You know that song on the radio that you can’t get out of your head? Playing By Ear is a Decal centered around teaching pianists, both new and experienced, on how to construct pop songs on the piano by ear and play without sheet music. Our course requires that you have a basic background in playing piano. The class is formatted to have a lecture at the beginning of the class and a workshop in the latter half.

The goal of this course is to train students how to utilize their listening skills and creativity to craft their own music on the piano. The class is designed to be very hands-on and engaging, so come in ready to participate.

The class will be structured to have 30 minutes of lecture, followed by 30 minutes of workshopping. During the workshop period, students will be able to apply the skills they learn during lecture in their pieces. Facilitators will walk around the room and assist students in the process. The final for our class will be in the form of an in-person recital.

Our syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NwGmqJgQYqWTqG7cQuseEdqQvqovYs8yJwvfspg-91c/edit?usp=sharing

We're very excited to have you join us for the Fall 2021 semester!

Please fill out the application below before August 28 at 11:59 PM. Enrollment is capped at 20. While we have no hard requirements, you'll have a better experience in the class if you have at least a year of piano experience and are familiar with lower-level theory. We require that you have access to a piano at home or to the Morrison practice rooms in order to complete some assignments. Thanks for filling out the application! Let us know if you have any questions.