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Each songs include instructions for playing by ear.
Piano playing by ear
Playing piano songs by ear is a skill that deepens your musical understanding and strengthens your connection to the instrument. Instead of relying on written notation, you can recognize melodies and patterns through playing and listening. You typically play the melody in a song with your right hand and on the right side of the keyboard.
When learning by ear, you begin by identifying the tonal center of a song (the note or chord that feels like “home”). From there, you listen for how the melody moves in relation to that center: stepwise motion, repeated notes and small leaps are often easier to recognize first. Over time, your ear becomes more sensitive to intervals, making it easier to anticipate what comes next.
Playing by ear also encourages active listening. You are no longer just reproducing notes on a page; instead, you analyze the music as it unfolds. This develops musical memory, improves improvisational skills, and helps you adapt quickly when playing with others. Many styles such as folk, pop, jazz and blues rely heavily on this ability.
Another advantage is flexibility. If you forget part of a piece or want to play it in a different key, your understanding of the sound relationships allows you to continue without interruption. Over time, this builds confidence and independence at the piano. Learning songs by ear will make you a more complete musician.
Fewer involved notes usually make a melody easier to hear and play. The songs above are ordered after the total number of notes. Obviously, this is not the only aspect that decides the difficulty, but it can serve as a guideline.
Finally, an advice. To reinforce your knowledge of a piece, place the fingers above the keyboard and touch lightly the keys when you follow along with the audio example of the song. You can do this before or after you try to play the song by ear.