Stephen...

I disagree with the comment "he does not read music but was born with a natural gift to play by the ear"

No one is born with this gift - some learn easier than others but everyone does learn to play by ear.

I play mainly by ear now but like anyone else who does, I didn't sit down at a piano one day and play Beethoven's 3rd or anything else for that matter.

I started by reading music and got to a reasonable level but always needed the dots.

So then I started by picking out single finger melodies with the right hand in easy keys (C/F/G) - The more you do this the easier it gets. I then learnt half a dozen chords in easy keys (all in root position so I could build the chords using semitone intervals) and played from busker music.

This sounded pretty awful on a piano but I kept at it eventually playing in different keys (I still don't do C# and B)and learning all the chords and altered chords in different inversions.

Pretty early on I started to realise that many songs can be simply played with just 3 or 4 chords ands started to try to put the right chord in myself without any music. This is difficult at first but again practice, practice, practice

I sometimes get the music books out but this is mainly for the words for a song that I've had requested - I simply couldn't gig with a bunch of music.

However - I can't remember the words to songs so I admire those people who were
"born with the gift of remembering words they've only heard once" (LOL)

Well that's rubbish, the truth is I'm too lazy to use the technique that ScottYee so kindly outlined here - plus I have 2 arrangers that have all the words to the music I sing.

I have helped 2 unsighted people to learn to play by ear - It is so much easier on today's keyboards than it was when I first learnt on piano and then electronic organ (Hammond tonewheel - no automatics).

If you have the will then I beleive it is possible tro learn to play by ear. There are books out on this subject.

How succesful you are depends on your determination and practise....

Just my 2penny worth

Keith