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stones78
That having the ability to read and write music is looked down upon is retarded.

It's a bit of strange inverted snobbery...

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stones78
That having the ability to read and write music is looked down upon is retarded.

by certain illiterate musicians & some of their fans world-wide.



To be honest, reading music is only necessary if you want to be able to play music that's written down. Yes, that's a simple statement but it's true. If you can play by ear or have someone who is willing to show you how to play something, there's no need to be able to read.

I'm glad I learned to read as it enabled me to play a whole bunch of classical & jazz music that I never would have had the patience to learn by ear. 20 years later, I don't remember the last time that I HAD to read music but I'm still glad that I have the ability as it made learning the horn break on Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" and the bass line on the second half of the verse of "I Wish" a whole lot easier than figuring it out by ear was proving to be.

To each their own really. Reading music and knowing music theory isn't necessary to play or write music. That knowledge really only gives you additional methods to learn, understand and communicate what you and others are doing.

Peace,
Mr DJA

The invention of recorded music allowed generations of young musicians to learn by ear without having to be in the presence of the original player. Before that, stuff needed to be written down and you needed to know how to read. I think Keith says in Life that the way Blues spread and developed in parallel with recorded music is much more than coincidence.

Chet Baker couldn't read music.

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Green Lady
The invention of recorded music allowed generations of young musicians to learn by ear without having to be in the presence of the original player. Before that, stuff needed to be written down and you needed to know how to read. I think Keith says in Life that the way Blues spread and developed in parallel with recorded music is much more than coincidence.

Amen! Plus the way I've always looked at it... If a musician said they could read music that meant "sight read". The ability to look at a page of sheet music and play without having heard it. Not hunt and peck like I do.

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mr_dja
To each their own really. Reading music and knowing music theory isn't necessary to play or write music. That knowledge really only gives you additional methods to learn, understand and communicate what you and others are doing.

Amen again! with one caveat. Sheet music is like wikipedia. A good source of info to start with, not perfect, but it can get your butt out of a ditch if your stuck or you could still be sitting there if it's wrong.

And just for fun. I hope this works. An artist who won a full scholarship to the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory of Music but was kicked out for playing by ear...

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Munichhilton
I remember a great Jimmy Page interview where he admitted he never could read music. I think Keith is in that boat after never really having any proper lessons. Although I did have proper lessons for 5 years and never worked towards reading music. I always liked the feel and soul of playing by ear. Sounded less canned than my peers who were following every note as commanded...

One would think that Page HAD to be able to sightread to do all the sessions he did. Hell, weren't there times in the mid-60's when he played on half of the British top 40 singles?

I can't read music because I can't relocate my place if I look away.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-09-24 12:42 by ab.

Brian Jones could read music He said once he couldn't read music fast, but he tried to improve that skill a lot. He played piano with the help of music sheets, I saw another photo of him while playing mellotron in front of written music.





Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2012-07-10 01:47 by jimmyjo.

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jimmyjo
Brian Jones could read music He said once he couldn't read music fast, but he tried to improve that skill a lot. He played piano with the help of music sheets, I saw another photo of him while playing mellotron in front of written music.

Not very helpful at 12 feet below the surface.

Important to remember most rock musicians were self-taught. I don't think it's a prejudice against reading music inasmuch it simply wasn't the way they learnt. Classically trained rock stars such as Jack Bruce and John Paul Jones (I'm guessing Ritchie Blackmore as well) could all read music.

Interestingly, there's a story that Miles Davis left Hendrix a score to have a look at and Jimi was slightly embarrassed to admit he couldn't understand it at all. He wanted to improve this aspect of his knowledge but never got around to it.

The way I look at it is if you want to do it great. I learnt a little bit of theory for learning piano, but playing guitar I still play everything by ear.

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Title5Take1
Chet Baker couldn't read music.

... and this must be the best example of that there is no read music need for a dazzling musicianship ...



2 1 2 0

Jagger can read music of course, can' t he?

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Stoneage
Can you call yourself a professional musician without having taken a single lesson and being unable to read or write notes? Is this the reason they can't come up with new arrangements on the warhorses? They are not able to?

Yesssss. It's about playing and making a living. Do you need to know how to use a turn signal to race in NASCAR? Noooo.

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Gazza
It seems to be something of a badge of honour amongst rock musicians that they 'cant read music'.

However, I'd find it hard to believe that someone who has been a professional musician for 50 years couldnt do it. Its not exactly difficult and something most children are easily capable of being taught at school.

There are guitar players that can read sheet music, like what you'd see for piano, and be able to play. That's probably more of a classical setting. With a guitar there are several ways of playing chords and notes that are all different positions on the fretboard. So playing by reading music isn't exactly conducive for being professional if you're in front of 100 or 10,000 people playing rock music or blues etc...