It’s not uncommon to find flutists who can play music by ear. That only means they have a certain level of musicality that’s far beyond that of an average player’s. But if you’re a beginner who hopes to master the flute one day, you absolutely have to learn to read and play sheet music. Classical music is almost always played with sheet music and having sight reading skills means you can book orchestra gigs. Other types of music such as jazz, on the other hand, rely on improvisation and thus “playing by ear.” But unless you have a perfect ear, then learning to read sheet music is a must.