Do You Need to Read Music to Play Guitar?
When you’re starting out on guitar it’s natural to wonder whether you need to read traditional music notation or study music theory. Some lessons and teachers make it seem essential before you’re even allowed to strum a chord while others act like theory is the enemy of creativity.
So let’s clear it up:
You do not need to read sheet music to start playing guitar.
And you can play extremely well riffs, songs, solos simply by using TAB and chord diagrams. The answer is yes absolute! I have spent the last 25 years using TAB whenever I needed a riff or a solo I couldn’t work out on my own.
This is really how the majority of modern guitarists begin. It’s fast, intuitive, and lets you start playing the music you actually enjoy which means you’ll stick with it longer.
If you can read TAB your very much on your way but there is a time that site reading music would be beneficial. If your wanting to be a professional musician then waling into a session at a studio your likely going to need to sight read.
So Why Does Theory Get Mentioned So Much?
Music theory isn’t a set of rules it’s a language.
It gives names to the sounds you already like, patterns you already hear, and shapes you already play. The truth is less precise with TAB but it does a pretty good job and we generally have heard the cover song plenty and are able to play along with it on YouTube or other streaming services.
The right kind of theory:
- Speeds up learning, because you recognize patterns instead of memorizing shapes blindly. It does show how many notes in a bar, how they should be played and a lot more.
- Helps you write music that makes sense emotionally. This is speed, spacing as well as the expression you desire. Tab can do this to an extent but music has been doing it for hundreds of years and tab is a relatively new tool.
- Makes improvisation easier because you understand where to go next on the fretboard.
Theory should feel practical, not academic.
Examples of Practical Theory for Guitarists.
| Concept | Why It’s Useful | Practical Result |
|---|---|---|
| Major & minor scales | Understand why notes sound “happy” or “sad” | Better solos & melodies |
| Chord construction | Know how chords are built | Make your own chords & progressions |
| Key signatures | Know what notes “work together” | Cleaner improvisation |
| The 5 CAGED shapes | Makes the neck feel smaller | Frets become easier to navigate |
You don’t need classical study just the essentials that help your fingers and ears connect.
What About Reading Standard Music Notation?
This depends on your goals:
| Goal | Do You Need to Read Music? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Playing rock/pop covers | No | TAB and chords are enough |
| Writing your own songs | No (but theory helps) | Creativity matters more |
| Playing lead guitar / improvising | Not required but useful | Scale + fretboard knowledge matters |
| Jazz / Classical / Session musician work | Yes, important | These fields expect sight-reading skills |
So unless you want to work as a session musician or study classical guitar, you can skip full sight reading and focus instead on TAB + practical theory + ear training.
Final Thought: Play First. Learn Theory Second.
Your priority should always be:
- Enjoy playing
- Stay motivated
- Learn songs you love
Once your hands are comfortable and your excitement is real theory becomes something you want to learn, not something you’re forced to learn.
It’s like learning shortcuts after you already know your way around.
So start with TAB, chords, and riffs and add theory as a tool, not a barrier.
If your interested in basic TAB and how to read it take a look at my post How to Start Playing Riffs, Scales, and Lead Guitar Like a PRO! This as a beginners perspective to notating in TAB to get you started.
The Author.
Brendon McAliece is a multi lingual expatriate Australian living in Thailand who speaks Thai, a number of its dialects and Lao. He has been playing guitar since he was 12 and continues to do so to this day.
He has performing in bands across the Middle East while contracting as a Aircraft Weapons Instructor with his 10 years of RAAF Armament Fitter experience and his maintained his love for playing guitar it continues to thrive today.
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