I taught myself how to "decode" sheet music. I can look at it and sorta "hear" the timing of the different note durations, but I can't do that for the pitch. I have to count the lines ("Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge") or spaces, ("All Cows Eat Grass"), and then double check to see if there's a sharp or a flat on that line/space in the key signature, hunt for it on the keyboard or fretboard, etc. It's a tedious process but it's doable.

Wasn't it Chet Atkins who, when asked if he read sheet music, said "Not so much that it affects my playing" (or words to that effect)?

Finally, I once had a workplace aquaintance who played traditional Irish fiddle, and she had lent me some sheet music of her original tunes. I was messing with a MIDI composer/editor at the time. Just for fun, I took one of her tunes, transposed it, and changed it to a different mode (from Dorian to Mixolydian, perhaps). I showed her the printout of the changes I had made. She just looked at it and said "That sounds weird!" That impressed me.

I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing.

I'm picking up some sort of "trumpet" conspiracy here?

I can read and learn a piece of basic sheet music if you give me a few hours. There are times I wish I could sight read because it would open up treasure troves of sheet music from over the ages.

However, I've managed to 'wing it' whenever I play with "real" musicians and have had a great time on the way. I have, however, never wanted to be like the music=mathmatics (and no joy) piano teachers I grew up with. So, I've always been more interested in the rawness of playing by ear more.

Tim O
oestmann guitar

tunes

clips

When I decided to learn to play a few years ago, I picked up a Mel Bay book and learned some basics. It's been helpful when I learn a song from a book that has both tab and notation because I know what the note values are and the rests etc. Of course the best thing is to listen to other people play the song and pick things up that way, but I'm still glad I learned to sight read somewhat.

For my next trick I will disembowel myself.

Yet another former trumpet player here...what's up with that?

I learned how to read music in third grade, and this was later enforced by piano lessons. I can sight read and sight sing and can usually hear the melody in my head by looking at the page. For singing or piano, reading music is pretty much like reading English for me. For the guitar I have to think about it once you get out of first position, but in first position I don't have any problems.

Ralph
The Storm Surfers

Be at one with the universe. If you can't do that, at least be at one with your guitar.

I pick option number 4. I'm a drummer and I just play! If I was to play any other instrument I would probably have learned to read music though.

Reverb, It's A Way Of Life!

djangodeadman
...featured my cousin, who was a classically trained trumpet player ... right it down and play from her sheet music. She couldn't make up or improvise a tune and she couldn't play without her sheet music.

Actually, playing music without sheet music is something that has been totally foreign to me... and it's only since I've started taking 'real' guitar lessons that I've been able to start developing the skills of improvisation and playing with people in a small band situation.

From my experience, all you really need is a means to communicate your musical ideas and if you do that by performing a demo, writing a chart or by using the 'lines and dots', it almost doesn't matter -- what is important is that you have an understanding of what the musical 'rules' are (which depend on context) and then being able to forget all about them

I'm as free from money as a frog is from feathers

JakeDobner

crumb
I used to know a young lady who could play the heck out of piano with the sheet music in front of her. I used to sneak up behind and steal her music and she'd stop playing and get real cross with me. A lot of people would call her a true musician.

Because she is a true musician.

I don't know so much jake. I always saw her as a kind of human "Player Piano Roll" ..Y'know those old fashioned pianos that played themselves? She couldn't compose or jam but she could communicate with other musicians which is a huge bonus.

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Last edited: Sep 24, 2009 00:20:56

Zak, well put as usual.

Of course, we here on SG101 would delude ourselves into thinking that somebody who can read music isn't much of a musician since they don't jam or memorize all the pieces they play.

JakeDobner
Zak, well put as usual.

Of course, we here on SG101 would delude ourselves into thinking that somebody who can read music isn't much of a musician since they don't jam or memorize all the pieces they play.

To me it's the difference between telling (story noodling?) a story and reading aloud from a great play. You may able to tell a great story off the cuff better than a well trained actor. But when the actor is reading they have the advantage of both being trained in how to convey emotion, tension, etc, PLUS what they are reading is deeper in terms of character development, plot, subplot, etc... You may prefer hearing about your buddy Chuck getting wasted in Vegas, and your buddy Tom really does a great job of telling it, but all in all, Ian McKellen reading King Lear is probably the better bet for taking a date to...