1.5. Synthesis - Practical applications
This chapter has explored the theoretical foundations necessary for designing a creative and stimulating teaching approach to develop the skill of playing by ear in piano lessons. The first step has been to define the skill precisely: playing by ear involves transforming aurally perceived or imagined music into coordinated instrumental action, a process deeply rooted in ear-to-hand coordination (McPherson, 2022).
To better understand this transformation, the chapter examined how the brain processes music, emphasizing the dual auditory pathways—the left-hemisphere ventral stream (analytical) and the right-hemisphere dorsal stream (motoric)—and their joint role in linking perception to action. The mirror neuron system, essential for audiomotor coupling, supports the idea that playing by ear is both a cognitive and physical act (Harris, 2017). Following this discovery, the experiment will try to enhance all actions that promote the rapid action of sound-action transformation, trying to ‘switch off’ cognition. Potential approaches could include activities that integrate listening with immediate instrumental response, improvisational exercises or activities that involve mirroring sounds in real-time.
A brief historical overview revealed that ear-based learning predates the widespread use of written scores. Historically, musicians developed skills through listening, imitation, and improvisation, suggesting that the modern focus on notation may hinder the natural growth of aural skills (McPherson, 2022; Harris, 2017). For that reason, to prioritize sound as the primary reference, the following experiment will minimize the use of written scores.
The chapter then situated playing by ear within the broader domain of aural skills, identifying its foundational components. Timothy Chenette’s research (2021) emphasized the importance of perceptual skills such as attention, inner hearing, musical memory, and rhythmic understanding—skills rooted in embodiment, working memory, and intuition, not theory. These ideas resonate with the Kodály approach, which prioritizes singing, solfège, and inner hearing. Kodály’s structured sequence, use of hand signs, and emphasis on active listening and creativity offer a solid framework for developing sound-based skills before instrumental or notational training (Choksy, 1999; Houlahan & Tacka, 2007). Complementing this, Edwin Gordon’s concept of audiation provided a more detailed and cognitive framework, describing how musicians progress through sequential stages of internalization, anticipation, and reconstruction of sound (Gordon, 2012). In the experiment, all exercises will be designed based on these considerations, always trying to develop these skills parallelly. For example, building the activities step by step to improve attention, playing without score to enhance memory, singing to develop the inner hearing, internalising rhythm from embodiment, among other ideas. Note that elements of Kodály will be recurrent in the experiment.
The chapter also highlighted the connection between aural and motor skills. Studies show that internally hearing music activates the same brain areas involved in physical playing. This reinforces the idea that sound imagery and goal-directed auditory processing are central to developing fluency on an instrument (McPherson, 2022). Furthermore, I will also work on experimenting with musical imagery to develop intuition and flow, as well as all the physical sensations. The use of metaphors offers a potential approach, such as employing concepts like gravity and magnetism to illustrate whether a pitch is high or low.
From a pedagogical perspective, the research compared models by McPherson, Konings, De Vree, and Graybill to better understand how playing by ear interacts with other musical skills —such as reading, improvising or playing by heart— and to better understand the underlying structural elements of sound that support integrated musical learning. These models suggest that musicianship develops not linearly, but through interconnected processes, and that aural skills serve as the central thread tying them together. For this reason, the experiment will consist of designing classes in which playing by ear has more weight, but without neglecting the development of other skills. The idea is that the practice is introduced organically in the sessions and that students develop this healthy habit to develop a more robust ear from the beginning.
Finally, the chapter explored how to apply these insights in practical teaching. Paul Harris’s Simultaneous Learning and the andragogical model of Knowles et al. (2015) emphasize holistic, flexible, and student-centered learning. These approaches are also relevant for adult learners, who benefit from integrated methods that connect ear training to repertoire and encourage confidence and autonomy. Precisely because of these ideas, the repertoire that most motivates the students will be chosen, and the exercises will always be related to the pieces in the experiment.
In summary, this chapter establishes that playing by ear is a complex, multi-dimensional skill rooted in aural perception, embodied cognition and creative engagement. Understanding its neurological, historical, pedagogical, and cognitive foundations is essential to creating effective and inspiring strategies for piano teachers.