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Post by zontar on May 15, 2021 22:52:51 GMT
We aren't a big sample size--and I'm not sure how many read music--but here's a poll to see what we can see. I may try this on larger forums as well.
So if you can read music--how would you rate your sight reading ability? Or if you don't read music, or you have no idea what sight reading is--there are options for you as well.
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Post by Die Bullen on May 16, 2021 0:50:55 GMT
I'm assuming you also put 4-6- that's probably my level as well. I can do it passibly well but not well enough that I would ever try to do a paying gig that requires sight reading. I find it difficult to visualize syncopated rhythms and complicated classical rhythms.
For better or worse I see some pretty difficult sheet music because of my son's college studies. Some of it I'd have to slow it down to quarter time to understand what's actually going on. I couldn't grasp a lot of it at real tempo.
BTW my sight reading is based on trumpet. I'm far worse sought reading guitar sheet music- I'm very rusty on classical guitar (which is what I learned to read sheet music for guitar)
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Post by zontar on May 16, 2021 1:13:45 GMT
When I taught my sight reading was much better--but I'm a bit out of practice that way. So I could improve it if I worked at it.
I do use it to a degree playing bass at church here & there, but mostly I'm using chord charts & the like.
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Post by Die Bullen on May 16, 2021 2:08:06 GMT
When I taught my sight reading was much better--but I'm a bit out of practice that way. So I could improve it if I worked at it. I do use it to a degree playing bass at church here & there, but mostly I'm using chord charts & the like. Well chord charts are another story. Unless it is in a really unaccustomed key for me (like B maj) I can probably play just about anything from charts
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Post by Sgt Rock on May 16, 2021 4:26:45 GMT
well, since I can't read music, I'd have to say awful.
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Post by zontar on May 16, 2021 6:32:49 GMT
well, since I can't read music, I'd have to say awful. There's an option for that as well.
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Post by johnreardon on May 16, 2021 8:37:20 GMT
I don't read music and never been interested in doing so either.
Yes I can read chord charts, but that's not the same to me. I can ad lib twiddles to almost anything people throw at me
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Post by zontar on May 16, 2021 23:18:59 GMT
When I taught my sight reading was much better--but I'm a bit out of practice that way. So I could improve it if I worked at it. I do use it to a degree playing bass at church here & there, but mostly I'm using chord charts & the like. Well chord charts are another story. Unless it is in a really unaccustomed key for me (like B maj) I can probably play just about anything from charts I'm not counting chord charts as sight reading, just pointing out when I play at church I am more likely to be using a chord chart than having to sight read.
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Post by zontar on May 16, 2021 23:19:57 GMT
I don't read music and never been interested in doing so either. Yes I can read chord charts, but that's not the same to me. I can ad lib twiddles to almost anything people throw at me Reading music is quite useful, but how much you need it or use it depends on what you do musically. And being able to ad lib twiddles is a handy skill to have,
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Post by Die Bullen on May 17, 2021 0:24:04 GMT
Well chord charts are another story. Unless it is in a really unaccustomed key for me (like B maj) I can probably play just about anything from charts I'm not counting chord charts as sight reading, just pointing out when I play at church I am more likely to be using a chord chart than having to sight read. I didn't think so - then the number would be much higher for me
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Post by infant on May 17, 2021 4:10:06 GMT
I can read it ....very poorly though. You can’t put a sheet in front of me and expect me to play it. I would have to read through it slowly at first
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Post by zontar on May 17, 2021 5:33:46 GMT
I can read it ....very poorly though. You can’t put a sheet in front of me and expect me to play it. I would have to read through it slowly at first So the old joke about how you get a guitar player to slow down--put sheet music in front of him--sort of resembles you?
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Post by infant on May 17, 2021 12:38:55 GMT
I can read it ....very poorly though. You can’t put a sheet in front of me and expect me to play it. I would have to read through it slowly at first So the old joke about how you get a guitar player to slow down--put sheet music in front of him--sort of resembles you? Exactly!
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Post by Sinster on May 17, 2021 14:25:53 GMT
I kind of read music only.. not the notes, but the structure. If that makes sense. For example if I see a tab and it's show 0 00 on the 6th. If that isn't clear weather it's a 4th and 2 8th I will refer to the notation.
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Post by johnreardon on May 17, 2021 15:22:40 GMT
I can read books
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Post by zontar on May 18, 2021 0:34:35 GMT
I kind of read music only.. not the notes, but the structure. If that makes sense. For example if I see a tab and it's show 0 00 on the 6th. If that isn't clear weather it's a 4th and 2 8th I will refer to the notation. Makes sense to me. The structure is an important part of musical notation. And with practice it becomes second nature.
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Post by zontar on May 18, 2021 0:36:48 GMT
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Post by Die Bullen on May 18, 2021 0:43:14 GMT
I kind of read music only.. not the notes, but the structure. If that makes sense. For example if I see a tab and it's show 0 00 on the 6th. If that isn't clear weather it's a 4th and 2 8th I will refer to the notation. That is one interesting thing about guitar. If you look at a middle B on the staff, you actually choices as to where to get that note. You can't do that on piano...
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Post by Die Bullen on May 18, 2021 0:44:02 GMT
That makes one of us!
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Post by zontar on May 18, 2021 1:10:59 GMT
I kind of read music only.. not the notes, but the structure. If that makes sense. For example if I see a tab and it's show 0 00 on the 6th. If that isn't clear weather it's a 4th and 2 8th I will refer to the notation. That is one interesting thing about guitar. If you look at a middle B on the staff, you actually choices as to where to get that note. You can't do that on piano... Well you could--btu you'd possibly be wrong.
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 1:13:39 GMT
I started guitar in grade 5 and could read the notes and pick out the songs in the class music book at school but by grade 6 there wasn't a lot call for that and by about grade 7 I was in a rudimentary sort of band with my school friends. Then I was in a drum and bugal corps for awhile but that was mainly playing be ear. But as Joe Walsh says "you don't need to read music for what I do." My wife was a good classical guitar player - she could read anything and had great timing. These days I only play songs that I like and I don't need to read for that. When people ask what kind of music I play I tell them "progressive redneck" which usually shuts em right up. I grew up in a rural area where there wasn't much to do except tour the side roads and go somewhere to play music. Everyone I knew played and it was the same for adults so a lot of times we'd end up at some farm jam where you were expected to keep your mouth shut and learn from the older players. A hard livin but a damn good feelin to run them roads ... lol
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 7, 2021 1:48:52 GMT
I started guitar in grade 5 and could read the notes and pick out the songs in the class music book at school but by grade 6 there wasn't a lot call for that and by about grade 7 I was in a rudimentary sort of band with my school friends. Then I was in a drum and bugal corps for awhile but that was mainly playing be ear. But as Joe Walsh says "you don't need to read music for what I do." My wife was a good classical guitar player - she could read anything and had great timing. These days I only play songs that I like and I don't need to read for that. When people ask what kind of music I play I tell them "progressive redneck" which usually shuts em right up. I grew up in a rural area where there wasn't much to do except tour the side roads and go somewhere to play music. Everyone I knew played and it was the same for adults so a lot of times we'd end up at some farm jam where you were expected to keep your mouth shut and learn from the older players. A hard livin but a damn good feelin to run them roads ... lol Drum corps guy? What did you play?
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 1:54:21 GMT
Drum corps guy? What did you play? Bugle .. lol
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 7, 2021 1:58:53 GMT
Drum corps guy? What did you play? Bugle .. lol Cool- well at least I know I'm not the only brass player 'round here. On brass I primarily play matching baritone and euphonium but I can hold my own on trumpet (but good enough not for paid gigs)
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 2:00:49 GMT
I played tenor sax for awhile in high school but none of that was going anywhere just trying it out.
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 7, 2021 2:06:38 GMT
I played tenor sax for awhile in high school but none of that was going anywhere just trying it out. I never tried reeds- awesome that at least you tried it out. Although it might sound like our sometimes, I'm not a music theory snob- I think having at least some exposure to reading music makes you a better musician who understands what the other guys have to go through. I know that perspective helped me enormously.
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 3:07:29 GMT
Actually, now that I think about it, I took theory for awhile too when I was in high school… lol. Local music teacher said “well you’ve got lots of guitar technique so I’m just gonna show you some theory.” It was just simple stuff about chord building and such. Although when all’s said an done, the songs I play are just four chords and a pack of lies .. lol
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Post by george on Jul 7, 2021 3:10:52 GMT
Oh, and I played flute as well - totally forgot. Played that for a good few years mostly Tull stuff and improvise with whatever came on the radio. Can’t believe I forgot about that .. lol
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Post by Die Bullen on Jul 7, 2021 12:17:11 GMT
Actually, now that I think about it, I took theory for awhile too when I was in high school… lol. Local music teacher said “well you’ve got lots of guitar technique so I’m just gonna show you some theory.” It was just simple stuff about chord building and such. Although when all’s said an done, the songs I play are just four chords and a pack of lies .. lol I'm of the opinion that having some perspective of what the other guys experience is really useful. I've played jams both on guitar and on horns. I don't do it any more because it is frustrating to me and often it devolves into 25 minute versions of Red House. But there you see clearly that songs in concert Eb and Ab, which are horn friendly keys (F and Bb) are the pits for a lot of guitar players. Likewise a guitar player liking the "open" keys like E are a trumpet player's worst nightmare, because they translate to F#. I was never good on drums but I did study drum notation for about a year because I was teaching my youngest daughter how to play drums. Sadly she has long given it up, but I feel that having an understanding of what a drummer would expect to experience is useful when I bring a sub in.
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Post by laristotle on Jul 7, 2021 12:43:26 GMT
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