Do you read music?

falkbeer · Post by **falkbeer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 1:55 am

Here is a question that´s been buzzing around for some time in this forum.

"No, not at all" = You do not know the first thing about reading music.

"A little" = You know the basic names of the notes and can with some difficulty read a simple piece of music with the help of an instrument.

"Very well" = You have no problems playing from sheet music (a vista/on sight) in most keyes.

"Professional level" = You can read and understand a difficult piece of music (for example a sonata by Beethoven) even without the help of an instrument (hearing the tune in your head). You can also write down a piece with just pen and paper. And ofcource, playing a vista is a piece of cake for you.

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:26 am

I'd like to place a vote on the poll, but in my case I can't. I'm somewhere between "No, not at all" and "a little".

I can't take a piece of music, one of which I have not ever heard the tune before, and play it. I'm in the middle of using my ear, and using the dots to learn music. And by using the dots, I mean I use them as more of a guide if anything, or in case I forgot something about that tune; listening to the melody does the rest for me. I know the notes, the names of the notes for the most part, I know the names of some of the symbols used, and for example I can look at a quarter A note, and know the fingering for that note on my whistle or chanter. So somehow in all that crazyness, I am actually able to play music. I've never taken a music theory class, so whatever works I guess.

-Eric

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:38 am

I seem to be musically dyslexic. I can look at a note and know it's a C or D but they never form a tune for me.
I think learning to read music for most people is like learning a foreign language, eventually you learn to think in that language. Unfortunately for me trying to read music is more like trying to crack a difficult code letter by letter. Luckily my wife and children can read music so I can always get them to play the dots and learn a tune by ear.

falkbeer · Post by **falkbeer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:23 am

Key_of_D wrote:I'd like to place a vote on the poll, but in my case I can't. I'm somewhere between "No, not at all" and "a little".

I can't take a piece of music, one of which I have not ever heard the tune before, and play it. I'm in the middle of using my ear, and using the dots to learn music. And by using the dots, I mean I use them as more of a guide if anything, or in case I forgot something about that tune; listening to the melody does the rest for me. I know the notes, the names of the notes for the most part, I know the names of some of the symbols used, and for example I can look at a quarter A note, and know the fingering for that note on my whistle or chanter. So somehow in all that crazyness, I am actually able to play music. I've never taken a music theory class, so whatever works I guess.

-Eric

That sounds very much like a little to me!

In some cases reading music very well doesn´t help very much. I read most music on sight (a vista), but when it comes to folk music or rock one really has to hear the tune. Hornepipes for instance are most often noted "stright" but played with a jaunty swinging feeling. There is no way of knowing this unless you listen to the music.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:14 am

Yes. I can't play by ear. Well, I can, but it sucks (not that it doesn't suck when I play by reading--cause it does!

).

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:44 am

I picked "very well," but I think the truth lies slightly south of there. As long as a tune has a fairly straightforward rhythm I can plunk it out on the piano, whistle or fiddle it without difficulty. Increase the complexity and I'll have to slow down and decipher more.

Falkbeer is very right though, that some things are hard to "get," even with reasonable music reading skills, without the opportunity to hear the tune a few times first.

Ultimately, when it comes to whistling and fiddling, music reading is a crutch and a hindrance. Of course if you have no other way of figuring out a tune, the sheet music may be your only choice, but reliance on it can seriously detract from training yourself to listen, repeat, and really know your way around the instrument.

edit: typo-prone person.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:15 am

my big skill in reading music is sight transposition. on the whistle and flute, i can read a piece of music in Ab and play it in G and Eb in D or C. i would actually have quite a bit of trouble actually playing the song in Ab. on a harmonica i have to transpose everything in my head to the key of C and use the harmonica in the right key. it's still too big a jump for me to get from G to C. when i play the guitar, i transpose the chords and have very little clue which key i'm going to. i just know the song is easier to play. why play something in C# when it can be easily played in C?

i play with a small group of folk musicians and sometimes we use different sheet music in different keys and we converge to one single key. sometimes we don't converge well. playing in 2 or 3 different keys at the same time is immediately obvious.

edited and added: and on the keyboard, i can play in what i call the opposite key. for example, sheet music written in the key of 5 b's can be played the same in the key of 2 #'s. i'm a slacker through and through.

chas · Post by **chas** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:34 am

emmline wrote:I picked "very well," but I think the truth lies slightly south of there.

Me, too. I can sightread, but have to play pretty slowly and anything too out of the ordinary is difficult. I don't know whether that's a limitation in my playing or reading ability, though.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:59 am

I chose "very well." I'm close to the description of "professional level," but not quite there yet. Maybe if I'd stuck with classical music longer...

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:41 am

I can read music as long as it's treble clef and in the range of traditional tunes-from G below middle C to D just over two octaves above middle C. Although I played clarinet and saxophone for years I have never been a great reader, particularly not where there are tricky rhythms. The bass clef completely confuses me in spite of a couple of years of piano lessons.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:16 am

I can work through it, but it is painful. I believe I am "dot dyslexic," and that a good percentage of the population is that way. That certain people just have a very difficult time processing the dots, just as some have a difficult time with printed letters.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:22 am

I read vocal music very well. With instrumental music, I'm stronger in the treble clef, never having had to so much with the bass clef before I took up the harp.

I think that, with just about any kind of music, it helps to hear it sung or played...preferably by several musicians who are well-schooled in that particular genre (helps you develop a feel for interpretation, as well as for the basics as to how a particular type of tune should sound). Further, if you're going to be playing (instrumentally) music that's normally sung, I think it's essential to hear it actually BEING sung...again, by someone who is well-versed in that particular genre.

Redwolf

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:05 am

I can read note-notation quickly and accurately, but I stumble all over time signatures and phrasing until I get the tune into my head.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:07 am

I can read drum/percussion music pretty well but with whistle music I have to slow down to get through.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:07 am

I'm in the "A little" category and I don't know that I'll ever be above that; I just don't put any time or effort into sight reading skills. I can write out a tune that I already know or I can look at a piece of music that I know and tell you where it is different than how I play it but I cannot play a piece of new music from the dots without having heard it before.
Basically, I can decipher music; I understand the note values and the steps between the notes but I haven't read it enough to "read it" fluently.
I'm not far from being able to read music and it's a skill that I wouldn't mind having but I'd rather spend my time listening so I just don't see myself practicing to further develop the reading skill.