Reading music.

[The Y_man]

A discussion with a forumite just prompted an interesting thought.

How many of us here can read manuscript (sheet music), and to what degree?

I can read it, but it doesn't "translate" into music in my head (if you can get what that means )

i.e. I know what the "tadpoles" mean, which note, how long they're held for - but I have no idea how it sounds.

Given a piece of music I have never heard before on sheet, I would struggle to play it.

Generally, I need to hear it being played / sung (many times!), and then relate what I hear back to the sheet. In effect, the sheet becomes more of a "reminder tool" for me so I don't have to memorize absolutely everything.

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[happyrat1]

I play entirely by ear. I'm struggling to teach myself to "follow the dots" but it's more of a long term goal than an obsessive compulsion. As long as what I'm playing sounds good to me I'm happy enough already.

Then again I'm still struggling with the intricacies of deep programming my synths as well.

Between struggling with the music theory and the MIDI theory I have more to deal with than I have hours in the day. Plus I got off to a pretty late start in life so I also have to deal with fading concentration and retention as my tired old brain gets older

Gary

 

[Sugar]

I studied classical piano for 11 years, plus took some classical guitar lessons and played trumpet for 2 years and have taken several theory classes and so I can read music pretty well. I also sightread 10 minutes every day. It's extremely useful. I can also learn by ear, but that coupled with being able to read music makes it very easy to learn music. I think every musician should try to be able to read music, especially keyboard players. Its super useful.

 

[happyrat1]

For those of us who came into music late in life that's much easier said than done. Granted today we have some marvelous instructional tools at our disposal but for people who entered keyboard playing by the back door, so to speak, it's difficult to find the time to dedicate to music theory and it's pretty much a given fact that once you pass age 50 the brain just doesn't absorb and retain new theory as well as it once did.

Then again, I think it all boils down to what your desires and expectations are. Some people aspire to the performing arts with high hopes of fame and stardom and that's just great for them.

Others among us, however, have less ambitious aspirations. Us old fogies aren't looking to start a new career this late in life. Most of us are happy enough just being able to entertain ourselves and a few friends and family members at get togethers.

So when you say every "musician" should know how to sight read music, that's like me saying every "engineer" should be able to handle differential equations.

Sure if you're earning a living with your instrument it pays to master it, but people on the web show up from all walks of life, and for some of us music will never be more than a hobby.

 

[The Y_man]

I have to say, it would be handy for me, because playing at church, I never know which hymn they will choose.... and if they decide to sing one one never (or rarely) heard before... (reaches for mp3 file...)

The Y-man

 

[Becky]

I learnt to read music from the age of 8, and although I'm quite rusty now I know I can pick it up again if I need to. I was never that great at sight reading though, it was always something that I had to do slowly and repeatedly!

 

[spdam]

I can read simple melody lines, but find it difficulty combining the treble and bass clef, especially if it's is a little complicated. I had a year or so of classical lessons at 9 years of age. I would like to be able to read well and take lessons again, but I get too frustrated with my lack of progress and feeling like such a beginner. Being able to read jazz music would be great.

I'm really trying to develop my ear more these days. I'm learning the keyboard parts and solos to the songs our band plays. I find that a challenge, but I know I'm making progress there. Maybe some day I'll invest in lessons again.

 

[goz211]

I read/write music notation to a high standard.

Most of the time if I'm reading a chart - it's just chords. Even situations where there are actual dots and I'm sight reading - theatre stuff or accompaniment - unless someone needs a recital level accompaniment - I read the melody and blag an accompaniment.

I've some accompaniment on next month (3 or 4 dates for an amateur choir) - I'll get music on the night and blag it. Most work in Feb however is either function band stuff (play by ear or from chords) - or folk singer accompaniment (same).

Reading music from dots is a different skill - it's reading out loud from a newspaper Vs telling someone a story. It can be learned but you need to be doing it all the time to get reasonably good at it and to keep it up - and it just means you can follow a set of instructions.

 

[b3maniac]

I have been trained to read music, both as a pianist and as a woodwind player.
But, in the world of playing with bands I have rarely been handed written music (actual notation). But, when I did work as a member of AFM, I was generally expected to be able to read if I was called for a job.
Charted music aside, I've found in my world that guitar tabs, chord charts, and "Nashville notation" are more the norm. ("Nashville notation" is a system that defines changes by assigning numbers to the intervals of the scale. In that fashion, if you know your scales you can change keys easily. IE, the root note is "1", the third is "3" etc.). Over-all, I typically get an MP3 of the tune and plug it into my DAW, listen to it, and play along to learn my part(s).
For those who want to learn to play by ear, I found that working with home recording is great ear training. Don

 

[plchong]

I first learned to play/read music in grade school, playing the clarinet. Now, so many years later, I am being reminded about it by pressing the "SCORE" button on the keyboard. I, too, can read it a liitle, but play mostly by ear, and can not "sight-read" scoresheets. I can "read" down to 1/8th notes (one flag or bar), and figure the timing, but not on 1/32nd or even 1/64th notes (3 or 4 flags or bars)!

Meanwhile, I have had tunes floating around in my head since I was a teenager, and AT LAST (I am over 50, now) was able to "pour them out", when I discovered the arranger keyboard. Also, I thought that once I was finished with the tunes in my head, that would be it, and no more tunes. BUT NO! They are still coming!

However little or much one can read scoresheets, music is a wonderful thing!

.......................Pat

 

[Chris_Goslow]

Good question, The Y_Man:

Your comment reminds me of this ideal that I'm certainly quite familiar with that we should be able to "hear" the sheet music perfectly in our heads, just as if we were listening to it. I always marveled out how this could be done, yet I personally haven't spent a lot of time worrying about whether I hear the sheet music in my head. I usually use sheet music in order to play it, though recently I spent some time reading the music in my head, and I discovered a sharpening of that ability.
Especially when you're just starting out, my thought has been that it's more important just simply to be able to translate the written music into what notes to play at the keyboard.

 

[Niki]

I think you are blessed if you can both read music and play by ear. I can read music, but still struggle with the off the staff high notes and low notes. Mostly this is because of not enough practice sight reading. I can pick out a melody on the piano, but only through much trial and error. lol I have a little program I put on my Kindle to help improve my ear training, being able to recognize types of chords, minor, 7th maj7, min7, etc. and recognize intervals. It's helping, just need to keep at it.

 

[Chris_Goslow]

Hi, Niki:
I worked for a long time to continually improve my sight-reading. I made up my mind when I was 8 years old that I wanted to become a great sight-reader. As it turns out, sight-reading helped me land my first substantial music gigs. I'm not sure that it was so much being blessed as being committed .

That's great that you have been working on your ear training, and yes, just keep at it... that's the best way to develop skills, in my experience.