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Chances are You're not that Special!
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I am quite a poor reader who gets a regular monthly check for playing bass. I have been in bands, done demos, and even complimented for my playing, but I know that I don't have the ear and aptitude the pick up things the way people who are more naturally gifted than me can. My ear has taken me as far as I can go.
i started learning to read music at age 6 ... now 58 ... ( piano/theory/jazz lessons up and thru college )
do i feel special ... no ... but i like to ride on the short bus ...!! that would be my dog's small suv ..!
learning anything - anytime - is a good thing ... good for the brain ..!!
do i feel special ... no ... but i like to ride on the short bus ...!! that would be my dog's small suv ..!
learning anything - anytime - is a good thing ... good for the brain ..!!
I learned to read treble clef for classical guitar & it wasn't that hard to do.
Though I have found learning the bass clef much trickier & I really don't know why?
Its possibly down to tab? tab for classical guitar is not much found around and tab for bass is all over.
Though I have found learning the bass clef much trickier & I really don't know why?
Its possibly down to tab? tab for classical guitar is not much found around and tab for bass is all over.
@Dr. Cheese when you say reading do you mean written out bass clef note by note? or do you just mean written out chords?
That is sort of how I started too. I was decent in the first position, but my first teacher told me reading was not important for bass.
I've gone in and out of working on my reading many times over the years.
At this time in my life, I am only really playing for my own personal enjoyment and hobby and not being able to read well has become a bigger problem than ever before, simply because I don't want to have to memorize every *#%#ing song I want to play.
When I played in bands memorization of material and chord charts was the way I worked.
At this time in my life, I am only really playing for my own personal enjoyment and hobby and not being able to read well has become a bigger problem than ever before, simply because I don't want to have to memorize every *#%#ing song I want to play.
When I played in bands memorization of material and chord charts was the way I worked.
I know expert sight-readers, who have no idea how to play by ear or improvise; I know expert ear players, who can't read any notation.
There is a market for both types of players, but rarely the same market.
Then there is the rare individual who learns both skills from an early age, and has mastered both. This individual is equally at home in either setting. He/she can nail the union reading gigs, and the rock band/jazz gigs; is very versatile in the studio, because they can read the arranger's chart and come up with their own lines by ear; they are genre proof--they can do classical, jazz and all the notated styles, plus pick up other styles by listening to the repertoire.
There is a market for both types of players, but rarely the same market.
Then there is the rare individual who learns both skills from an early age, and has mastered both. This individual is equally at home in either setting. He/she can nail the union reading gigs, and the rock band/jazz gigs; is very versatile in the studio, because they can read the arranger's chart and come up with their own lines by ear; they are genre proof--they can do classical, jazz and all the notated styles, plus pick up other styles by listening to the repertoire.
How functioning would you be if you didn't ever learn it, though? Even when I don't read, I'm using the knowledge I gained from it every single day. But I also read and I pick up those gigs, too!
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It's not that rare. Yes, you will find those stereotypes out there, but in my experiences, most readers I know are a good deal better at using their ears than un-schooled musicians and have more sophisticated options than them, and those who can read but can't improvise or play by ear are more common simply because skilled musicians are less common than unskilled in general, and at least through reading these folks were able to land some work playing, whereas if they didn't read, they'd have long given it up like most people who never learn the nuts and bolts of music making.
If you can't read music, you can:
- Play in your bedroom.
- Play in the subway.
- Play with bands at bars/clubs who don't care if you can read or not.
If you can read music, you can do all of the above +:
- Be a session musician.
- Play at Broadway shows.
- Play at TV shows.
- Play for soundtracks.
- Play with any band anywhere that provides notation such as playing on cruise ships, etc.
- Give lessons.
I think reading is not necessary, but it opens a lot of doors, and makes you a better musician overall. I personally don't believe in such a thing like "I can read a little". What does that mean? Reading notation is not any different than reading a book. You can either read or not. If you're in a recording session for instance and tell them you can read, they would expect you to read the stuff they hand you, period. For all of these reasons, I say no "I can't read music" even though I can tell what the notes are, what the key is etc. Sad but true, but it's never late to learn how to read imo.
- Play in your bedroom.
- Play in the subway.
- Play with bands at bars/clubs who don't care if you can read or not.
If you can read music, you can do all of the above +:
- Be a session musician.
- Play at Broadway shows.
- Play at TV shows.
- Play for soundtracks.
- Play with any band anywhere that provides notation such as playing on cruise ships, etc.
- Give lessons.
I think reading is not necessary, but it opens a lot of doors, and makes you a better musician overall. I personally don't believe in such a thing like "I can read a little". What does that mean? Reading notation is not any different than reading a book. You can either read or not. If you're in a recording session for instance and tell them you can read, they would expect you to read the stuff they hand you, period. For all of these reasons, I say no "I can't read music" even though I can tell what the notes are, what the key is etc. Sad but true, but it's never late to learn how to read imo.
True story. A guy from high school was a guitar monster. He could listen to anything and play it better. He went to ATL to get into the studio business. His interview consisted of the guy handing him some sheet music and asking him to play it, he couldn't read. They thanked him for showing up and sent him back to south Alabama. Guy had monster monster chops, but couldn't read music.
Make of it what you will.
Make of it what you will.
He probably could have gotten some work if he had networked and local studio guys vouched for him. Still, being a non-reader would have limited his work.
He came home and joined a really good little band and did well with that.
My friend plays in a big band that plays every week in a suburb of Chicago. They regularly attract well known horn players that have played with the likes of Sinatra, Andy Williams etc. Everything is charted. I was talking with the band leader, who plays trumpet, and the subject of my playing came up. He asked me about it and I told him that I'd played bar bands and the like and always played by ear. He replied, "That takes a lot of talent. Not everyone can play by ear." I was frankly very surprised. He sounded sincere, not condescending or anything. I think he was just being nice though. 
I doubt if anyone who is serious about developing a career in music is spending a whole lot of time reading online boards. Gouche was literally at the beginning of bass in church. Pino was playing tons of gigs in Wales and later London.
By "someone like you" what exactly do you mean?
