Meanings
How to pronounce "play by ear":
AU
To play guided by one's musical ear, rather than from a written score.
To do by guessing, intuition, or trial and error; to react to events as they occur, often with risk of negative outcomes; improvise
Example: "If they ask for something we didn't prepare, we will have to play it by ear."
Example Sentences
1
Instead of following a recipe, I prefer to play by ear and add ingredients to taste.
2
As improvisational actors, we have to be able to play by ear and respond to whatever our scene partner says.
