Musicians who can’t read sheet music
Michael Jackson -
Though he was singing from a young age, Michael Jackson reportedly never learned to read music!
Lionel Richie -
The hitmaker reportedly learned to play piano by watching his grandmother play, picking up notes by ear, but never learning how to read or write music.
Elvis Presley - He never had any formal musical training, only a natural inclination, and thus never wrote his songs down.
Eric Clapton -
Instead of formally learning the theory, Clapton learned guitar by listening to blues music repeatedly until he could match his playing to what he heard.
Taylor Swift -
“I would not have majored in music because when music becomes technical for me I don’t like that part of it,” she told the outlet in 2009. “I can’t read music.
Slash -
In an interview, Slash shared: “No, I can’t read music, I play by ear. I try to make what I hear (sometimes just in my head) come out my hands into the guitar.”
Stevie Wonder -
Of course Stevie Wonder has been blind essentially his whole life, but he never learned to read braille music either.
Kurt Vile -
Indie legend Kurt Vile, the former lead guitarist of rock band The War on Drugs, reportedly taught himself how to play at age 17 without any theory.
Noel Gallagher -
Despite having written an array of hits for his band Oasis, Noel Gallagher admitted to Rolling Stone that he can’t read music
Prince -
Prince is one of the most beloved and prolific musicians of his era, and despite knowing how to play 27 instruments, he reportedly couldn’t read sheet music.