'Play It By Ear' with These Musical Phrases
The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote that music is the "universal language" of all people.
That may be true — and there are a number of English expressions that use music to talk about the things we do every day.
In fact, we might describe any nice words we hear as "music to our ears." This doesn't mean we think the words sound like music — it means the thing we're being told makes us happy!
So, for example, if your doctor says you're now healthy and can leave the hospital, you could tell them: "That's music to my ears!"
But when something bad happens, you might have to "face the music." This means you have to accept the consequences of your actions.
For example, if a child breaks a window by playing inside with a ball, they might say: "Uh-oh. When my parents get home, I'm going to have to face the music!"
If you "change your tune," that means you have changed your opinion about something. This might have come from a time when traveling singers changed the words of their songs to please different audiences — and at that time, the phrase was "sing another song."
While those singers might have learned their music by reading it, they could also have learned to play their songs just by listening — something we call learning how to "play by ear."
We can also use this phrase when we don't follow a plan, but instead decide what to do about a situation while it is happening.
So if you're hoping to meet a friend who's coming to your town, but you don't know when you'll both be busy, you might tell them: "We'll play it by ear. Just call me when you get into town!"
