Originally Posted by: martinovation

Learning to play songs is what I enjoy most about playing guitar.

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In order to do that you don't necessarily need to read music, but it will help you in the long run to learn more songs, more efficiently.

[quote=martinovation]

I want to take my skill to the next level and start to wonder if reading music would be beneficial. I'm not into classical guitar, and enjoy mostly classic rock. I mostly play rhythm and would like to learn to play leads. I would like to hear from folks out there to see if it is worth it to learn to read and play from written music, or will my time be better spent on something else.

The most important thing to develop is your physical technique & your aural skills (ear training) to the point that you can hear chord changes & melodies & know what they are before you put your hands on the guitar.

Being able to read is a valuable skill, but the physical skills required to actually play the guitar parts in songs you want to play is the priority.

Hope this helps!