Anyone play an instrument by ear rather than reading music?

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Im learning to play the pinao by ear because I will never be able to read music. Being an aspie I have really good hearing so it works out well. Are there any other aspies that play an instrument by ear?

Yup, piano, same as you!

Even when we were supposed to be reading music when I played the violin and sang in grade school I was incapable of reading it and just did it by ear. Wonder what makes it impossible for a person to read music?

I am another person who plays the piano by ear rather than reading music. I took orchestra (violin) and band (clarinet) when I was in elementary school, where it was required that I learn to read music. But it was very difficult for me to learn, and I never really got the hang of it. But I have always been able to play the piano by ear very easily, sometimes after only hearing a song once or twice. I used to practice all the time, but a humiliating incident in elementary school caused me to stop playing the piano altogether.

i've always been crap at sight-reading. i can nominally read music but not in real time- i have to study it just like an actor studies a script, to be recited later by rote. i'm fair at imitating other musician's licks by ear.

I can't sight read, but I play the piano like a professional by ear. I don't know why, but I just prefer it that way.

With guitar, I go both ways. If I am desperate enough to learn a riff I will go by the tabulature. Now if I am just in a screwing around type mood (which is like 90% of the time, I will guess just about what fingering and such to use, play around with it a bit, and adjust until it sounds spot on.

Guitar here too. Always wanted to learn how to play the 'proper' way, several people have tried.. the process just never stuck. I always was better at figuring things out myself.

I do the same with guitar/bass.

I prefer to use tablature to play guitar - I'm either bad at learning by ear or simply impatient! I suppose that if I can read tab easily I ought to be able to learn standard notation if I put my mind to it.

TBH though, tab's better for guitar because it states the positions on the fretboard and any additional guitar-specific effects like hammer-on/pull-offs, trills and harmonics. I've seen guitar written in standard notation, but since that would only state the pitch and duration it wouldn't be much help to me.

Oddly, one of my sisters is ok with reading music to play piano, but she has a knack for learning songs by ear. I'm sometimes a bit envious of how easily it comes to her...she's NT sao it's not some ASD savant ability, so I guess she's one of those people who's lucky enough to have the talent to do it. It's pretty useful!

All musicians should learn both methods (reading and listening), in my opinion.

I'm not saying everyone must be able to sight-read difficult pieces, but basic musical competence includes knowing the key signatures, time signatures, basic rhythms, scales, chords, etc.

Even if you are a completely by-ear, improvisational player, being able to read a chord chart or "lead sheet" will increase your options for jamming with other musicians.

For chord charts I'm the most competent with "slash" notation. Other than that I mostly play by ear.

That's how I used to play the piano. I've never been terribly good at my music, seeing as I'm tone deaf but I liked it.

I've been playing guitar for years now and everytime I learn a new tune it's always from tab. I started learning piano just over a year ago and I take it one chord or note at a time. I've only learned Pachabells Cannon & Fur Elise, but i'm starting to get into it. To actually sit and learn something from only listening to it would (for me at least) be far too time consuming. I've heard that learning to read music is like learning a new language and i've too many commitments on that front. I think if you're just playing for fun, internet tab and chord books should suffice.

I can read sheetmusic and play by ear. I've been playing by ear a lot lately because it's the only way for me to learn the songs in my music collection. I'm a trumpet player and finding sheetmusic for popular songs is a nuisance.