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Sheet Music Reading? Musicans Who Can't Read Music: A Couple of Lists
Is sheet music reading necessary for success? Apparently not. Here are just 14 of the many songwriters who did alright without notation skills:
| Irving Berlin | Robert Johnson |
| Johnny Cash | John Lennon |
| Eric Clapton | Paul McCartney |
| Bob Dylan | Prince |
| Errol Garner | Muddy Waters |
| Jimi Hendrix | Brian Wilson |
| Michael Jackson | Stevie Wonder |
And anoher 14 performers (non-songwriters) who managed to do alright without knowing how to read or write music:
| Louis Armstrong | Luciano Pavarotti |
| Bix Beiderbeck | Elvis Presley |
| Dave Brubeck | Django Reinhardt |
| Glen Campbell | Buddy Rich |
| Bing Crosby | Frank Sinatra |
| Judy Garland | Ella Fitzgerald |
| Kate Smith | Chet Baker |
Musical skill is normal in the human species. Not a rare talent. Most people have the potential to sing and to play an instrument with reasonable competence, even if they’ve never tried. Even if they’ve tried and failed (usually due to inept instruction). Ability to read or write music notation has nothing to do with it.
Same with songwriting. Contrary to common belief, it’s not a special gift. Anybody can write a song. Even a five-year-old child.
But hardly anybody has one vital skill required to create brilliant, classic songs.