To read or not to read

[predmachine]

Reading is fundamental and reading bass clef is incredibly easy. Two weeks of practice and you're good for life. Get any Mel Bay Bass book, do what it says and you'll be reading notes as fast as letters---and this is way better than tabs because if you ever match the notes on sheet music with the tabs you find on Bassmasta, you quickly realize that most of the tab posters can't read---and, apparently, most of them can't hear either.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by predmachine

Reading is fundamental and reading bass clef is incredibly easy. Two weeks of practice and you're good for life.

Wow - to think of all the time I've wasted.....


Contrary to predmachine's advise, you need to practice reading for the rest of your life - to read at a professional level opens many, many doors to you as a musician. Doors that will remain shut if you don't read. Or even if you don't read well.

[IanStephenson]

No one ever got hired for what they couldn't do...

You don't have to tell anyone you can read - it's our secret...

Ian

[Lord Henry]

Everything that has been said above is true. That is fact, what follows is opinion:

The two most important skills a musician can have are being able to play by ear and being able to read music. When I was young I found it very annoying that, while I could read music, I couldn't play annything that I actually liked. I would advise that you get a teacher who will teach you things that you like, followed by how to read it and the theory behind it. As has beed said above, all ellements are essencial, but if you're not having fun playing then you'll just give up and take up tennis or something.

All the best.

[Murf]

Originally Posted by predmachine

Reading is fundamental and reading bass clef is incredibly easy. Two weeks of practice and you're good for life.

TWO WEEKS!! wow I've been sight reading for a living for the past 10 years and I still come across scores which trip me up.

Seriously though you can make a decent living playing in a pro cover band and not have to read a single line of music (learn the song off the cd/mp3 and play it back "parrott fashion") but if you want to say get into the session work or the pro "show" scene (cats, riverdance, phantom of the opera, cirque du soleil etc) YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO READ. I've done more shows where the musical director changed the score during the interval ...so you'd better be able to sight read.

Also as others have stated if you can read music your value as a musician rises considerably (both in terms of cash and kudos), if you apply for a job as say a graphic designer your expected to know how to use the relevant software like photoshop/illustrator etc., if your hired as a professional musician your expected to be able to read music simple as that.

[dodgy_ian]

two weeks! someone's seriously talented hey!

Murf, have you played for Cirque de Soleil? Was looking at them for opportunities a bit ago....

[Murf]

Originally Posted by dodgy_ian

two weeks! someone's seriously talented hey!

Murf, have you played for Cirque de Soleil? Was looking at them for opportunities a bit ago....

Not yet, (but a drummer duddy of mine played on the Japanese show) I have too much on this year to commit to a 6 month show I'd love to do it some day though. here's the link for info.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/Cirque...an/default.htm