Can you actually read music

[magic2119]

I'm just wondering how many people can actually read music.

To qualify, you need to be able to read music, tell what note it is by name as well as find the correct fret.

[bassplayerbob]

Nope. Tabs and chord charts only for me.

[carl h.]

I read music and work regularly. Even semi retired from full time playing I still do 60+ gigs/year.

[Russell L]

Yep. Been reading music since 1962. And I play regularly, too. 50-60, or so, gigs/year.

[elgecko]

Is it really black or white? Aren't there shades of gray?

[magic2119]

honestly. I think reading music to the point of it being useful is pretty black and white. Either you can well enough to use it when needed or you cant.

[rmkesler]

Yep.

[jacojbass]

reading Vivaldi right now

[Thor]

Yes.

Reading is a skill that improves your knowledge. Reading books is good too.

[noeinstein]

I don't read well and I feel it... wish there was an easier way to learn than frequent and regular practice. I'm grateful for tab and chord charts, but no getting around the fact that if you don't read (well) you are a limited player.

[mpdd]

i can read music for piano playing, for bass playing i just never picked it up, sorry guys

[Papa Dangerous]

I can read music, sometimes I may look at it for a moment, but I do know all the notes... except when it starts to get into the ledger lines above treble and below bass. I know where all the notes are on the piano, but not so much on bass. But I can simply figure it out if ever I ever decide to locate where on the clef the Low E is..

[Coop Soup]

Yep I can read. I'm not sure how well right now, but I played cello from elementary school through my second year of college. However that was 18 years ago. Everything from a low C to a high G is still recognizable.

[enricogaletta]

Able to read music is really important, isn't a must but it will help you to be more versatile and to be open for more and different chance to work.
Cheers. Enrico
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[rtslinger]

Started playing bass early on in school had to sight read. Do not do it much anymore
but, before tabs you had nothing but music staffs in the music books of the bands you wanted to learn how to play their songs. Now with the internet and tabs (if they are correct?) is a lot easier way to learn music. At least the simple stuff. To learn classical pieces from the masters you still need to know how to sight read.

[JetBlackJazz]

just listenin for me

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by magic2119

honestly. I think reading music to the point of it being useful is pretty black and white. Either you can well enough to use it when needed or you cant.

That's the thing...when is it "useful"? If you can sight read it perfectly, then clearly it's useful. How about if can sight read it with a couple of flubs? Is that useful? How about if you need to scan it and maybe make some marks before you can play it...maybe you need to take it to the woodshed for 20 minutes.

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by noeinstein

I don't read well and I feel it... wish there was an easier way to learn than frequent and regular practice. I'm grateful for tab and chord charts, but no getting around the fact that if you don't read (well) you are a limited player.

A good trick that I came across in learning how to read sheet music, in regards to chords at least / at first, is to learn what certain intervals look like. Take a third for example. If the lower note is on a space, (opposed to on a line) the third would be in the very next space above it. A fifth would be in the space above the third. So get familiar with how the interval spacing looks in regards to the interval of a 3rd and 5th. Then apply it to the bass. A fifth (up/ ascending) on the bass is pointer finger on a fret, and then middle finger fret one string below (using the finger method of 1,2,3,4 - pointer, middle, index, pinky) Once you get that idea, apply it to all the other scales of a chord. Learn the difference of minor and major. This way you can learn how the notes on a staff look, practice them, and learn the fret board a bit better on the bass. Its going to take practice regardless, but at least this way you are learning, and applying all at once.

[Sketchy]

I am fairly inept at reading music, I never really learned bass clef, and I can work it out, but it takes me ages.

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by elgecko

That's the thing...when is it "useful"? If you can sight read it perfectly, then clearly it's useful. How about if can sight read it with a couple of flubs? Is that useful? How about if you need to scan it and maybe make some marks before you can play it...maybe you need to take it to the woodshed for 20 minutes.

I worked with an orchestra once, it is very common that a conductor makes the player make notations on the music. I noticed that when you physically have to make marks on the music, its functions are a mnemonic device (memory trick) that can help the player remember what to play, without fully have to read the musical notes. For example, so you want to add embellishment such as a crescendo, instead of having to read each note of the crescendo, you may remember to play the scale just from recognizing the pencil markings.