Which is Better Playing By Ear or By Notes?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you have aspirations of music on a big scale such as radio, TV, or as a studio musician, note reading is almost always a must. That's the language of professional musicians. However if you're good enough, people will make allowances. Ask Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Ronnie Milsap. If you go to college for music, they will give you note reading lessons first thing if you can't read already.

However, from a purely enjoyment level, playing by ear is better. Just watch a person that plays by notes compared to one that does not. Then judge for yourself. A person that knows music theory can create while they are playing. The rush from those moments is unbelievable. When playing by note, you are limited to the notes on the page. Some songs are simplified to sell to a bigger audience and may not sound like you expect. If the arrangement is pitiful, so are you. And that is if the song is in print in the first place. I teach a lot of musicians in the African-American community, and outside of the most popular songs and artists music is hard to find. And you have to wait about six months after the song becomes popular before they will print it. Becoming proficient at note reading generally takes a lot longer. A person can take a theory course in a few months, and learn the chords of a song in a few sittings. It would take years to sound the same playing notes. So which is better, note reading or playing by ear? It depends on what you want to do!!!!