play by ear

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

play by ear (third-person singular simple present plays by ear, present participle playing by ear, simple past and past participle played by ear)

1. (transitive and intransitive, of music) To play guided by one's musical ear, rather than from a written score.
2. (transitive and intransitive, idiomatic) To do by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur, often with risk of negative outcomes; to improvise.

   If they ask for something we didn't prepare, we will have to play it by ear.

   • 2001 August 30, Shakira (lyrics and music), “Whenever, Wherever”, in Laundry Service‎^[1]:

     There over, hereunder / Or up above, don't wonder / We can always play by ear / But that's the deal, my dear

Synonyms

• (do by guessing, intuition, etc, reacting to events as they occur): fly by the seat of one's pants, make it up as one goes along, wing it

Translations

play music guided by one's musical ear

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 憑記憶演奏／凭记忆演奏 (píng jìyì yǎnzòu)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: soittaa korvakuulolta
• French: jouer à l’oreille
• Galician: tocar de oído
• German: nach Gehör spielen
• Polish: grać ze słuchu (literally “play from hearing”)
• Portuguese: tocar de memória (literally “play from memory”), tocar de ouvido (in imitation of a performance)
• Romanian: cânta după ureche
• Spanish: tocar de memoria (literally “play from memory”), tocar de oído

do by guessing

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 看情況／看情况 (zh) (kàn qíngkuàng), 到時候再說／到时候再说 (dào shíhou zàishuō), 湊合／凑合 (zh) (còuhe), 見機行事／见机行事 (zh) (jiànjīxíngshì)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: tehdä sormituntumalta
• French: improviser (fr)
• German: improvisieren (de); spontan entscheiden; es auf sich zukommen lassen; es nehmen, wie es kommt; (colloquial) sehen (de); kucken (de)
• Italian: andare a sentimento
• Polish: improwizować (pl) impf, puszczać na żywioł impf, puścić na żywioł pf
• Portuguese: improvisar (pt)
• Russian: де́йствовать по обстоя́тельствам impf (déjstvovatʹ po obstojátelʹstvam), импровизи́ровать (ru) impf (improvizírovatʹ)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can