colomon wrote:
pureshift wrote:
If you learn only by ear, then you are learning the song without implementing your own personal style to it.
I really don't see why you'd say that. It's not like learning by ear forces you to slavishly duplicate the version you learned from. And frankly, the vast majority of us don't have the the talent to copy someone else's version so closely that you couldn't hear any of our own style in the playing -- at least if that someone is any good.
PS This morning an even better argument occurs to me. Prior to 1950, the vast majority of ITM players learned exclusively by ear. (The only exception that comes to mind is Andy McGann.) Today, a solid majority of the greats still learn primarily this way. The idea that all those great players don't have their own individual style is ludicrous.
I suppose my words were a bit on the harsh side. I'm sure that there are people that do certain learn their own style and play quite well. My feelings on this go beyond the whistle, I guess. In my experience, I have found that many people that only learn music by ear tend to not develop a defining style that they can call their own no matter what instrument they were playing.
What I really meant is that learning to read music opens up a number of doors. While I have nothing against anyone that only learns music by ear, I personally feel that reading music is quite a valuable tool. For me, learning the basic structure of the tune first makes it easier to find ways to put in ornamentation. I do listen to the way other people play the songs to give myself ideas on where to place things. I imagine a lot of other people here do the same.
In the end, though, the only thing that truly matters is that you enjoy what you are doing. If you don't enjoy learning to read music, then it's probably something you shouldn't be doing. The other great thing about music is that there is a million ways to do something and that there is no supreme 'right' way. I apologize if I came across so negatively because I honestly didn't mean to. I suppose I tend to have strong feelings and opinions at times.