can you develop a music career without learning to read notes?

I'm a performing musician and music teacher. I think that by not learning to read, you are just not using all the available tools. Yes, you can succeed in some areas of music, like pop for instance without a broad knowledge of music reading because there are many that don't. But if you want to go into pretty much any other area, you need to. It helps you communicate with other musicians (have you ever tried to explain something to another musician and just couldn't find the words? Reading music and knowing musical terms and what beat you are playing on makes it so much easier). It's my thought that musicians should learn by ear AND by reading. You'll be able to learn music much faster. You are only giving yourself half of the picture if you don't do both.

I have a student who is special needs and doesn't (and refuses to) read music. It's very difficult to communicate to him about specific things, and he sometimes can not play certain things without knowing "these are 8th notes" or "the snare drum is on 3 instead of 2 and 4."

I just think, why limit yourself?

Argh! Stop me before is get too much education! My talent is so incredible, that I can stay ignorant, and still get more work that people with fine educations and experience, and make a million dollars a week playing guitar - because I am the ONLY guitarist on the planet!

Do you realize how foolish that sounds? People who are serious about their music spend every possible hour and dollar then can, to learn as much as they can. This is like asking if you can be a serious author, and never learn to read and write. Get over yourself - and LEARN - it takes a whole 5 minutes. I taught the developmentally disabled for years - THEY learned to read music. Yeesh!

Learning how to READ MUSIC is just a very BASIC TOOL for ANYONE who wants to develop a music career? People who can't read music are either TOO STUPID or TOO LAZY to take the time to LEARN THEIR CRAFT. One of the things you do a LOT of, as a MUSICIAN when you become professional is to get gigs as a SESSION MUSICIAN.. and you can't BE a SESSION PLAYER if you can't READ MUSIC.

I really don't understand why you people want to make a career as a musician and THEN you don't want to take the time to LEARN YOUR CRAFT.. and THEN you come here on Answers and complain about how NOBODY WILL HIRE YOU.

Learn how to read music.. OF FIND ANOTHER LINE OF WORK... you will get no sympathy from me.. The only people who will tell you that being able to read music is not important are the same people who have never taken the time or made the effort to learn how to read music.. and I would ask them how many gigs they have played this year before I took any of their 'advice'

Your musical ability is a gift and a talent. You cannot lose it. Due to your experience, learning to read music can only give you more freedom to experience and create more music. I learned to read music and also played the flute by ear. Reading music is a valuable skill and playing by ear is magic. Having both opens more doors. Good luck.

It's possible, but learning to read music would be easier.

You'd have to have an incredible, one in a hundred million talent to be taken seriously without knowing something that basic. If you don't have that level of talent, learn to read music.

Somewhat? If you asking do you need to be classically trained, that would be no. Most musicians use the same four chords in every song. Just learn the basics and find your own style and go on from there.

Its not the chords that gets you the record deal, its the luck.

Why on Earth are you people so stupid?? Why do you avoid learning to read notes?? It takes ******* 5 minutes of your lives to learn it.

yes did you watch drumline it was great