Do You Need To Read The Music, Or Can You Play By Ear?

What you have is a very special gift. I can only play from reading the music but I have a 'good ear' as my ex husband, who was a very talented musician, always told me. I can say that I physically cringe when someone who is singing or playing an instrument goes sharp or flat.

I cannot read or play by ear, I never did understand any of that. You are lucky, I can't play an instrument either. I wish I could.

I can only play reading the music notes. I'm so envy for those who can play by ear.

I have to read the music. I wish I could do both, but I can't.

I don't have perfect pitch, but I can play by ear and I also play by reading music as well. I tend to play by ear for popular songs, as I love to make piano covers. For classical music, I tend to play by reading the music.

I'm kind of a weird egg. I have perfect pitch, but I like to have the music in front of me TELLING me exactly what to play. Know what else? My favorite music is jazz! Figure THAT out! LOL!

That must be awesome to have perfect pitch. Since I only have relative pitch, I can only play one line melodies by ear. I can play by ear this way on the piano, melodica, and the harmonica. But normally, on every instrument I play I at least loosely follow sheet music. I've noticed for some piano parts if the notes are difficult for me to see I will play those passages by ear. But I like to have the music up as a reference because I can at least usually see a bit where the music is going.

hi danish...great!!what i know is just a little notes in a piano and a guitar..its my husband who taught me this since he knows how to read notes and everything..we have an organ at home on which my hubby plays if he has a time..

I started singing when I was 3. By 9 I learned to read music a for the violin. By 14 , I learned to play the guitar, Oops,I forgot to say at 12 I got an autoharp, so with the violin, I need to read the music for muost songs. But with the guitar , there are many songs I learned by ear.Some I have the lyrics written with the chords but not the notes.So I do both.With the guitar I find it easier to play without reading the sheet music.

It really depends. If it's something complex and that I need to have coming out perfect, then yes I will need the music. If it's something really easy and that I don't need to perfect, then by ear it is :) You are indeed lucky. I was told I was quite good at it, but still wasn't able to reach your level :)

wow...that's a great talent danish...I can't do that and can't even play any instrument. I love music but can't sing and can't read notes! LOL!

I have to read the music. I am very slow at piano..lol My oldest son plays by ear and has since age of 5, he can play anything he hears perfectly, pianist is now his profession. My youngest son plays by reading the music. Strange he didn't start to play until age 15 and he is 17 now and can play as beautifully as his older brother who has played his whole life. Life is strange, isn't it?

Well, being that I'm legally deaf, I have to see the words to the song in order to make them out. I can't play an instrument but would surely love to learn to play the piano because I find it to be so elegant or even the harp.... So like you, but on the opposite side, I have to read the words to get them right. I couldn't even tell you who the singer is because my hearing is so bad.

I am jealous of anyone that can play by ear. I have played piano since I was 5 and still have a really hard time playing by ear.

I play guitar but by ear, I'm learning chords so my son can play the songs he likes, its hard for me but I should probably learn the basics.