  Popular musicians often learn music by ear. It is unclear what role
technology plays for those with experience at this task. In search of
opportunities for the development of novel human-recording interactions, we
analyze 18 YouTube videos depicting real-world examples of by-ear learning, and
discuss why, during this preliminary phase of research, online videos are
appropriate data. From our observations we generate hypotheses that can inform
future work. For example, a musician's scope of learning may influence what
technological interactions would help them, they could benefit from tools that
accommodate their working memory, and transcription does not appear to play a
key role in ear learning. Based on these findings, we pose a number of research
questions, and discuss their methodological considerations to guide future
study.
