Here's an excerpt from an interview with Eric Leeds:

TLM: How did Prince prepare his musicians for a new recording? Did you have charts for example?

EL: No. He does not read or write music. At the time I was in the band, myself and the trumpeter Matt Blistan were the only guys that read music. Basically, everybody else would play by ear. But Prince knows the difference between say, an E minor chord and an E major, but as far as reading musical notation, he doesn't know how to do that. So basically, it would sometimes be a matter of him humming parts to me if there was a specific riff or lick. Or a lot of times he would look to me and say 'is there anything you hear on this?' Or if it was a solo he'd just open it up to me. You never knew specifically what the process would be on any given song until you started working on it. There were many times when he'd just leave a track in the studio with instructions for me to do something, but a lot of the times he'd give me a bunch of tracks and say 'go in and do anything you hear on it.'

Here's the link to the interview: http://www.thelastmiles.c...-leeds.php

Doesn't seem to have held him back. I understand the concept of musicians who have formal education and question the process. In my job, I deal with peers with a hell of alot more education who don't know anywhere near the math I know. There's a knack to what you do.

There just seems to be an ongoing debate here on the org and over at housequake.com over whether P can read or not. Some fams just find it improbable that Prince can't read music...There are a lot of great musicians, past and present who either can't read or aren't great at it.

This also supports my suspicion that Eric Leeds is a master. I just wish his stuff without Prince had the same magic...

guess what??

Jimi Hendrix doesn't read music.
Stevie Ray Vaughn doesn't read music.

Ultimately Stevie Wonder cant read music.

Many gifted musicians dont read music.
this aint new....

ratt said:

No kidding... this ain't news to most of us, but some orgers find it hard to believe that the Purple One can't read music...
[Edited 10/14/06 1:08am]

He was doing an interview a while back and when asked if he could read music he said 'no', it's on a video at the Quake when I find it I'll post a link, but he definetly was not ashamed of that fact.

I can read music but Its not essential 2 make u a REAL MUSICIAN... Prince is GREAT and will b always my number 1 even if I alredy knew that he cant read music....

Does it really matter whether he can read music or not?
Im not askin this in a mean way...Just asking

Don't != Can't

I can read music OK, but I can't play worth a shit.

raveon2tnek said:

Thank you

Stevie can't read or write music either. He's still one of the best.

Prince hears music in his head and uses his brain and fingers like a classically trained musician would read from a manuscript of musical notation to play whatever he might.There cant b ne shame in being on the musical level Prince is at and not being able 2 read music.

kape said:

***** I think u r wrong.... Playing by ear aint the limitations of playing reading notation... U can play reading at the first sight but the interpretation aint the same of playing by ear. I study Sol-fa but in studio I play by ear...

reading musical notation is not such an incredible feat
any muscian worth its salt can use their ear in finding or creating a melody with their ear. I only use sheet music as a means for cataloguing songs, cause i have an extremely bad memory and cant always remember them, but other than that.
its basically worthless for me, everything i do is based on my ear...

Reading music can be sometimes tedious, and leaves no room for musical innovation, Its a jazz theory that sometimes hitting the wrong note, can be the right note.

EmbattledWarrior said:

***** I agree with u. I study in the conservatory (music school) so I must study sol-fa 2. Im lucky bcuz my teacher is able 2 make it funny otherwise its so BOOOOORING.... Playing just reading what is written is CASTRATING...I love classical music but its so CLOSE AND CHAINFUL....

Jazz music is different... Jazz is FREEDOM OF MUSIC! T. Monk was seeking the wrong note...

My own music aint written... its all played by ear. Maybe the rythm is based on words of lyrics.... The only thing I write is the Key. I need it 2 arrange music... When I play in Studio IM MYSELF.....

LETS INNOVATION GOING ON...!!!!!

In Prince's films he seems 2 be able 2 read music hence the constant writing of it in his movies.
Anyways true genius doesnt need paper 2 get the message across

I think orgers are still getting the wrong impression on what's trying to be said in the original post:

No one is trying to take anything away from Prince being an incredibly gifted musician. It's just a statement that ends a long tedious debate on this site.

O.K.,...let's replace the name "Prince" with "Emeril Lagasse" and "sheet music" with "recipe book". And for the sake of explaination, let's pretend Emeril doesn't know how to read.

The point is, Emeril is a great chef who has command of any dish you can think of...but if he can't read, don't send him your mamma's recipe of tuna casserole to put together exactly the way she intended it. Further, don't expect him to send you a hand written recipe of his favorite dish.

bigwillpreacher said:

THANK U

JesseDezz said:

NON PLAYING ORGERS !!!!

ratt said:

Hendrix wanted to learn; he said he would like to go to music school so he could compose string sections, e.t.c; then have other musicians play on his albums!

prettymansson said:

...."It dont mean a thing if it aint got that swing"....the most important statement ever made when it comes to "black" music. And ones ability to swing is in no way dependent on being able to read music. Prince is not unlike so many other great musicians before him who could project that intoxicating vibe into a song but couldnt read music or were poor at it. Even a simple lil kiddie song like his current "Song of the Heart" swings like hell. This ability, not reading, is what seperates the good ones from the great ones imo.

Do the Angels need music sheets to know what to sing and play?

Damn, Prince is funky.

RaiseFour said:

It really seems like some of u just don't get the gist of this thread. This isn't a thread dissing Prince's inability to read music - thus, there's no need to post anything in defense of P. This thread is simply for the people who've continually questioned (and refuse to believe) that Prince is not a music reader. It's as simple as that...

raddahone said:

Do some of u actually READ what u post? Do this - read back what u wrote and see how it sounds before pressing the "post response" button.

Sheesh

This is why Eric Leeds was SO important to Prince's music. I really miss his influence.