noodle

1. To play (a musical instrument or passage of music) or to sing (a passage of music) in an improvisatory or lighthearted manner; also, to play (a series of ornamental notes) on an instrument. (informal, transitive)
2. To ponder or think about (something). (US, informal, transitive)
3. To play a musical instrument or to sing in an improvisatory or lighthearted manner; also, to play a series of ornamental notes on an instrument. (informal, intransitive) · He has been noodling with that trumpet all afternoon, and every bit of it sounds awful.
4. To ponder or think, especially in an unproductive or unsystematic manner; to muse. (US, informal, intransitive) · He noodled over the problem for a day or two before making a decision.
5. To attempt in an informal or uncertain manner; to fiddle. (US, informal, intransitive) · If the machine is really broken, noodling with the knobs is not going to fix it.
6. Often followed by about or around: to mess around, to play. (US, informal, intransitive)

He/she/it noodles · Past noodled · Past participle noodled · -ing form noodling