Can you read music?

ICBM

No.

Would I be a better player if I had learned to read - probably, at least technically, and I'm sure I would have learned faster. But at the end of the day I'm reasonably happy with my quirky self-developed style and I probably wouldn't really want to change that.

That doesn't mean I look down on those who can, it's just a different way of doing things. And of course you can do both.

menamestom

No.  I could work something out but not just play it.   

I don't feel it hinders me at all in what I do now.  I've done paid session work a few times and it wasn't required, also played in cover bands as a paid stand in and that wouldn't ever require it.  Theatre work I would imagine it is a must, but it's not something that appeals to me.

And it works both ways, I was engineering a session with a band a while ago, they brought a classically trained violinist who had scored all the parts out for the session.  When I played the song, she looked puzzled.  Turned out the band had given her a slightly different arrangement to practise to.  She went off her head, nearly lost it.  I managed to calm her down but she was absolutely lost without the notation.  It did make me think, some people can be absolutely over reliant on notation, to the point where they can't work without it.  I'd rather not be able to read music than be like that.  I really couldn't get my head around a classically trained professional musician not being able to just make some minor adjustments.

That said, I'd like to learn more classical one day and reading music would be a distinct advantage.  Learning a new skill can only ever be a good thing.

mudslide73

Yes but not sight reading. I can work through a piece very slowly. My lad is learning cornet at the moment and can sight read already. Grrr. They are easy pieces but he can do it. 

 I think guitar has so many flicks and tricks it's very hard to transcribe in standard notation too. That Tim Pierce video from yesterday shows that it's a very desirable skill if you want to play in big bands when the rehearsal time isn't huge.

TheBigDipper

menamestom said:

<snip>
And it works both ways, I was engineering a session with a band a while ago, they brought a classically trained violinist who had scored all the parts out for the session.  When I played the song, she looked puzzled.  Turned out the band had given her a slightly different arrangement to practise to.  She went off her head, nearly lost it.  I managed to calm her down but she was absolutely lost without the notation.  It did make me think, some people can be absolutely over reliant on notation, to the point where they can't work without it.  I'd rather not be able to read music than be like that.  I really couldn't get my head around a classically trained professional musician not being able to just make some minor adjustments.
<snip>

I can picture the scene! Most classically-trained musicians that I know are taught to play the music that the composer wrote - as the composer intended it to be played. That means spending your time working at understanding and playing the score. It's a different discipline with different outcomes and different rewards for the player. They don't develop some of the skills "non readers" develop because they're able to read the composers score. "Non readers" develop other techniques to get them where they need or want to be. Then, one way or the other becomes a habit...

Your violinist probably would have been able to sight read the new arrangement first time out if someone else had been able to write it down for her. That's a skill they develop which most of us here don't, because we work in other ways. 

When I started playing ensemble rock music aged 17, after several years of solo classical guitar, I soon realised I was playing a different instrument and needed to adapt. I couldn't improvise. I couldn't pick up a tune with fellow band members "by ear" because I didn't have my head wired that way - even though my aural skills were well developed. I couldn't play like they did, because my left and right hand techniques were totally different. It was an interesting journey. 40 years later, you can still see the classical player in my right hand when I use my fingers to play, and in my left hand when I start fretting notes - although I've learnt to adopt other techniques, these days, to use when needed.

Kade1301

Depends and depends

I can read music without instrument (in France music students are tortured by having to read out loud the names of the notes in a piece of music), I can sight-read easy pieces on the recorder and work out all the rest. But that doesn't mean that I know how to play anything on the guitar - I haven't "automated" the positions of the notes yet (I can work them out by counting frets, but that's not really practical for playing...)

As for whether it's important, everybody decide for themselves...

Fandango wrote: "You need to put a lot of work into both playing and theory (reading music)" - for me reading music is not theoretical at all. It's what I do when I play the instrument (and it's how I learn to play - my method books are in standard notation). Music theory for me is things like the circle of fifths, knowing which chords go together (and with the melody) and in which sequence. Funnily enough this theory is not necessary for playing written-down compositions, but I'm reliably informed that it is extremely useful for playing by ear, accompanying songs, jazz improvisation... I'm trying to learn.

stratman3142

I can't sight read music but I can work out the notes fairly quickly in the treble clef. I'm much, much slower in the bass clef.

I like to transcribe solos which has helped my development as a player. Plus I used to work out and notate brass arrangements in a band I played in a while back. Reading charts (as a reminder) was pretty much essential when I played in a band that played covers of James Bond music.

musicman100

Someone reading music n someone been able to sight reading are two different beasts. 

Steve922

A friend of mine played fiddle in a military orchestra for 15 years. They supported random singers all over the country(s).  They would meet the singer for the first time when he/she walked on to the stage, gave out the music sheets, turned to face the audience and expect to begin!

  In his case sight-reading was his job!

Steve922

A friend of mine played fiddle in a military orchestra for 15 years. They supported random singers all over the country(s).  They would meet the singer for the first time when he/she walked on to the stage, gave out the music sheets, turned to face the audience and expect to begin!

  In his case sight-reading was his job!

Blueingreen

musicman100 said:

Someone reading music n someone been able to sight reading are two different beasts. 

  A lot of people wrongly conflate the two.  I read an interview recently by a guy whose job involved transcribing solos for guitar mags, books, making demonstration videos etc. 

He said that although being able to read and write music at a high level was a core part of his job he couldn't sight read.

To sight read you not only need to be a good reader, you need to be able to instantly finger unfamiliar note patterns in real time, and that's a separate skill that needs to be specifically practiced.

jeztone2

No

Part of me would like to learn, but Ive met a lot of people who could read, who just didn't inspire me as players. So Im unsure. Im not someone in a pit band. I transcribed an entire song for a singer recently & she was amazed at the speed I did it. She has music theory down. So Im kinda not worried.

snakemanStoo

Yes, and probably.

I can read notation easily but sight reading at speed isn't great.  I play a few different instruments and have been called upon to play on guitar a piece that I'd learnt on piano, so being able to cross over in that way really helps me.  I've also been in the situation of being given some music and expected to play it for someone in the manner Steve922 described.

Also I think that being able to communicate musical ideas to other musicians is a big asset.

StanleyAccrington

I can.....but it's  more bass clef biased as that was the dots that I  was reading when playing tuba/double bass in a military band.

aflat9

Absolutely! I teach guitar lessons in Sheffield (http://www.sevenhillstuition.co.uk/) and we always, always, always recommend music. Not only does it make your musical brain better but also it means you could pick up and piece of music and play it without ever hearing it. Tab limits you immensely. Yes it takes longer and yes it is hard but it is definitely worth it! 

aflat9

Absolutely! I teach guitar lessons in Sheffield (http://www.sevenhillstuition.co.uk/) and we always, always, always recommend music. Not only does it make your musical brain better but also it means you could pick up and piece of music and play it without ever hearing it. Tab limits you immensely. Yes it takes longer and yes it is hard but it is definitely worth it!