Why learn to play piano by ear - gospel, jazz, rock etc

[MattieSongbird]

But isn't playing by ear harder than playing by fingers? :oP

[ERICROBILLARD1]

very good

[meatflowers]

Very well explained.

[baptistic]

this is soo true. what if we could also have perfect pitch? would we become instant virtuosos?

[wingsonwater]

I doubt it. The director of the choir I was in for years has perfect pitch and is also amazing at playing by ear, and I wouldn't call her a virtuoso. She's really really good at playing the piano. And leading choirs. Just an all around great musician. :D

[joeheffer]

it's possible to be a virtuoso without having perfect pitch.

virtuosity is relative pitch (a well developed inner ear) and incredible technical ability.

Miles Davis is the ideal model - he just loved to play and had a perfect ear to recreate the music inside himself.