Learning and playing an instrument by ear can be extremely rewarding, and ideal if you are unable to get out and about or find the cost of private tuition too much.
Below are some details of some organisations which produce audio recordings of music tutorials or audio learning materials.
Bill Brown's music lessons by ear
These music lessons on CD or MP3 offer excellent instruction in banjo and mandelin, flute, penny whistle and saxophone, bass and drums, violin and piano. Choose from single lessons or complete courses. In each course or individual lesson, your teacher will demonstrate the song or passage for you, then talk you through it in full detail indicating fingering, strings and frets.
You can borrow these lessons from the RNIB National Library Service by contacting Megan Chivers by telephone on 0161 429 1973, or you can preview and buy the lessons online by visiting Bill Brown's website.
Penny Weedon's keyboard music
This is a set of five CDs teaching keyboard to beginners. The series takes you from the basics of picking out a melody by ear to how to put chords in the left hand. It uses popular melodies to illustrate new material. The first CD also gives advice on buying a keyboard and where to find your nearest keyboard clubs. The cost is £35 for a set of five CDs, claiming to offer a year's worth of learning. For further details, please contact the Music People by telephone on 0118 988 7444 or visit the Music People website.
In Touch with Guitar by Dan Jones
In Touch With Guitar is a five CD box set for Classical or Spanish guitar written with visually-impaired learners in mind, but suitable for all wanting to learn by ear rather than notation. On Dan Jones's website, you can read about his teaching philosophies, hear excerpts, order a demo disc and buy copies of the course. The course costs £45.
Choraline
Choraline produce part-specific cassettes and CDs, developed by singers, designed to help choral singers of all abilities to learn a part quickly and efficiently. They produce part-specific cassettes and CDs, developed by singers, designed to help choral singers of all abilities to learn a part quickly and efficiently.
Saffron Choral PROMPT
Saffron Choral PROMPT offers a unique series of recordings to help singers learn their parts created by Quintus Benziger. Each recording features one separate voice-part (for example, 2nd alto, 1st bass) of a particular choral work, in English or the original language. The voice-part is sung at normal speed, with a piano accompaniment including helpful cues from other parts. Quintus Benziger also produces tailor made tapes or CDs that guide you through the music you want to play on the piano or other instruments.
Cyberbass
Cyberbass has a free real-time resource where one can listen to a rehearsal track for major works. Useful for those who would prefer not to bear the additional cost of buying a rehearsal CD.