Is it easy to play guitar by listening or by reading notes?

Question

Which way of playing is regarded highly ?

Answer 1

Both! You should really start by just messing around with it and getting a natural feel for the instrument. Then start learning notes and how to play that way, cords etc. Always play free style a bit and just goof around too. This will make you a much better player and creator later on. You will probably naturally start picking up how to play by ear after some experience with it. This is the typical and traditional way chinese people learn to play any instrument, it is the most natural and you'll find the chinese very skilled with their instruments.

Answer 2

There are plenty of great guitar players that can not read sheet music. So is the skill to be able to read sheet music necesarry? No. But would that skill be beneficial. Of course it would be. Being able to read sheet music only further widens your possiblities and potential as a guitar player. I think that guitar tabs are a perfectly acceptable version of guitar music, and i read them. I do also read guitar sheet music. Being able to read and understand sheet music and musical notes will better help you understand the chords. If you ignore sheet music, you can still be a fine guitar player, but i recomend learning it. It is a lot easier to learn it if you have guitar lessons, or a friend who knows how to read sheet music and plays guitar. Given how much you practice, you could probably become a good guitar player in a few months. I have only been playing guitar for 6 months and I do know plenty of songs. I practice as much or maybe more than you, just not for a set time. Some days i practice for 10 minutes, some I get on a roll learning a song and practice for 2 hours. And some days I don't practice at all. I'm on more of a relaxed schedual of learning guitar. As your skill level begins to increase, and it will if you continue practicing, you will play more most likely. Just keep practicing and you will learn to play guitar well.

Answer 3

You have to read the notes. But you can get a better idea of the tune when you listen, and also a better idea of the right cords to play. My son is always reading the notes and also watching or listening when he can. and he is really good on the guitar

Hope this helps May God bless you

Answer 4

if you just want to know how to play guitar, start with tabs. If you're serious about it learn the notes. Playing by ear comes with experience, however some seem to have a natural talent for it like Kurt Cobain did.

Answer 5

Use what works - I learned to play by finding tablature (uses numbers to indicate frets) and listening to the song to get an idea of how to strum.

Since you don't have to learn reading music, tablature can be really easy to pick up. It looks kind of like music notation (but there are six lines - one for each guitar string) and the number on the line tells you where to play. So, to play the open A string you would see this:

---
---
---
---
-0-
---

To play the "C" note on the A string you would see this:

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---
---
---
-3-
---

An open E chord looks like this:

-0-
-0-
-1-
-2-
-2-
-0-

and a C major scale looks like this:


-------------------------------------------------
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-----------------2-4-5-------------------------
---------2-3-5----------------------------------
--3--5-------------------------------------------
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Simple rock songs are easiest to start out with - try some Green Day or Nirvana.

Answer 6

Has more to do with how well you understand music. If you have knowledge of reading sheet music, then it may be easier for you that way. Personally, listening to music and recreating it in that fashion on any instrument is easier for me, as I know what it sounds like and what sound I want to duplicate.

Answer 7

reading notes

Answer 8

it depwnds on who you are .i know people that learned better by ear and some better by reading notes .