# play by ear

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To play guided by one's musical perception and intuition, rather than from a written score.
2. To do by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur, often with risk of negative outcomes; to improvise.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/play-by-ear