YT P JYPQYRO….. (Please refer to your newspaper for complete puzzle.)
TODAY’S CLUE: S = H
ANSWER: IF A PIANIST KEEPS BANGING THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD ON THE KEYS, HE’S PROBABLY PLAYING BY EAR.
Playing by Ear
A musical skill based on listening, memory, and instinct rather than written notation
What It Means
Playing by ear refers to the ability to reproduce music without relying on sheet music. A musician listens to a melody or harmony and recreates it based on sound alone, using pitch recognition and memory.
How It Works
Musicians who play by ear identify intervals, chord patterns, rhythms, and tonal centers as they hear them. Over time, repeated listening builds an internal reference system that guides the fingers or voice.
Where It’s Common
Playing by ear is especially common in jazz, blues, folk, rock, and popular music traditions. These styles often emphasize improvisation and listening over strict adherence to written scores.
Learned or Natural
While some musicians appear to pick it up naturally, playing by ear is widely considered a trainable skill. Ear training, repetition, and active listening all strengthen this ability over time.
Beyond Music
The phrase “play it by ear” is also used idiomatically to mean proceeding without a fixed plan, adapting as circumstances unfold. This usage comes directly from the musical practice.