Blogger revives an old-school trick to actually get better at guitar — by ear, one note at a time

The gist

A short post by Jake Worth, picked up on Hacker News, is pushing a simple but stubborn idea: stop leaning on tabs and learn songs by transcribing them yourself. Worth credits guitar teacher Justin Sandercoe for the technique and says it changed his playing; it has been reported that the post is part of an “April Cools” series, a chance to publish something sincere but different. The write-up is part testimonial, part how-to — and readers on the thread are debating whether this is obvious wisdom or a revelation.

The drill

The method is almost painfully low-tech. Pick an easy song, print blank tab paper, hit play, stop when you hear the next note, find it on the neck and write it down. Repeat until the track’s transcribed. Then compare with online tabs and live videos, correct mistakes, and drop the songs into a playlist you practice from. Worth argues that you learn whole songs — transitions, secondary parts, even the little surprises — not just isolated riffs. It has been reported that he often can play a song near tempo on the first try after transcribing it.

Why people care

This taps into a familiar nostalgia: the 90s kids who hoarded Guitar World tabs versus modern ear training. The emotional hook is the moment you realize you can hear a note and find it — suddenly you’re that kid who could copy anything on the radio. Does it work for everyone? Maybe not; anecdotes aren’t studies. But for players tired of tab hoarding and looking to level up musical intuition, this old-school ear drill might be the fast lane. Want to try it? Your guitar and a pencil are all you need.

Sources: jakeworth.com, Hacker News