DaisyHall said:

Why? Cuz he takes direction well?

JonnyApplesauce said:

Are you sure that you're not confusing this thread with that "Fingering Prince" thread?

JonnyApplesauce said:

I want to compose music and do something else important with my life. I played the flute in band. I can read and understand music. I know almost all my minor, know major scales and some inversions and stuff. I always thought that Prince was this amazing man that understood music like the kitten knows where the food bowl is at. It doesn't start a pother with me so much, but I guess I expected to much from Prince. Oh, well. I still love Prince anyways. I mean..I can't play music period, but I can write the most powerful songs ever. I guess in the music world most of the time u have one gift and not the other.

toddband45 said:

***** The fact that Prince doesnt read music doesnt mean that he cant understand music.
I remember I was almost afraid thinking 2 write my own music. It was my dream that now came true.
Try 2 play what u feel in ur heart without caring 2 much about notes and music theory... Just play what u feel as u were speaking or telling somebody what u feel...

i love how folks totally mis-read a thread topic, throw down a dookie post granade and then exit the thread to never reappear.

Even if Prince doesn't read notation, I wonder if he and the band ever use charts that are not notation based.

I read music but I write charts for my band just using chord names (A7, Dm9 etc.).....you don't need to read music for that.

Otherwise it's all up to memory to make sure everyone is on the same chord at the same time.

also, Eric said only he and Matt read, but I thought W&L did too.

Lilith said:

C'mon, people, with these poetic ramblings about "not caring about notes 'n such..." as some kind of defense against not learning music theory. There is NOTHING wrong with gaining knowledge!

This thread has taken on a surreal life of its own...
[Edited 10/18/06 21:09pm]

this thread still exists...
what is so impossible to fathom about prince not being able to read music...

its not that hes not able...
if he really wanted to he could learn
but he DOESN'T NEED TOO

Dude created Purple Rain without knowing how to read music...
their is no creativity in reading music,

its all in the artist's head...
it doesn't matter if they can read music or not, it matters if their creative enough to wan'tto explore
sadly not to offend some sight reading cats...

music readers, least the ones ive met, think music is a very black white thing
very baroque like thinking
perhaps if Prince knew how to read music,
he wouldn't have been so successful...

EmbattledWarrior said:

i dont think the point of this thread is to discredit prince's talent...its just to clarify a lingering question that has historically popped up on the org.

cha know?

sosgemini said:

pardon me i can't read in between the lines
what question is that? lol

JesseDezz said:[quote]Lilith said:[quote]




C'mon, people, with these poetic ramblings about "not caring about notes 'n such..." as some kind of defense against not learning music theory. There is NOTHING wrong with gaining knowledge!



**** I agree... There is a reason if I keep studying in conservatory and I accept its strict discipline. Even if music aint all theory and technique.... Knowledge is ALWAYS useful...

I agree that the ability to "read" music has no bearing on your musical talent. I had raised this question before because I had heard comments about Prince's "pager turner" at concerts, so I wondered what is the point in that if he doesn't read music? LOL.....that is, until I started learning guitar recently. Reading notations (i.e. A,E,G chords etc.) and guitar tabs has nothing to do with reading music...so it makes sense to me now. He read the tabs and the notations (hence the need for the page turner), just not written musical scores.

I also agree that one does not need to have the extended background in musical theory to be a great musician....another debate for another day though (and another thread)