Eliot is right. An example might be when you are planning to meet someone online - on Skype, for instance. And, rather than set a specific time, you can play it be ear, meaning you will talk to one another if you both, by chance, are online at the same time. Person A: - When should we meet again? Person B: - I'm not sure, I have a really busy schedule this week, can we just play it by ear? Person A: - Sure... let's do that. If we're both online at the same time in the next few days, let's talk. Person B: - Sounds great! Talk to you soon! :) I use the expression with my wife in the business we operate together. She often wants to know exactly how things will happen in the future (how many employees we will hire in the next 6 months, how much our gross income will change, how much we will spend on equipment in the next year, etc). I say, "I dunno, let's just concentrate on getting a lot of new business and play the rest by ear". With her personality type, this isn't the best answer! lol Hope that helps. Kind regards, choppy

From the old days amongst musicians. Playing by ear means listening to the others and playing your instrument accordingly. We use the expression now for just about anything. Such is life, eh?

Playing without reading a tab or a pentagram ( not the star) those five lines! And just knowing what to play following and knowing what you are hearing! I preffer playing by ear than reading! =)

If you play it by ear, you don't have a plan of action, but decide what to do as events take shape. cowboy...