The instruments which play a single-line melody find it so easy to play by ear that a course in ear playing seems superfluous. A player of a melody instrument can usually play various tunes and themes as quickly as they are named. When there is just the one line to read, however, note reading is also easy. Consequently, the player is not tempted to resort to ear playing and seldom becomes as expert as he might with practice.

Immediately a word of warning should be given to those who wish to play a string instrument by ear. Playing by ear is likely to develop some bad habits of technique. On most instruments these correct themselves eventually or can be easily corrected when the student gets the advice of a teacher; but this is not true with the strings. The position of the fingers and arm and the habits of changing from one position to another and of determining which position to use are so fundamental that it may be more difficult to correct bad habits than to begin all over again. Ear playing is just as profitable for the string player as for anyone else, but he should have at least a few lessons to provide the necessary knowledge of standard positions and technique.

Although his ear functions well in playing his own instru­ment, the string or wood-wind player seldom develops his ear to hear the other instruments which play with him. Any accompanist worthy of the name follows the solo line which he is accompanying, and the solo player listens to the accom­paniment as attentively as is necessary. When he plays in ensemble, however, he is likely to hear only the rhythm of the other players and frequently confines his attention to the main beat; he counts with the group but carefully avoids listening to them. Thus he no longer uses his ear and scarcely listens to his own part but directs all his attention to the accurate mechanical playing of the notes.

Even when the single-line player is playing a nonmelodic middle part, he may listen to the main melodic part but makes little effort to hear his own part in vivid connection with it. This attitude is encouraged by the foolish tradition in orchestras that the players are but so many robots performing under the complete control and will of a virtuoso conductor. The best ensemble playing materializes when all the players hear all the other players.

This ability and habit of each player of hearing all the other players in the ensemble is not exactly ear playing, but it is very closely related to it. The same exercises which have helped the pianist to play by ear will help the string and wood-wind player to become a better ensemble player. Furthermore, the development of his ability to hear the entire music of the ensemble will also help him to interpret his own music in a more comprehensive style.

For example, the third movement of the Franck Sonata for Violin and Piano opens with a solo for the piano, which is followed by a solo for violin alone. The piano then plays a solo passage and the violin adds an unimportant motive of five notes to this passage. Franck might have given these five notes to a middle voice in the piano part, where they would have been played quite inconspicuously; but the violinist, having listened only vaguely to the piano, takes them as his solo and tries to make something important out of them, with ludicrous effect. It is as if, in the middle of Hamlet's speech to the players, the player had tried to steal the lime­light with his humble interjection, "I warrant your honor."

The violinist is not trained as an accompanist; he finds it difficult to fit a subsidiary part into an accompaniment. The role of second violin in the orchestra becomes almost a profession in itself. Ear playing develops the requisite sensitivity.

What, then, can the instrumental player do to increase the efficiency of his ear? Omitting the chapters on chords, harmony, and pedal, all the exercises suggested in this book are as effective for the single-line player as they are for the pianist. From these exercises the player may select those which emphasize countermelodies, polyphony, and accompanying parts. The improvisation of obbligatos and countermelodies to familiar tunes is good exercise. These may move faster than the original melody or they may move more slowly; the latter will bring forth keen observation of the harmony involved.

Play the countermelodies by ear—the countermelodies which are not given to your instrument but which you hear others playing. The bass instruments may attempt the upper parts an octave or two lower; the upper instruments may play the bass parts in a higher octave. Indeed, the bass part is so important to the feeling of the total structure that everyone would do well to hear and play the part. Feel the bass part in relation to the entire composition and not just as a separate melodic line.

You can get much good practice by merely listening to the part you would like to be able to play. Sing the part; you are not bothered by the execution but by your inability to hear and recall it. Listen to the pedals on the organ. With an orchestral recording follow an inner part played by some instrument other than your own. Sing the accompaniment to your solos. Think your own part in a composition as you play one of the other parts.

After hearing the melodies or countermelodies of some of the popular songs, try to improve upon them. Many of the active dance bands do this very successfully. Often an over-sentimental ditty has been turned into a self-respecting tune by a little healthy, energetic treatment. Try it on some of the masters, too, if you wish; but you will find you cannot im­prove upon them.

Most conductors and nearly all composers have been trained on the piano—despite the fact that the pianist has little opportunity to play in an orchestra. Obviously the piano training provides something which the single-line instruments do not. No difference in native talent determines whether a child will study the piano or an orchestral instrument; but the child who chooses the piano is continu­ously tempted to listen to many parts at one time. This provides the musical comprehension necessary for conductor or composer.

The violist or cellist could do the same thing, if only he would train his ear to hear the many parts at one time. A few do; but the study of these instruments does not encourage this type of listening. The teachers of orchestral instruments are no more negligent in this respect than piano teachers; but the pianist must actually play the many parts, and he at least has the opportunity to hear them. The orchestral player may compensate for this disadvantage by the methods suggested above; but the easiest way to fill this need is to learn to play the piano by ear.

The piano is the easiest of all instruments to learn. Con­sequently composers have written more complicated music for it and made it appear difficult. The player who is not interested in acquiring a huge technique for solos on the piano may easily acquire the facility in hearing polyphony and harmony which is required for complete musicianship.

This accomplishment is entirely one of the ear; the composer or the conductor must hear the score. Playing by ear on an instrument which has its keys all lying in logical order is certainly the easiest way to accomplish this objective; and it requires less time than one would imagine. Invest just ten hours—one hour a day for ten days—to find how well you can learn to play the piano by ear in that short time. You will be convinced that you want to spend more time the same way, if merely for the better understanding of your own instru­ment. Only by playing all the parts together by ear can you be sure that you are hearing them all.

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