Who can read sheet music ?

It's also rather important to be able to do the former though, no? That's something I'm not so good at as the latter.

I do.

I read treble, bass, and tenor clef..errr....

I learned treble when I started in band playing the alto saxophone.

Later, I learned to read guitar sheet music..which isn't *that* hard..

Then I started double bass and taught myself bass clef...THEN..to tuba..

I can play a little piano... don't ask how I know how to read tenor clef :-P.

 

And..yeah..If you want to learn modern composition..etc..study jazz theory..it's very important.

I read both F and G clef, not so quick as would like, but I do.

It's handy, but not obligatory to be a good musician.

The modes, built on the C-major scale (white keys of the piano):

C = Ionian (major scale)
D = Dorian
E = Phrygian
F = Lydian
G = Mixolydian
A = Aeolian (natural minor)
B = Locrian

As stated above, the Aeolian is the natural minor, and is the one you hear most commonly apart from the major scale in pop and popular classical music. The others are commonly used in jazz improvisation, except for Locrian, which is scarcely used because it’s “dissonant”, owing to the tonic chord being diminished. Of course, you’ll find some composers using it deliberately to take advantage of the fact that its sound is disorienting. John McLaughlin used it a lot in the Mahavishnu Orchestra stuff (and the so-called “Super-Locrian”, which is just the Locrian with a flatted 5th).

I can read notation, but I can’t sight-read, nor can I play “by ear”. I’ve always been highly envious of those that can. My method has always been to look at the manuscript and “hunt and peck” until I can play it properly (or close enough for rock & roll). Treble clef is generally fine as long as there aren’t tons of leger lines. I’ve still not quite got the hang of bass clef, and alto/tenor clefs give me a headache. (Good thing I never became a viola player!)

I suppose this explains why I never became a musician.

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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"It is not an obscenity to be free. It is a divine right." --Annette Peacock

N.P.:"Light From Above"-Universe


Edited by Progbear

Wow I'm impressed. I didn't know I was surrounded by this many fellow musicians.  I can read music and have written music. If you're gonna be a musician you gotta at least learn the rudiments of reading. I also agree with Sweetnighter and Moogtron III. You really need both especially to be a prog musician. And I'd also like to say that Aeolian is the most ignored mode if you think about it. Most popular music employs Dorian(as stated above by Sweetnighter) and almost all classical is Harmonic Minor. Now I've got a question. Is there anyone on this forum who can proficiently perform and understands anything off of Octopus by Gentle Giant? I'd love to some day. 

I read bass clef, but slower than I should. A problem bassists have. We never get to play too difficult lines, so we don't get used to read 'em when they do show up!
In (prog) rock I think sheet music is the perfect way for bassists, while I know guitarists who prefers tabs. And, I can see that. The guitarist's stuff often ranges from that low B to a high E (didn't botherfiguring out which octaves...) and that makes for a lot of lines in the notes, unless you use lots of 8va stuff, and both treble and bass clef. The problem I have with tabs is that yes, they sometimes they help you figure out the fingerings, but too often the guy who made the tab is a total noob, and then the tab will just make it difficult for you, unless you're quicker than me at figuring out fingerings on your own. I had that problem a couple of years ago, when I was going to try to learn DT's Erotomania and Dance of Eternity. The former is quite easy, but the tab was sh*te, so it was quite difficult until I watched another guy playing it. Then it was like, WOW. Same thing with TDOE, which is a damn difficult one. The first tab I used had some insane fingerings, and made it all even more difficult. Then I checked another tab, and there was the WOW again. I should pick that one up again. It's so fun to play stuff that's too difficult! When you do get some things right, well, that's a KICK! 

Another prob with tabs is reading rythms. If you're looking up a tab to play along with an existing song, you'll work the rythms out by ear, but if you're writing your own music, it's notes all the way for me. Tabs are too easily misunderstood. Guitar Pro is helpful there, though.

I can read sheet music. I took a theory class in HS. I learned alot and hope to learn more theory in college. I actually find it easier to play be ear though (bass guitar) even on hard pieces. But when I want to write my own music then the theory will come in handy!

Yes.... very very slowly.

I did start learning around 8 years ago when i first picked up the guitar, then when i quit guitar i forgot everything i had learned. Then in high school when i did music i started to relearn but nothing really stuck. Now i'm going to a music school next year so i'll be relearning it all over again.

I know the rhythm side of things very well (note values, time signatures, polyrhythms etc.), it's just scales and what not i need to memorise. I'm beginning to understand how it all relates (eg. how to determine chords from scales like EbMaj-sus4 or something) and i understand how the scale determines the key signature it's just a matter of memorising it all really.

Been reading sheet music since I was but a lad.