does he read music.im a piano player that plays by ear and wish to god i could read. i believe i could be more creative.friends say it would take away from me.

joelmarable said:

From my many years of experience those that read can't create. Those that can't read create their butts off. That's why I've never tried to get any formal training. I think it would mess me up.

Graycap23 said:

From my many years of experience, the ability either to read music or play by ear is not an accurate determinant of a musician's creativity.

There are of course musician's who can play by ear - and also both read and write music.

Graycap23 said:

totally co-sign....those am aware of that R 'paper players' seem 2 B somewhat restrictive by stickin with what they R taught as 'rules' 4 constructing music....what some of those players have told B about the music hear (N my mind) & play is that my chord structure & bass lines R unique~which most profess impresses them...using terms like 'polymorpic harmonies' (which hopefully is a good thing) wouldn't know 4 true but my opinion is Prince doesn't read & this greatly accounts 4 the 'revolutionary' & unique sound his music creates...my opinion is if U play what U hear (mentally) from the heart it never fails 2 reach the listener emotionally altho' there R several 'paper players' whose work enjoy as well

B

langebleu said:

Of course It's not absolute but I've seen way too many times where this is true. Way too many.....

In an interview, Prince said he couldn't read music.

Shhh747 said:

I know Purple Rain isn't totally autobiographical, but he does mention to his father that he should write his music down. Then later he finds the sheet music and seems to learn it pretty fast. Hmmm, good question.

Shhh747 said:

Really? Wonder why he read the sheet music his father had in "Purple Rain'? Creative license?

I read somewhere recently him saying that he couldn't read music but he said less talented people that wanted to learn music should learn all their scales

No, he can't read music

At the Cleveland sound check for ONA tour, he said he doesn't read, but wishes he could. Straight from the horse's mouth as it were.

As a "paper player", I can't improvise or play by ear, but I think it's more due to the fact that I simply don't have that talent and never bothered to cultivate it. I never wanted to write my own music.

I don't believe that being able to read music stunts creativity. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Stravinsky, Himdemith, Schubert, Schumann, Bernstein, Orff, Rachmaninoff, Joplin, Weber.....

Playing vs. writing. The two talents are not mutually exclusive. But they also are not bound together. There are folks who can write a play, but can't act their way out of a paper bag. And those who can perform Shakespeare, but would fall flat in an improv company and vice versa.

I may be old fashioned, but learning to play scales on your instrument should be one of the foundational tools for any musician. Kinda like learning your times tables or learning to read through phonics. Whether you play from the page or by ear, knowing the scales and chords for various keys makes you a stronger musician.

HalluRain said:

Agree. Knowing the scales and things...is just like knowing the alphabet. The less you know the less you can use...the less you can fall back on etc...

More knowledge is not less. The problem comes when you rely too much on it. You have to learn and then throw it away so that it becomes a part of you.

The problem comes...not just in music...in all the arts, is when you can't let go of the head/book stuff.

anon said:

Very true...It kills me to watch/play with cats playing with charts and when you want them to improvise or solo, they are lost. Completely blind if you take them away.

Here is the interview where he states that he doesn't read.

[YouTube Snip - luv4u]

I used to think that if you could not read, you were not a real musician. I thought that reading music is the ONLY way to become a musician.

Then an old bluesman said to me--- Stevie Wonder can't read music.

Daddy said:

But remember he went and sat at the piano and played the tape a couple of times,he wasnt reading the music, he was listening to it.

Of course he can read music.

CaptainJack said:

He can't...scroll up to my previous post..and check out the interview.

This may sound like a stupid question but why in the hell would you need to read music if you can play what ever you want to play? I can't read a single note but I can play anything that I can come up with in my head. Just a question.

I can't get the video to work.

to help you out i dont think that he knows how to read music.

He dont have to write it down or read it, just like his father Francis L.

panther514 said:

He can!
do you think he would have been such a musical genius if he couldn't?

CaptainJack said:

He does not read music. He's stated this fact many times.

CaptainJack said:

Yes. I think his ear is just really that good.

CaptainJack said:

With out question.

I thought he made a comment in an ONA tour soundcheck that he wasn't very good at reading music (not that he couldn't).

On the other hand, he clearly states in that interview that he doesn't read music.

Graycap23 said:

are any of you musicians?

CaptainJack said:

Of course. Loads of musicians don't read music. I can play the guitar but can't read music.