>>12697894Einstein invented it without tensors, so no you don't need tensors. They shorten the equations and compactify notation. This means if you can parse it, you can do work faster. But it won't help you build the basics. You can read the original paper here, and you'll see a surprising lack of tensors.
https://archive.org/details/principleofrelat00eins/page/n5/mode/2up 
