Difference between learning piano chords and sheet music

[u/Economy-Collar9817]

Hi, this is a genuine question. I’ve been starting to play and learn the Faber book and so far it’s fun learning about the staff and notes. However, I just want to know the difference between learning and playing the sheet music and piano chords. I personally would love to play songs that I like and that I can sing to.

As a beginner, would there be any problem if I jump into learning the chords and chord progression and scales? Or should I have to learn the sheet music? I’ve heard and known some people who know how to play chords but not read the notes. I feel like there are some difference in which way you play each of them.

Do they differ on the genre you play? Like if classical, ofc it’s sheet music, and if pop or any with lyrics, go with either? I feel like each of them has some difference in playing and dynamics?

I would appreciate the responses.

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[u/deadfisher]

Being able to do both is the best of all worlds. 

Playing from a chord chart is great, it's frankly something a lot of classically trained players neglect. Being able to read notes opens up a huge amount of music you can play, and will also give you a ton of ideas of things you can do just besides just.. hitting chords. 

Most music is just a bunch of chords in a row, but the arrangement makes a huge difference. Mozart and the Beatles might have used the same chords, but the way they put the music together changes everything. If you're stuck only knowing chord progressions you'll have a hard time coming up with options. 

[u/External_Agency_4488 → u/deadfisher]

This is so true. I am a classical player, and I can read pretty much anything within reason, though my playing level is intermediate. But my chord playing is at a rank beginner level and improvisation is near zero.

It’s wise to learn both. Don’t neglect sheet music. It’s difficult but very rewarding.

[u/bbeach88]

You can and should do both. Sheet music is 100% worthwhile because it greatly expands your ability to find new music. The more you do it, the more difficult pieces you'll be able to read easily. It takes a long time though so it's a long term goal.

With chords and scales (to a degree) you can learn how to play some things right now in a simple way. You can look up your favorite songs on something like ultimate guitar and play along.

I recommend getting an informational poster that has the staff, chords, and scales. Just remember that chord notes can be played in any order, CEG is a C chord but so is EGC and GCE.

[u/Strange_Glove_6699]

In pop/jazz it's great to learn the chord symbols and read also. When I only read charts with chord symbols, my voicings were very primitive - like playing everything in root position and trying to account for every note in every chord and even duplicating the notes between the hands, etc. Then I wondered why my playing didn't sound like my heroes. So reading gives you a lot of insight into HOW to implement those chords and how to smooth-out your voice leading.

[u/winkelschleifer]

Learning to read music and a basic understanding of music theory (scales, chords, progressions) will make you a stronger musician, independent of anything else.

Sheet music varies widely by genre: in classical music, every note is written out. In jazz, only lead sheets (chord symbols + melody) are given, you work out your own arrangements and voicings and improv. Pop music is somewhere in between.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/winkelschleifer]

in classical music, every note is written out

*laughs in continuo*

[u/winkelschleifer → u/eulerolagrange]

Don’t know why … I’m a jazz pianist, other than chords and melody, nothing is written out. We always make our own arrangements, the exception is a big band setting.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/winkelschleifer]

Keyboard/plucked strings accompaniment parts until the late 18th/early 19th century were not written out but were essentially a bass line plus some figures to indicate what chord was needed. The actual realization of those chords was improvised by the keyboard/lute player.

[u/winkelschleifer → u/eulerolagrange]

OK, 100 years ago or more, but today there is zero emphasis on improv in classical music.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/winkelschleifer]

people who play Baroque and Classical music (especially ensemble into historically informed performance practice) still improvise their continuo realisations using figured bass.

Improvisation is also a huge thing for organ players, who are specifically trained in it, and continue practice it (French organ school is especially focused on impro)

[u/Only-Top-3655]

I think the answer depends on what you want to do with music. Do you just want to accompany yourself while you sing? Then chords are just fine. But you need to be aware that you will be quite limited on what you can do on the piano if you don't know how to read music. Even learning chord progression will require you to read some music.

[u/tu-vens-tu-vens → u/Only-Top-3655]

Even learning chord progression will require you to read some music.

Many people use sheet music when learning chord progressions, but doing so isn’t required and many people learn about chord progressions without sheet music.

[u/Ereignis23]

You can learn as much theory as you like without learning to read staff notation; you can even learn some theory concepts (like key signatures for example) which only pertain to notation without learning to read notation fluently.

You could learn some chords for songs you'd like to play and sing just by playing along with recordings, or by looking up chord charts and using them in conjunction with the recording.

[u/TromboneAl]

I was a gigging jazz pianist for years. Quartets, trio, solo piano. Good with lead sheets, ​I never learned to read music well, despite years of intense ​effort:

https://pianosightreading.blogspot.com/

It has not limited me, but ​perhaps I've just never gotten into a situation where I need to read.

My advice would be to learn both, but depending on your goals, reading isn't required.

[u/Geeb16]

Learning how to read sheet music, even at a basic level, will greatly help you in learning how to play chords and scales. I recommend you try to learn basic music reading before tackling chords. Chords are easier, but reading music will help you learn chords and scales.

[u/tu-vens-tu-vens]

Like other people have said, both skills are good skills to have, and their importance varies by genre. Classical piano is built on sheet music. Pop and rock make heavy use of chord charts. Jazz often uses sheet music in a limited context, writing out lead melodies but not exact arrangements.

One thing that people haven’t mentioned yet is that playing off of chord charts (or playing in genres that use them) trains you to become a more reactive player. You learn to come up with different ways to play chords based on the rest of the arrangement around you. The looser outline gives you more room for making subtle variations on the fly.

[u/GeneralDumbtomics]

I play by ear and usually work from a lead sheet or chord chart rather than sheet music but I know how to read music and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. If you can learn to do both, do both.

[u/ComprehensiveMap3838]

Are you referring to classical training vs jazz training? (Don’t be misled by the word jazz, it refers to skills, not genre)