Nope. You do not need to learn every song in all the keys.

I started my musical education as a piano student. Essentially we learned each song in one key. Started with C maj, then G with one sharp, then on to Bb with one flat and so on as time progressed. The idea was to learn the keys and the scales associated with each key and to learn to read and play in each key. Knowing that, you could play any song in any key with the sheet music. But that's the key right there... having the sheet music and being able to read it.

I have played with some really, really good piano players. I saw them sight read a new song for the first time, something in a key with a bunch of flats and they looked over it for a few seconds and then they played it to perfection. Didn't drop a single note to my ear. Then, they were asked to jam in the key of G major.... and that same person looked at me like I was speaking Mandarin Chinese. And telling them it was a 1,4,5 in G didn't help one bit. They were clueless.

It all depends on how you learned to play and what your goals are.

So... as mainly a guitarist now, I can play in any key without a capo. I can follow along on chord charts pretty well. Throw in an Eb7#9 and I might have to either look it up or whip out a good old Emaj7 or something.... I figured out that I really didn't need to be able to read music, so I focused on ear training and learning the chords and progressions and waaa laaa, here I am. I can be totally happy with the knowledge I have and not regret one minute of never learning how to read sheet music at a decent level.

For most musicians, find out what you need, and what you want to accomplish and go do it.

While I don't need a capo to play, I find that it does a really nice job on changing the timbre of the chords. So it doesn't sound like an open string chord, simply because the physical length is shorter with the capo. It's for the tone it imparts.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/28/20 09:59 AM.
You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.