Can somebody tell me if a person needs to be able to read music to play the guitar well?

Thanks! :-)

No. If I remember correctly, George Harrison never learned how to read music. Of course, I probably don't remember correctly.

I will say this, I'm decent enough with guitar to play in a band and I know very little about reading music. My friend has been playing longer than I have and he's an excellent guitarist and he knows less about reading music than I do.

Ultimately, I feel as though knowing how to play guitar really well without lessons comes down to whether or not you have the right feel for the instrument. I think anyone can play guitar, but some may need lessons in order to advance with the instrument.

Maybe anyone can play guitar - but it takes a LOT of work to be able to play even moderately well.

I don't think TP or Mike know how to read music? i think they were both "self taught".

Having a background in music of some kind helps immensely though. For example, I played in band in High School - saxophone and flute. Nothing like a guitar for example, but that taught me music theory which without I don't think learning guitar would've happened.

Hehe... Yeah, I really didn't have any musical experience beyond just listening and watching, and it really was difficult. Eventually I found some friends to play with who could show me various chords and some of the important scales, which really got me started.

Looking back, hanging out with other guitarists (experienced and novice, alike) really helps, so start hanging out with other musicians.

Reading isn't necessary, but it is helpful and will speed your progress. However, you can gain an understanding of scales and modes, etc. without learning to read.

jp's point about having a feel for the guitar, and I guess a feel for music, is imporant, too, in terms of "playing well." Another important thing is having a guitar that is playable and well set up. More would-be guitarists give up because of hard-to-play instruments than any other reason. Doesn't mean you need the most expensive guitar out there, but if the one you're trying to learn on is a dog, take it to a reputable shop and see if a setup will help. If not, beg, borrow, or steal a playable axe.

The good news is that there are tons of resources out on the web these days, so you can keep learning, whether you learn to read or not.

Thank you jharis53, Heartbreaker1976 and Montben for your advice. I appreciate it. :-)