I'm in your camp. I can pretty much figure out stuff, but it was only after a few years of the 'Fingerpower' and other Schaum lessons, AND an astute 2nd piano teacher that could hear/see that I leaned toward 'playing by ear' that she taught me chord THEORY and why what I liked to hear, sounded the way that it did. At that time, it was playing the Journey hits to make the girls swoon that I was drawn to. Jonathan Cain wrote some pretty nice keyboard parts back in the day that would make the girls come and sit next to you on the piano bench!

Trust me, when I figured out how to play "Open Arms" on my own, and that first girl sat down on the bench beside me - I was in and wanted to learn more on how to read the chord charts and play from the heart, not memory.

Chord charts then became a tool, but not a substitute - because very often whomever provided the chart didn't do such a great job, and all of the passing notes and transitions simply weren't there in either the chord diagram nor the written out parts.

So, I didn't learn this from a classics/standards standpoint, but out of pure personal interest to advance my cause with those of the fairer sex.

I can't pick out the more complicated jazz forms by ear, but the sus4, add2, maj7, min7, augmented forms, chords over roots, I can do a pretty good job with them by ear. But I'm not opposed to short-cutting it either if it's faster than my estimating and pecking.

I think we probably agree on this, but I was just pointing out that Eddie's analogy was a little harsh and critical of something that's central to the wonders of PG products in general - their unique gift to the music software world of not needing to know how to play every instrument, or do proper arrangements by hand. They are shortcuts, and not always perfect - but a great springboard.

-Scott

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