You know, i frankly don't know how you do it. I can hear chord qualities very well like Maj 7ths, 9ths, dom 7ths and 13ths and all that, but if i did not know my theory i have no idea how i would form them.
The other keys player in my church doesn't know theory and i am always amazed at how he can pick stuff up purely by ear. To me it is a scary prospect. Goodness knows how many times sheet music and theory has saved me when learning a song. Our choir just gives us songs and says "Play them by Sunday." If i didn't know theory, i would NEVER have gotten a lot of the songs i know down.
Fenix, a musician that without theory, can still hear the general categories of chords (major, minor, dominant). As far as the exact extension - they may or may not get that unless the extension is the leading tone. Sometimes the "ear" player will
add extensions and give it MORE flavor. Other times the "ear" player can't hear the extended part of the chord, and will just play it more basic.
In either case, they can still hear the "general category" of chords, and sometimes can be exact a lot of the time. Whereas theory players can locate the
exact chord needed most or all of the time.
