“Play it by ear” is a commonly used musical phrase that entails playing/recreating a melody or passage by just hearing it, without the use of sheet music. “Play it by year” is a misspelled and misheard phrase with no identifiable meaning.
Phrases can often be misheard, leading to confusion. “Play it by year” is a typical example of misphrasing. The phrase is often used in place of the phrase “play it by ear.”
Let’s find out what both these phrases mean.
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Key Takeaways
- “Play it by ear” is about performing music by listening to it, while “Play it by year” is a common mishearing with no real meaning.
- Misheard phrases like “play it by year” can lead to confusion.
- The phrase “Play it by ear” originated in the music world, where musicians would recreate music just by listening, without relying on sheet music.
- Some people dislike the phrase “play it by ear” because it goes against their preference for structured planning and strict adherence to music theory.
Play It by Ear — What It Means
The phrase “play it by ear” involves improvisation and doing things without following a particular plan. It means that one would see how something goes and go along with it instead of preparing for it beforehand.
Another way of describing the phrase would be paying close attention to surroundings and being flexible enough to change actions based on what happens.
Where “Play It by Ear” Originated
The phrase originated in music when musicians would listen to a piece of music and then try to recreate the sound. Another way of describing the origin is that a musician would learn or study music without any sheet music, so they could then play what they hear.
The meaning of the expression has expanded in scope over the years to embody more contexts. For example, the original context implied that musicians would listen to music they are familiar with and then play the same notes. In recent years, the term has extended to cover situations where there is unfamiliar music, such as during “jamming” sessions, where musicians create music based on improvisation.
When we expand the scope of playing it by ear to include jamming or session-style playing, the phrase fits a lot more in context to how it is used in day-to-day situations now.
Play It by Year
The term “play it by year” does not mean anything. It is easy to see how the term emerged, as it sounds similar to “play it by ear” and is plausible enough to mean something. However, the specific term does not have a set definition.
Why Do Some People Dislike the Saying “Play It by Ear”?
The phrase is sometimes disliked, not because of its wording, but because of what it means. This is because people who like to make concrete plans and follow strict music theory might not like it when others want to improvise or be spontaneous.
Summary
“Play it by ear” has a long history and is a phrase that is still commonly used today. Its importance in the musical world is evident. We hope this article clears up any confusion you had about the phrase.
