Famous musicians who can’t read sheet music

Music is something we can all enjoy and get a sense of without ever formally studying it, and actually learning an instrument is a gift that keeps giving throughout your entire life. But when you’re starting out on a musical journey, the theory can seem a little daunting, since it has its own system of notation and composition to learn across clefs and meter timings and numerous symbols and note values. Surprisingly, however, there are some musicians regarded as being at the top of their league who never actually formally learned how to read music!

We’re talking about artists who have created incredibly complex compositions and songs that even influenced other artists, largely by just dedicating themselves to their craft and practicing through their pure connection to sound.

Intrigued? Click through to see a list of names you won’t believe.

Michael Jackson

Though he was singing from a young age, Michael Jackson reportedly never learned to read music! He would sing everything out instead, which arguably played a role in how he developed his rich vocal style.

Paul McCartney

This famed Beatle helped create some of the most iconic songs in pop rock history, but throughout his long and fruitful career he simply didn’t view learning to read or write music as necessary.

Jimi Hendrix

 Jimi Hendrix is hailed as the greatest guitar player in the history of rock, and yet his relationship to music was different than so many who aspire to his talents today. Indeed, Hendrix didn’t learn music theory on his road to fame.

Instead, he was a self-taught musician who learned to play guitar by ear. He famously also had synesthesia, and would see music as colors, so he relied on that and his imagination to write much of his material, while also improvising a great amount.

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

That’s right, the King of Rock and Roll couldn’t read sheet music! He never had any formal musical training, only a natural inclination, and thus never wrote his songs down.

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.

He famously taught himself how to play guitar and piano, and though he made numerous hit songs, many say he could only identify chords, scales, and intervals by ear.

Bob Dylan

Folk legend Bob Dylan’s style of song has inspired so many musicians who have surely studied his every note, but Dylan himself reportedly never found it necessary to learn how to read sheet music.

Miles Davis

Miles Davis is probably the most innovative and celebrated jazz musician of our time, and though he was enrolled in Juilliard in the 1940s to learn formal music theory, he reportedly decided to drop out.

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton is famed for his guitar skills, but he mentioned in his autobiography that he was nervous to perform with the late Aretha Franklin because everyone was looking at sheet music and he didn’t know how to read it. Though it's said Franklin also didn't know how to read sheet music!

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.

Eddie Van Halen

Late glam-rock legend Eddie Van Halen did actually go to piano lessons as a child, but he claimed that he would fool his piano teacher into thinking he could read notes, meanwhile he actually just learned by ear.

Taylor Swift

Arguably one of the most famous pop-country artists today, Taylor Swift rocketed to fame at 17 and has continued to dominate the charts ever since. But Swift revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that she does not read music.

Slash

The Guns ‘N Roses lead guitarist is world renowned for his guitar riffs, but all of that musical genius was learned by ear. He prefers a more immediate connection between his imagination and his performance.

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.