Ear playing is a pastime. At its lowest level it is little more than aural doodling with an instru­ment. We play with this musical tidbit; we attempt that trivial air. But the delight in musical form draws us on. The folk tune, the popular song, the easy classic—each step makes the next possible. Where is the end?

Where is the end of any human endeavor? We find it within ourselves. The triumph of culture is not an ideal that lies without but a feeling that is latent in everything that is human. In so far as music is a factor of that culture, it must be realized within the realm of our feeling—of our esthetic appreciation. The performance of music from notes, no matter how flawless, is no guaranty that it has cultural value for the performer. The complicated signs of a musical score may be followed meticulously without any consideration for the musical meaning. But the most humble attempt to play by ear brings'one immediately into sincere communi­cation with the originator of that musical idea, be it Bach or Berlin.

We do not learn to play by ear in order that we may play and enjoy a piece of music. The process of learning is itself the enjoyment; the playing is merely incidental. Is it sur­prising, then, if others prefer to listen to this type of playing?

Ear playing is possible not only with the simplest types of musical composition but also with the greatest masterworks. When we rely upon notation, we admit our own limitation. Where our limitation shall be depends upon our ability to really hear all that the composer put into the score. Notation is helpful; it is the last resort when our ear has reached its limit. But why encourage that limit by allowing the ear to atrophy through disuse, while we slave with notation which at best is nothing but a guide book?

Our approach to music has been ill advised; we have developed the obvious mechanical aspect and disregarded the pleasant esthetic growth. We do not even know how much can be accomplished by ear; it has never been cultivated seriously enough to prove its worth.

Let the reader of this book be an explorer into the fields of finer musical understanding. He may prove that his pastime is the most effective approach to the great music literature. He certainly will increase his musical understanding by every moment of practice which he enjoys.

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