Here is the final portion of “The Myths of Playing by Ear” by Bradley Sowash. Read Part 1 and Part 2.
Myth #4 Improvising is only for jazz musicians.
This one is easy to dispute. Playing by ear is downright useful. An oft-told memory from music school occurred while I was performing a fugue as a final exam. Hearing the the pencils of the four piano faculty members scratching their score sheets every time I wavered, rattled me enough that I became quite lost. Rather than stop and start over, I did my best to improvise in a baroque style until I could figure out where I was enough to resume the composition. When I eventually reached the double barline, the head of the piano department looked over her glasses and flatly stated, “How dare you do that to Bach!” My teacher then countered saying, “Everyone gets lost now and then. It’s useful to know how to keep it going.” The other two jurists declined comment though I can guess how they weighed in because I received a passing if not superior grade.
The point is that improvisation comes in handy. For example, what pianist hasn’t been asked to play Happy Birthday on the spot sans music? What happens when friends or relatives ask your students to play something” and they haven’t got their music tote bags with them? How many of them can accompany impromptu singers at a holiday gathering? Can any of them personalize a written melody with embellishment, improvisation or a change of key? Could your students stretch a written introduction in the pit band of a high school musical if an actress missed her song cue? What will they do on a wedding gig when the bride is only half way down the aisle and the final bar of the march is looming?
Myth Buster: Ear skills are as essential as eye skills. All musicians are eventually called upon to improvise.
Thank you Bradley for submitting this helpful and inspiring article! Check out Bradley’s music, and videos on the Bradley Sowash website.
Excerpted from a longer article titled “Unlocking the Mystery of Playing by Ear” which appeared in Clavier Companion November, December 2009 and reprinted with permission.