https://www.musical-u.com/learn/tension-release-bitter-sweet-relationships-chords-scales/
One of the best ways to begin playing by ear is to play chord tones and find your way around the scale by targeting the chord tones through a given chord progression.
But music is about Tension and Release. Release is an important aspect of music and life. If you think about it for a while you would realise our world is full of tension and release.
The following exercises explore the next step after learning to hit the chord tones. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/tension-release-bitter-sweet-relationships-chords-scales/