Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: We can play it by ear

Hello newsgroup people! Reading a book I found this strange phrase: "We can
play it by ear". Is there someone that is able to translate it in Italian
language? Sorry for my English, if you see some mistakes, please report!
Bye!
          Dedalus


I can't translate it into Italian, but I can explain it in English for you. It
means to do something without having a plan for what you will do. When you play
it by ear you react to a situation as things arise. I believe it derives from
playing a musical instrument by ear, that is; without a sheet of music.
Ciao,
Ron
USA

 language
<Andare a naso
Yours
Sal

for you.
[...]
Dear Ron,
you can translate it literally and say "suonare a orecchio".
Ciao
Frank

Thanks to everybody, nice place to stay! :)

<Andare a naso
Andare a naso is probably the closest translation you can find in Italian, but
it doesn't really render the idea.
Here is an example:
- Let's meet tonight and spend some time together.  What do you want to do?  I
was thinking we could go to the movies.
- No, the theater near our house is closed for remodeling.  Let' have dinner.
-I am not very hungry.  I don't want to eat out....well, we can play it by ear.
In this dialogue you couldn't translate "andiamo a naso"
Play it by ear means that you do things without planning and according to how
you feel at the moment.
I have never heard it translated as "suonare a orecchio".  "Play by ear" may be
suonare a orecchio".  I play the piano by ear (suono il piano a orecchio????
not sure).  Play IT by ear is something else.  It has nothing to do with music.
ciao
Ari

 not sure).  Play IT by ear is something else.  It has nothing to do with music.
Could be an extension. Suonare il piano ad orecchio means to play piano
without knowing how to read the music, but just trying until the right
sequence of keys (and notes) comes out.
Ciao
-- 
Franco
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.
(L. Wittgenstein)

sequence of keys (and notes) comes out.
I know.
However, if someone asks you what "play it by ear" means, as  in the original
post, I would not tell that person that it means "suonare a orecchio".  I know
what "play by ear" means, but the original post was asking what "play IT by
ear" (idiom) means.  That has nothing to do with music.  I am sure the origin
relates to music, but to tell someone that "play it by ear" means "suonare a
orecchio" is misleading.
ciao
Arianna

 you feel at the moment.
<Hai perfettamente ragione.
   Non avevo pensato ad un caso del genere.
Yours
Sal


Oh yes! Agreed! I would say "andare a sentimento". 
In my message I was referring to "suonare il piano ad orecchio" I didn't
undestand that you were unsure about the Italian expression and not
about the English musical meaning.


 how you feel at the moment.
It can also mean by what occurs, 'as it comes'. So one's actions
alter to fit the circumstances as they occur, with feelings not
really being the choice, but 'as needs must' at that time. Decisions
are 'made on the fly' as it were. :-)
Cheers,
Loki
 

Play by heart = Suonare a memoria 
( conosci gia canzone e adesso ricordi a memoria ) 
Play by ear = Improvvisare 
( non conoscere canzone e improvvisare ) 
anche ( A CAPPELLA ) sembra italiano ..inglese invece
That's all about !!
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did you read the previous posts?
ciao
Ari

 anche ( A CAPPELLA ) sembra italiano ..inglese invece
No signore.  Play by ear = Suonare senza saper leggere la partitura,
solo ascoltando il suono.  C'e' una bella differenze fra "Play by ear"
e Improvvisare, e "a cappella" e' italiano anche se l'espressione si puo'
vedere nelle partiture in inglese con molte altre espressioni italiane.
Per quasi tutto il mondo, l'italiano e' il linguaggio della musica.
I tedeschi forse non sono d'accordo.
-- 
Dale Erwin
http://home.earthlink.net/~erwintech

 anche ( A CAPPELLA ) sembra italiano ..inglese invece
a cappella significa senza musica credo


Meglio sarà "senza accompagnamento di strumenti" .  Molti cori credono
che cio' che fanno davvero sia musica anche se cantino A CAPPELLA.


 a cappella significa senza musica credo
Meglio sarà "senza accompagnamento di strumenti" .  Molti cori credono
che cio' che fanno davvero sia musica anche se cantino A CAPPELLA.
=================
Giusto. Scusate lo "jargon".
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