Guitar Lessons: Playing by Ear or Reading Music?

It's one of the most common questions new guitarists ask: should I learn to play by ear, or should I learn to read music? Some of the world's greatest guitarists never read a note; others are fluent sight-readers. The truth is that each approach has real strengths — and the most well-rounded players use both.

The case for playing by ear

Playing by ear means listening to a piece of music and working out how to play it. It trains you to really hear what's going on: the chords, the melody, the rhythm and the feel. Players with a good ear can jam with others, pick up songs quickly and improvise with confidence. For many genres — rock, blues, pop and folk — ear playing is how the music has always been passed on.

The case for reading music

Reading standard notation gives you access to a huge amount of written music and makes communicating with other musicians much easier. It's especially valuable for rhythm — notation shows exactly how long each note lasts, which tab often doesn't. If you're working towards graded exams or studying music at school or beyond, reading becomes essential.

Where does tab fit in?

Guitar tablature shows you which string and fret to play. It's quick to learn and incredibly popular, which makes it a great entry point. Its weakness is rhythm: without the original recording, tab alone often doesn't tell you how to play something. Combined with a good ear and some rhythm reading, though, it's a powerful tool.

The Fresh Music approach: a bit of everything

At Fresh Music Aberdeen, lessons combine all three. You'll develop your ear by learning songs you love, read enough notation and rhythm to understand exactly what you're playing, and use tab where it's the fastest route. The goal is simple: to make you an independent player who can learn any song you want without relying on a teacher.

• Ear training through songs and listening, so you can work things out for yourself
• Rhythm reading so you know exactly how a part should sound
• Tablature to get playing quickly
• Standard notation for students working towards Rockschool or Trinity grades, or National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher music

Which should you focus on?

That depends on your goals. If you want to play songs with friends, ear and tab will get you a long way. If you're aiming for grades or further study, reading matters more. Because every lesson is one-to-one, the balance is tailored to you — and it can change as your goals do.

Want to find the right balance for your playing? Find out more about guitar lessons in Aberdeen or send an enquiry.