I gave up on piano when I was eight, but I have played the tenor sax since I was 10 years old and bass guitar since I was 14. It's been many years since I got t

I gave up on piano when I was eight, but I have played the tenor sax since I was 10 years old and bass guitar since I was 14. It's been many years since I got to the point where I could play by ear. I guess after enough practice you just get to the point where you hear the song in your mind and play it without thinking. My best analogy for non-musical coders is that it's sort of like touch typing while writing code. Your thoughts just come out through your fingers without thinking about it.