Reading Sheet Music- Humor

Pier said:

reading is a very useful thing, if you need to use it.

if you don't, it's useless.


PS: nobody actually "plays" sight-reading. sight reading is a skill, but in any case you'll find yourself in the situations of playing a never-seen-before part. the best you'll need is to read fast, so that you can learn and play a part in a small amount of time.

in an orchestra nobody is reading the sheet while playing, it's just there as a reminder, in case of a lack of memory or just to be sure.

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That has not been my experience.

Pier said:

in an orchestra nobody is reading the sheet while playing, it's just there as a reminder, in case of a lack of memory or just to be sure.

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I haven't found this to be the case at all, especially playing with classical musicians outside their "realm of expertise." If you turn off a light while they're playing, most of them will stop because they can't see the music.

Pier said:

reading is a very useful thing, if you need to use it.

if you don't, it's useless.


PS: nobody actually "plays" sight-reading. sight reading is a skill, but in any case you'll find yourself in the situations of playing a never-seen-before part. the best you'll need is to read fast, so that you can learn and play a part in a small amount of time.

in an orchestra nobody is reading the sheet while playing, it's just there as a reminder, in case of a lack of memory or just to be sure.

Click to expand...

I don't find much of this entirely convincing.

The music examining bodies in the UK include sight reading at every level so you have to be able to sight read an unfamiliar piece as part of the exam.

To get into music college, you need a Distinction at grade 8 (The top grade) in your primary instrument and often in your second instrument as well. You won't get that unless you are a fluent sight reader.

If it's not really important except occasionally as you seem to be implying then you have to wonder why they expect you to be able to do it.

When I tried out on trumpet to be a Navy musician in the distant past, I flunked because I couldn't play an unknown March, at speed. They don't usually use music on the March. The chief who tested me told me to go home, maybe take a few lessons, learn how to sight read and take a retest.

But I showed him! I joined the Air Force and became a radio operator! ld:

Tootler said:

I don't find much of this entirely convincing.

The music examining bodies in the UK include sight reading at every level so you have to be able to sight read an unfamiliar piece as part of the exam.

To get into music college, you need a Distinction at grade 8 (The top grade) in your primary instrument and often in your second instrument as well. You won't get that unless you are a fluent sight reader.

If it's not really important except occasionally as you seem to be implying then you have to wonder why they expect you to be able to do it.

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I think it goes back to Pier's original comment that it's a "very useful thing, if you need to use it." IF you need to use it.

Sight-reading is nothing more than an incredibly high level of competency on your instrument, to the point where you can take the sheet music in front of you that you've never seen before and play it like you have. The examples you listed are ones where this is a definite requirement, and sight-reading is probably used as a way to delineate the really spectacular musicians.

There are those auditions where reading music is great, but not to the point of testing for sight-reading. I auditioned for a gig at a summer theme park while in college, and sight-reading was laughable; you just needed to have two prepared pieces of music to play. Then there are those situations where the idea of reading music at all is foreign to them. I've walked into a number of studio sessions like this.

Sight-reading is a valuable skill - and one that I'm known for in my area - but like any skill, it's only as good as the application.

In keeping with the OP, most Americans should be able to relate to this whether they sight read or not.

Jon Moody said:

I haven't found this to be the case at all, especially playing with classical musicians outside their "realm of expertise." If you turn off a light while they're playing, most of them will stop because they can't see the music.

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Obviously, it depends on what they are playing. However, an orchestra musician, in particular classical musicians spend most of the day studying parts.
I have many friends playing classical, with conservatory degree, and they can sight-read like reading words.

But every one of them says that playing a concert reading is impossible and painful, and they study at least 6 hours a day, sometimes even more.

However, playing a classical concert is different than some "two pages" songs, and nearly impossibile to know every note by memory.
So here's the use of sight-reading. You have the part there, but you don't play it all while reading.

Some parts for piano or guitar are so complex and "messy" that its just impossibile to play sight-reading.

Complex parts are practiced so much that, seeing them on the sheet just makes them playable immediately.
That's how it works.

I would love to be able to read sheet music, or play by ear for that matter.
I am stuck with "dechiffering" sheet music as I call it, that takes a long time.

I dont read music and I struggle with TAB, but I play by ear

bwaa haa haa haa thanks for these....I really needed a laugh tonight. Work has been an absolute bitch this week!
I think I'll share them with my music teacher!