Question for the musicians of the board.

Of all the musicians on the board, who can actually read music?

I have never learned, but I get around by ear. I'm by no means great or even good but I know there are plenty of great musicians that can't read music.

Just curious.

I learned by ear or by tabs in Guitar World, but I couldnot read music, I wish I could and may try to learn in the future.

Had to edit this, apparently I also cannot write using proper sentence structure.

manny wrote:

I never by ear or by tabs in Guitar World, but I couldnot read music, I wish I could and may try to learn in the future.

When you and I get our band together that is going to change the face of music in Tampa, we'll teach each other.

spectrefate wrote:

Of all the musicians on the board, who can actually read music?

I have never learned, but I get around by ear. I'm by no means great or even good but I know there are plenty of great musicians that can't read music.

Just curious.

I had read in an article that James Hetfield can't, and curiously this other person was mentioned in the article as well, because he can't read music either. His alias is Artie Fufkin of Polymer records.

Paul Schaffer can't read music? That's odd.

Neither Jimmy Page or Jimi Hendrix could read music

spectrefate wrote:

Paul Schaffer can't read music? That's odd.

I thought so as well. I read this article over a decade ago, so maybe since then he can, but he couldn't up until that point. I just thought that it was interesting that he and Hetfield were mentioned in the same article.

By the way, I proudly own a "Polymer Records" shirt.

I can read the treble clef staff.

tohostudios wrote:

I can read the treble clef staff.

Show off.

Wes Montgomery couldn't read music and he's one of the best guitarists that ever lived.

I can't read music either, I've tried on numerous occasions. I even had to take a music theory class in college and I just "barely" passed and forgot everything right afterwards.

However, I've never had any problem learning by ear and I can read tablature, that's good enough for me.

FACE - spaces
EGBDF - lines

Im not a real musician, I play drums.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Im not a real musician, I play drums.

Maybe the better question is, can you operate a yo-yo like that of the "Burgermeister"?

sadly I cannot

manny wrote:

Neither Jimmy Page or Jimi Hendrix could read music

I don't believe any of the Beatles could either, at least in the early days. It's my understanding that George Martin, their producer, had to write out the music as Lennon or McCartney would hum out the melody. Especially when they stated using orchestration and outside musicians.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Im not a real musician, I play drums.

I guess that makes two of us.

I can read music,took piano lessons when I was a wee lad.As for drums,I'm self taught.

I can read just enough to get by, 95% of what I play is by ear. My high school music teacher figured this out & helped develop my ear thankfully. To this day I can listen to an entire symphony & pick out each induvidual instruments part & repeat it, when you put it on paper, I'm lost.

From what I understand, most rock musicians can't. Their are exceptions (Dream Theater, but they did attend a Berklee), but I have heard most can't.

As for Paul Schaffer, I don;t but that he can't read music

Most musicians cant read music, especially guitar players. I have played guitar for 14 years and i have once never really needed to know how to read it therefore, i never wanted to know how. If you play long enough it becomes second nature.

I think the best way to learn is by ear. If you practice long enough you can really pick out the chord voicings and learn a song in a matter of minutes. Besides tabs are so much easier...

I can read but I don't like too. Tabs and chord names are much easier.

I can from what I learned thru music theory and band in highschool, but I started by ear when I first started playing.

tohostudios wrote:

I can read the treble clef staff.

If you can read treble you can read bass clef too...the notes on the staff are just a half step lower.

I can read music, but not perfectly.

Stender wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

I can read the treble clef staff.

If you can read treble you can read bass clef too...the notes on the staff are just a half step lower.

That's interesting. Never had to look at the bass clef because a trumpet can't make those notes anyway.

Reading music is more important for classical and jazz players. Rock guitarists (myself included) are too stupid.