Having learned first "by ear" to play and only recently learning to read music I found that learning to read allowed me to learn alot of new stuff fast such as Irish tunes and since I already had lots of idosyncratic approaches to autoharp and guitar, I could incorporate my picking styles to jigs, reels, polkas, and the like. Didn't John Hartford say "style is based on limitation." The grass is sometimes greener but you still have to mow it, I always say...I agree with Art, though. Playing alone means you never have to say your sorry!! to your bandmates...But when I play in DoneyGals, my schooled partner does teach me alot!!! harpgirl