(music) To learn to play (an instrument) or sing by listening to recorded music without reading or memorizing sheet music or without any formal instruction.
(language learning) To learn a language without instruction.
To do by guessing, to improvise.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgI was the same kind of father as I was a harpist - I played by ear. Harpo Marx
Eclecticism is the word. Like a jazz musician who creates his own style out of the styles around him, I play by ear. Ralph Ellison
I suppose because I have a good ear, I could pick out harmonies and learn by ear. I still think that you have to have an ear for music to really be able to feel and understand what you're playing. You can learn by watching and listening to other people. Mick Taylor
Grammar is a piano I play by ear. Joan Didion
I don't read music or anything, so when I produce, I go basically by ear. Erykah Badu
Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory. Ray Charles