The well rounded musician...

To be a well rounded musician you need to be able to read music and play by ear. Both are things that can be learned, while some people have a gifting to do one, or both. Reading music involves learning the language of music which is written two different ways; with notes on a page utilizing a musical staff and using chord charts. Both of these are extremely different.

When I grew up I learned how to play classical music by reading notes on a page but it wasn't until I went to college that I learned how to read chord charts and all that entails.

There are many great books and resources online to help you learn to read music.

Here are a few links to help you get started:

Here are some resources to help you with chord charts: