Question

According to Lilliestam’s article, “On Playing By Ear,” how is “playing by ear” like speaking a language? Please write a 2 or 3 paragraph response in which you do the following: A. Explain Lilliestam’s language analogy B. Discuss some specific ways that formulas are used in Vernacular music. In other words, how do musicians use formulas in the process of “playing by ear?” C. Reference specific examples to support your important points. D. Define important terms as you write.

Answer 1

Playing by ear means reproducing the instrumental music that one has heard. The music is played without any music sheet meaning you either remembered the music or improvised it.

However music is like a music, and when you play a music without any music sheet and you tend to improvise it. So in this case it is like speaking a language as you have created a new music impromptu.

Analogy works on the assumptive principle that if two items are similar in some respects then other attributes will also be similar.

Musician who plays music by ear do not talk about the music and craft outside they have a language within a group

Vernacular music music is a every day music such as popular and folk music. Vernacular musicians applied a more sophisticated knowledge base to generate accurate expectations

One of the example is ‘The Hissing Summer of laws’ 1975 Joni Mitchell thanks her drummer for showing her the root of the chord and ‘where 1 is’. As long as she played by her self it does not made any problem, but when she started to play with other musicians she had to make clear both to her and her playing.