How does one learn an instrument if they can't read music?

Most artist nowadays don't read music. Reading music was something that was really convenient in the past like back in the 19th century where people had no electronics or ways to exchange melodies to people in far away places. Now, we have a numerous amount of ways to exchange melodies, so reading music is no longer a necessity.

I have been playing Guitar for 3 and a half years now and I cant read music very well either. But the good thing about playing guitar for example is you can get Easy chord guitar books that have little pictures or chord diagrams that show you the fingerings. It also gives you the name (Letter) of the chord above it. Also what I find much more helpful is to look up songs on YouTube. Many people show you how to play songs. But BEWARE of the people who just COVER the song and don't even bother to show you how its done. Good Luck! and PLEASE learn some GOOD music like Led Zeppelin or Bon Jovi or even Michael Jackson or Van Halen. And OF COURSE the Beatles.

I played guitar for two years prior to actually learning to read sheet music, but it differs by instrument. It's particularly difficult for piano, as I learned. Really what you should do is just learn to read music. It's not that difficult.

The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, loads of the successful bands couldn't read music.

I've been learning guitar for a few years now, and for me, video lessons helped alot, if you're interested in learning guitar I can not reccommend Justin Sandercoe or Marty Schwartz's enough.

You don't have to be able to read music to a high standard though, not unless you're planning on performing by sight reading.

Also, once you know what key a song is played in, It's alot easier to 'figure' a song out if you have experience. It probably seems impossible or total madness to you now, but t rust me, after a few years of playing an instrument, you'll be able to figure small pieces of music out

They pretty much look online at YouTube tutorials and by ear. I learn songs and write songs by ear and I know to read/write tabs but I am not good at writing like actual sheet music

It's useless to read sheet music, if you have no talent and not have a good ear.

A person can play an instrument straight,.but is useless if you not put the soul and heart in music

I can read tabs but not sheet music.

I never learned how to read music, or what scales were or anything like that. All I learned was how tp put my hands on the guitar and make it make noise.

Most learn by ear. It's a common thing no matter what type of music it is. I sing and I originally learned by ear before reading music.

Most artists today learn by ear too.

john lennon and paul mccartney never learned to read music and look where it got them! :) they were absolutely amazing. some learn to play by listening, and others learn by watching tutorials! i play by listening and watching :)

Tabs I use tabs to learn songs they are amazingly easy to read also!