I prefer to play music by ear rather than reading sheet music.
play by ear
Frequency:
70
%
She decided to play by ear and see where the day took her.
play by ear
Frequency:
60
%
He always liked to go with the flow and play things by ear.
Idiomatic Expressions for play by ear
Phrase: take it as it comes
Meaning: to deal with events as they happen, without planning ahead
Usage: I don't know what to expect from the meeting, so I'll just take it as it comes and respond accordingly.