How do you feel when......

[Ger the man]

Someone who can read music and has studied it for years looks down there nose at you because you learn from tabs\videos?

[sunvalleylaw]

Hmm, I look up to people who learned the tab and ear way. I know how to read music, but while it is useful, it does not give me flow on the fretboard without more than that. I really respect a person who has a good ear and feel. Also, people who choose to look down on others for whatever reason simply are displaying their own issues. (not looking down on them for it, just pointing it out ;-))

[Katastrophe]

Someone who can read music and has studied it for years looks down there nose at you because you learn from tabs\videos?


IMO, there's nothing you can't learn from watching videos and reading tab. Keep doing what you're doing. If you want to learn how to read standard notation, then go for it... but its absolutely not necessary for playing rock, blues and country, IMHO.

Rock n' Roll, my friend, ain't never been about pretty notes on a staff, and I pray that it never will be.

Tell your friend that if he (or she) spends all their time studying notes on a page, their missing out on the vast majority of what music is all about, which is expression of the soul.

[sunvalleylaw]

exactly Kat, I studied piano as a kid for years, and was trained to recreate what somewhat else had written as written on a page well, but my instructor did not help me find what I told her I wanted, which was blues/jazz/rock expression and improvisation. As a result, I left music for many years. Now I am back, and though reading music helps a little, it is not a focus at all. I would not want to be in the shoes of the person you are experiencing, Ger. They are missing it.

[Ger the man]

Thanks for the replies. The person Im talking about has a sort of 'holier than thou' attitude about himself and will not accept that you cannot appreciate a musical instrument without understanding music theory. He teaches piano and I will admit knows his subject very well but I cannot stand his snooty attitude. He refused to look at a tab i once printed saying it was 'beneath him'. Ah well - everyone to their own.

[Naz Nomad]

Just say, "sure, anyone can learn to play by reading music ... phah!"

:rockon:

[just strum]

IMO: People that do that, for any reason, are usually insecure individuals and do it as a way to make themselves more important than they really are.

[sumitomo]

I just smile and say but you can't make pancakes like this one dude I know. :pancake: :bootyshake: :D Sumi

[jpfeifer]

In my view, all that matters is how you play. It matters less how you got there. If people look down on others because they didn't go to a certain music school or study with a certain instructor it's all a load of crap. All that really matters is how well you play and whether or not you understand music well enough to play with the musicians that you're playing with.

Reading music is a great skill to have, but it doesn't necessarily make someone "sound" better. If you aren't needing the reading skills for your existing playing situation then it really doesn't matter.

The list of great musicians and song writers who couldn't read music at all is pretty staggering. (the Beatles for one example)

Not that I have anything against reading music. I personally think that it's a great skill to have. I am still working to be a better sight reader. But in the end, the only thing that really matters are the sounds comming out of the instrument.

-- Jim

[Spudman]

He refused to look at a tab i once printed saying it was 'beneath him'. Ah well - everyone to their own.

Well if he is as great as he thinks he is then he should be able to explain tab to you and demonstrate his complete knowledge of it.;)

For what it's worth Jeff Beck doesn't read music. That must be why he is so lame.:rotflmao:

[street music]

Listen to JOHN PRINE's " People Puttin People Down" that should take care of the concern. Like the others have said, do your thing and play the heck out the strings. Life is too short to worry about someone that small in the world.

[Plank_Spanker]

How do you keep a guitar player from playing?


Put a sheet of music in front of him.



I don't sight read, nor do I rely on tab too much. I trust my best instrument - my ears............................and it's worked well for these past 35 years of playing.

If a player is good at sight reading, more power to him. I highly doubt that he'll look down his nose at me while he's imprisoned in his sheets and I'm ripping away having a good time.

I can't see a rock band with sheet music in front of them - sort of kills the buzz. If I had intentions on doing session work, then by all means I'd do my best to be a sight reading fool - but I just play rock and roll in bars and have a good time. :D

*******No denigration meant to those here that do sight read********

[Childbride]

i played piano by sheet music for... [counts on fingers...] four or five years. i played trombone by sheet music for seven.

i play guitar now, with my current teacher, by a unique methodology that has nothing to do with sheet music, but learning the relativity of fingers to strings and frets. it is merely a tool to help me memorize the most efficient means of Getting to Where I Need to Be.

could i learn it by sheet music? yeah. does it matter to me? no. what matters is learning the Soul of the Song, and making it Speak to Others.

isn't that Truly what Music is about??!

[Kazz]

I remember a scene in "Walk The Line" Where Mother Maybelle is asking Johnny if he can read "Shape Notes" so it was important back then....

Myself personally....I used to be able to read music...and am sure I could pick it up again really quick if I wanted to......the fact remains...you are playing guitar....as long as you can play it...or even if you are like me and just squeak along.....what matters is...you are trying hard to play....and somedays it even sounds good.

How you learned....is unimportant.

[Kazz]

For what it's worth Jeff Beck doesn't read music. That must be why he is so lame.:rotflmao:



Darn this is funny