Note NamesPlaying piano without reading music
Yes, lots of people do. Each way of skipping notation has strengths and a ceiling. Here is how they compare, and how to use them as a bridge to reading if you want to.
By ear
Working out tunes by listening is a great skill and builds a strong sense of harmony. It is slower for long or complex pieces, and harder for classical music where every note matters.
Chord charts and lead sheets
Pop, rock and jazz players often read only a melody and chord symbols, or just the chords. This is fast and flexible, but it does not tell you exactly what to play, so it is less useful for written-out piano music.
Letter notes
Melodies written as letters (E D E D E B D C A…) are easy to start with. You lose rhythm, octave and the left hand, so they work for simple tunes but not much beyond.
Falling-note videos and apps
Coloured bars falling onto a keyboard are easy to follow and fun. You depend on someone having made a version of the piece, and the skill does not transfer to sheet music.
Letters on the real score: the bridge
A middle path is to keep the real sheet music, with all its rhythm, both hands and dynamics, and add the letter name to each note. You play the actual piece today, your eyes see real notation every time, and you can remove the letters as you learn. That is what Note Names does: it names every note on your own sheet music, then turns the letters down step by step.
Questions
Can you learn piano without reading sheet music?
Yes, by ear, from chord charts or from falling-note videos. Reading music becomes important for classical and written-out piano pieces.
Are letter notes good for beginners?
They are an easy start for simple melodies. Letters written on the actual score keep the rhythm and both hands, so they work as a bridge to reading.