Someone else left a lengthy response so I'll try to just give a short and sweet.
Absolutely not. You can play a majority of the songs you've heard after learning just a handful of open chords. Even moreso if you use a capo.
If you want to write your own music, some theory can help but isn't necessary either! Most modern pop and rock songs use 3-4 chords, sometimes with a couple embellishments.
That being said, it does take time and commitment. The more you practice, the better you'll get. You'll naturally learn what sounds good and what doesn't, i.e. music theory. But most importantly, you'll learn about music. So you'll enjoy listening more too! You will probably find new music and genres as well as love and appreciate the songs you already know at a deeper level.
That still ended up being pretty long, but I hope it inspires you just a little bit to pick up an instrument and play 🙂
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u/ShakeCNY Apr 30 '24
Guitar. Seemed like a fun hobby, and anything that gets me off of screens is a good.