This article is about enabling church musicians to play without being reliant on having sheet music. Most classically trained musicians learn to play from music and find the prospect of playing by ear somewhat daunting. But it’s a skill that can easily be learned, and built upon over time to allow you to harmonise and play counter melodies.
There are several reasons this skill is useful. Perhaps the most obvious is that there is rarely sheet music available for individual parts. You can usually get the melody line, a chord sheet and a piano reduction, but as an accompanying part these will not be that useful unless you write out your own part by hand.
It also makes you more adaptable. A good worship leader will respond to what’s going on in the room; they may want to repeat part of a song or go back to one you’ve already done, or spontaneously play something which is simple and well known but which you haven’t prepared. All of these are much more difficult if you’re dependent on having the music in front of you.
And lastly if you have your head down in the music, you’re likely to be less aware of your fellow musicians, to any cues being given or to subtle changes happening.
I’ve broken this down into three parts.
No one is born knowing how to do this. We all learn by doing it. Experience is the best teacher.