I read music, tab chicken scratch on a napkin. I learned to play songs lifting that needle up and putting it down hundreds of times. I learned technique sitting with someone who knew. Now with YouTube you can actually see what they are doing. I think it makes it easier than lifting that needle, but your ear training suffers.

Ear training requires that listening and figuring out what is going on with out the visual aid. Once you can develop the ear, a lot of stuff opens up.

If only I could have watched Chet Atkins videos when I was a kid! I learned those songs by ear, and when I watch him play them I realized there were much easier ways to do what I was doing! He always seemed to find the easiest, most efficient way to play everything he did. Easy being a relative term!

My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.