We’re a team of active music teachers specializing in private lessons for beginner students, and one question we hear all the time is: “Should beginners read music or play by ear during a performance?” The choice matters—and understanding both approaches can give every student real flexibility and more musical opportunities. When a student knows how to read music or play by ear, their learning becomes richer, deeper, and more confident.
What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
Reading music means interpreting notation—pitches, rhythms, dynamics—directly from sheet music. It’s a skill that gives access to wide repertoire, ensemble playing, and structured progress.
Playing by ear, on the other hand, is reproducing melodies and chords through listening and memory, without notation. This develops aural skills, improvisation, and creative freedom, as explained in this overview.
Benefits of Reading Music
- Access to More Music: Reading sheet music opens doors to classical scores, ensemble parts, and new genres, as described in this guide from Keen School of Music.
- Improved Cognitive Skills: Sight-reading engages memory, pattern recognition, and focus—training the brain for accurate playing.
- Reliable Performance Tool: Reading helps performers handle complex pieces and unfamiliar music with confidence.
Advantages of Playing by Ear
- Enhanced Listening Skills: Builds pitch recognition, tonal memory, and musical intuition.
- Encourages Creativity: Enables improvisation, personal expression, and composition even without formal notation skills.
- Immediate Musical Participation: Great for informal playing, jam sessions, and genres like pop, folk, and jazz.
More detail on this approach is explored in The Lesson Studio’s breakdown of ear training and sight-reading.
A Balanced Approach: Why Both Skills Matter
In our in-home beginner lessons, we encourage students to develop both reading skills and ear training. Here’s why the combination works best:
- Sight-reading supports ear skills: When students read new music, their brain starts anticipating pitches and rhythms—reinforcing their listening ability.
- Ear training enhances reading fluency: Recognizing intervals and harmonic patterns by ear helps students sight-read more accurately and confidently.
Our teaching routines include both elements in every lesson, so beginners grow confident with multiple ways to approach a song.
What to Expect in Lessons
- Ear training drills: Students identify simple melodies and chords by ear before matching them on the piano.
- Sight-reading practice: Short new pieces each lesson, gradually increasing complexity.
- Creative projects: Improvisation, composing a short melody, or playing from memory.
- Reflection: We compare what feels natural and what grows stronger—setting goals like “play note-for-note from sheet music” or “learn melody by ear first.”
FAQ – Common Beginner Questions
Q: Should I focus on ear-playing first or sheet reading?
A: Beginners often start by learning simple tunes by ear—it builds confidence early. Then we introduce reading skills gradually to expand their musical toolkit.
Q: Can a student perform without reading music?
A: Absolutely. Many musicians perform by ear—especially in genres like pop or folk. But reading skills open paths to ensemble playing, formal performance, and varied repertoire.
Q: How long does it take to build both skills?
A: With short daily practice—10–15 minutes of sight-reading plus ear drills—most students show noticeable improvement in a few months and become comfortable with both.
If you’d like to explore further, check out our post on Four Easy Steps to Reading Chord Charts to see how note reading supports chord learning. For additional insights into how sight-reading boosts memory and musicianship, take a look at The Lesson Studio’s comprehensive guide and Aguilar’s take on reading music.
By guiding students to both read music and play by ear, we help them grow into confident musicians who can perform, improvise, and enjoy music in any setting.
