INTRODUCTION

This project aims to explore the ability of playing by ear in order to design a creative and stimulating teaching approach for the development of the skill in piano lessons. The goal is to devise effective strategies for piano instructors, offering guidance on how to effectively advance the abilities of their students. Consistent with Woody’s (2012) ideas, playing by ear has been described by educators as a relevant developmental prerequisite to becoming a truly fluent music reader. Nevertheless, making sounds by ear is often just the initial and playful approach to music, and its significance diminishes considerably in education as the skill level increases. In fact, one must not forget the crucial role of the skill, that is the direct connection between music and player (without any interference like the score). As matter of fact, it is a personal motivation that drives this work. When I finished my studies as a music performer, I felt that I only knew how to recite beautiful poems in the language of music very well, but that I did not know how to speak the language. I felt that I did not master all the language skills. Now I consider that knowing how to interpret music is just another skill. We live in a changing, fast-moving and challenging world, so I believe that the musician who will be most competent is the one who will be able to master the language and communicate. As a teacher, I would like to transmit these values and give tools rather than a lot of information.

For the purpose of including the ability of playing by ear in class, in order to become a balanced musician, the following question has been created as a working guide: How to develop the ability of playing by ear to become an integral musician? Therefore, numerous terms and fundamental concepts require additional clarification to firmly establish the foundation of this research. Other sub-questions that will be addressed are: "What exercises can develop the quick and intuitive transformation of sounds into actions?" or "How can I foster ear-based learning experiences in the classroom?" I aim to examine the efficacy of the exercises, as well as to evaluate the approaches to cultivating a classroom environment that supports ear-based learning experiences. The starting point of this work is the definition of the skill itself: “When musicians play “by ear,” they are reproducing music they have learned aurally, without having seen or read the notation in any form of visual representation" (McPherson, 2022, p.173). It is also necessary to introduce the framework in which this research will be developed. In line with the theoretical model of McPherson, it is possible to examine the relationship among five different aspects of musical performance: sight-reading, performing rehearsed music, playing from memory, playing by ear, and improvising. What is more, it has been demonstrated that cultivating the skill of playing by ear, alongside other skills, enhance the learning processes (McPherson, 2022). Besides these studies, the perspectives of Gordon, Kodaly and other new perspectives related to aural skills will be reviewed and compared. 

Next, the methodology of this research will be explained, which is essentially action research. The core of this research is a practical experiment, involving two pupils as participants, in which various exercises and teaching strategies were applied. The results of this experiment will be presented in the Data Collection chapter, including a set of exercises and strategies for piano teachers, aimed at cultivating the ability to play by ear in their students. Finally, conclusions have been drawn by revisiting the initial questions.