who can read music on here? if not,do you think it hurts you overall as a musician?

Ive been reading music fluently since I was 7. Its come in very handy over the years as I write my songs on paper first before I begin recording. This gives me a guide for the song & a means of recording my ideas.

I did some Drumming for a few theatre shows in London last year & I wouldnt have gotten through the night were it not for the dots. Made me realise that there is such a thing as good & bad dots. The stuff we were playing didnt sound like it was being sight read.

Never be afraid to read music or to learn to. Musicians that can read stand a much better chance at a session career as you do not need so many rehersals when your reading. Always remember that written music is just a primative form of recording.

Another reason to learn the dots or at least have knowelege of them is that I could not teach drums for a living at the moment if I didnt know how to read.

In summary, its not only a good ability to have but its fast becoming a sort of qualification these days. Musicians that can read are very few & those that can are getting a lot more work as a result. Trust me, I earn easily twice as much for a reading gig.

True, you cant beat that live sound, so dont play dots so mechanically. A piece is only what you make of it & even the worst dots can be made to sound good

i know how to read it.

if i only could sing it...

I can ... played trumpet/french horn in school for 7 yrs.(still have it), although... I'm retired now.

I've been reading music since I was six years old playing piano and eight years old playing sax. I find it's useful if you want to do some creative things with the mathematics of music but I've recently found out you can do some interesting things if you view music as numbers (I ii iii IV VI vii VIII, for example) within keys or scales. This is how I've been learning many jazz improvisation techniques and I figure it's closer to the way Prince writes and performs music. Also, I'm working on getting perfect pitch and relative pitch so I can hear notes and chords as colors. I have a lot to learn but I know I wouldn't want to know one way without the other. The more options available the better, right?

Samuel said:

oh please, put up your mp3 site QUICK!

and please explain more about prince performing,etc.

I can read it somewhat, but I don't have a habit of it. I started learning piano by reading, then later on quit formal lessons and started playing by ear. Although I sometimes still seem to read sheet music on and off just to maintain the skill of knowing how to do it.

It hasn't hurt me so far, but I'm ultimately not looking to become a studio musician. It can never hurt to learn to read music, in fact you have more options overall if you do know how to read and want a recording career.

Those who want to become session musicians should take it upon themselves to learn to read music.

Wow, Cloud9, what an educated answer. I'm impressed.

I read music really slow. I can learn a piano piece, but I'm way out of practice. It really is like another language, or like heiroglyphics. It's like solving a mystery, an adventure.

I took AP Harmony in high school and I really enjoyed all those 4 part harmony exercises. It was almost like a meditation for me.

I always knew for me that reading & writing music would be helpful when I was stuck for ideas, after all the inspiration. I use MIDI and record my ideas as they come. Now that I am really close to finishing my album, I'm realizing what I always believed to be true. I now have to learn what key I'm in and put all my music education to work. For example, I have a song that is in a blues key, and I didn't even know it! I just play what I feel and I can usually finish a song, but this one I had no idea how to end. Once I realized it was in a blues key I got this idea for a piano solo and its gonna build from there.

Thanks subyduby. MP3.com will only put up the site faster if I put up some money, so I guess I'll have to wait. I'm hoping a friend will loan me some space so I can put up songs whenever I want including Prince-covers which MP3.com won't let me do until I get clearance from him. I wish I *could* say more about the way Prince performs. I'd love to know what's going on in his head as he's performing, how he does it, especially how he writes music. He knows about keys and how they work together but I figure he pretty much plays everything by ear, he knows how to play what he hears in his head, sometimes giving his band directions if they need them so they know where to follow. Maybe someone else here knows more about this. I don't play live besides jamming with some friends.

VinaBlue said:

Thanx mate.

Im a teacher, gotta know enough about this shit to teach it to someone else

God bless

Lewis

I can't. It hurts but I'm still very creative so it's alright. I do what I can.

I read music, and have since the age of 6. I am taking Music Theory and Ear Training & SightSinging right now in school, and I am also active in three choirs and Private Voice lessons, so I read music every single day!

I can read music, but I've never been very good at sight reading. It normally takes me a few run throughs so I can 'hear' the music before I can play it properly.
I'm far better at 'playing by ear' (and usually with better results).

BorisFishpaw said:

We all are mate & we all prefere it too but there is a lot to be gained from reading also

I can read music but havent done for several years now,a bit rusty but could pick it up in no time at all Im sure .
Used to play Clarinet and flute.

Much love Pochacco

I can read music, but only very slowly.
I need more practice

I can read music and am happy to have been able to so since earlier years. Sightreading was always a fun challenge since it forces the musician to go by what you see rather what you have ever heard or played before.

I can't
Wish I could
Done alright w/o it so far

I used to read music but now I'm a interval/key guy. Like Sam.

I find scales and practicing stimulate ideas for me.

I read music, but I'm a bit dyslexic so I can't sight read a chart like most of the hot-shots I've worked with. But once I get a good part down I can nail it.

I played a salsa gig once where it was sightreading out of a huge book where all the titles were in Spanish. I can't read Spanish.
[This message was edited Sun Sep 1 15:33:22 PDT 2002 by WillieThePimp]

Samuel said:

(Snip - flame removed - Ian)

NPGDiva said:

wow!
can u please explain the music theory and ear training lessons? where do u take them? what are they about? etc.

Supernova said:

Great Points.Barry Manilow said in His Book on How Reading Helped Him out when He was working with different Vocalists&Projects.for Session Cats it's kinda Important because more times than not everything is gonna be Super Gloss&Polished within the Setting leaving little Room for Improv.Session Cats need the Sheets more than Artists overall IMHO.I Learned the Basics but mainly from hearing&feeling certain vibes within the context of a song&the Voice.but in so many cases I don't even bother with Theory because you take a Ella Fitzgerald&Billie Holiday: Ella had as CLose to Perfect Pitch as you can get.Billie wasn't in the Ball Park really with being in Key but Ask Folks who has more Feeling? Billie Hands down.it's good to Know if you are going deep into the business but not a Must.Jimi Hendrix couldn't Read Music&it didn't hurt Him.I'd be afraid if He did? He would have either done Wider Range of things or Been too Polished for His own Good??

WillieThePimp said:

What's your trip? I don't know you.

no i cant but i am going 2 learn cause it does hinder being able to write down stuff that "comes to you".

Ahhh my little Cloud - with the silver lining. So much goin on 4 an 18 year old. I shall follow your endeavours my child. We may get a star out of the org yet.

Best,

I read music fluently and I agree, it certainly helps as a session player. However, my "ear" is a little weak, but I'm really working on that as I'm attempting to cross over from classical to jazz.

I read piano and trumpet music, but I never use it. I play by ear.
[This message was edited Tue Sep 3 8:24:26 PDT 2002 by JDODSON]

I can read