Pronunciation: /pleɪ baɪ ɪr/
noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
A1 I like to play by ear when I'm learning a new song on the piano.
A2 She prefers to play by ear rather than following sheet music.
B1 Playing a musical instrument by ear requires a good sense of pitch and rhythm.
B2 Some musicians are able to play by ear without any formal training.
C1 His ability to play by ear is truly remarkable, he can pick up any tune within minutes.
C2 The jazz pianist amazed the audience with his incredible talent for playing by ear.
verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence
A1 I like to play by ear when I learn new songs on the guitar.
A2 She prefers to play by ear rather than follow a strict plan.
B1 In situations like this, it's best to play by ear and adapt as needed.
B2 The jazz band decided to play by ear for their performance, adding in improvisations.
C1 As a seasoned musician, he has mastered the art of playing by ear and creating beautiful melodies on the spot.
C2 The conductor was able to seamlessly guide the orchestra through the piece, playing by ear and adjusting as necessary.
adverb a word that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb
A1 I prefer to play music by ear rather than reading sheet music.
A2 She decided to play the piano by ear instead of following the music notes.
B1 When I cook, I usually just play it by ear and add ingredients as I go.
B2 The director told the actors to play their scenes by ear and improvise if necessary.
C1 The jazz band often plays by ear, creating unique and spontaneous performances.
C2 The experienced musician can effortlessly play any song by ear without needing sheet music.
preposition a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence
A1 I don't have a plan for the weekend yet, so we'll just play it by ear.
A2 I'm not sure what time the party starts, so I'll just play it by ear and arrive when I can.
B1 We don't have a set itinerary for our trip, so we'll have to play it by ear and see where the day takes us.
B2 The schedule for the conference is flexible, so we'll need to play it by ear and adjust our plans accordingly.
C1 As a musician, I often have to play it by ear during performances and adapt to unexpected changes in the music.
C2 In business negotiations, it's important to be able to play it by ear and respond quickly to new information or developments.
article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun
A1 I prefer to play music by ear rather than reading sheet music.
A2 When I cook, I usually play it by ear and don't follow a recipe.
B1 She didn't have a plan for the presentation, so she decided to play it by ear.
B2 As a tour guide, he often has to play things by ear depending on the group's interests.
C1 The director allowed the actors to play their scenes by ear, encouraging improvisation.
C2 In diplomatic negotiations, it's important to be able to play by ear and adapt to changing circumstances.
formal When it comes to learning music, some people prefer to play by ear rather than read sheet music.
informal I don't have the sheet music, so we'll just have to play by ear and figure it out as we go.
slang I never know what time my friends will show up, so I always just play it by ear.
figurative In business, you can't always plan for everything - sometimes you just have to play it by ear and adapt to the situation.
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