Survey question: How many of you read and write music?

PTravel

PTravel

Senior Senior Member
Another thread made me curious: How many homerecording.com posters read and write music? This isn't a snob thing -- I don't think reading and writing necessarily music makes someone a better performer or composer (and I'm living proof that it certainly didn't make ME a better performer -- I've always been strictly mediocre). I was just wondering.

I can read music and, in my prime, could sight-sing. However, I've never read well enough to sight-read on keyboard (my instrument), though I could play from charts without too much problem. Of the three projects I'm working on now, one is composed without a written score, though I will write out sketches before recording them (I use Finale, though I may try my hand at Sibelius). The other two are composed and arranged entirely in Finale. Both Finale and Sibelius are very capable at playing through VSTs directly from the score; when I want a demo recording, I just pull off the parts and either use Finale's VST performance in my DAW, or import the score as MIDI and assign my own VSTs.

How about you?
 
At fifteen or so with piano lessons I was about up to sight reading.
So the basics, and theory is there, but I go with that and a decent ear'
 
I know some theory, but I really cant site anything. Even chords would be pretty rough sounding. This is an interesting question though. I cant name drop, but, I paid a famous sax player( in the 1980s)do some solos for me and he wrote out his solo. I asked him about some other guys and he assured me they could all read if necessary. Anyone doing any serious hired gigging can usually read.
 
I know a decent amount of theory. I can improvise or play over charts. I can write and read. But site reading is rough. I gotta improve that!
 
RJMJ87 said:
I can read and write music but very slowly and do so rarely.
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I can, but don't and find it is not as important for what I do. I do think Music theory and understanding sound is important and tend to focus on those areas more.

I have stated before, someone who really writes music (literally) is not only writing the tune, they are also mixing. When you look at orchestra sheet music, the composer is mixing with their notes and symbols. I find that really fascinating when you look at it deeper.
 
I can sight read drum charts, although not as effectively as I could a few years back (I use to do a lot of session work as a drummer- so it was a must have skill). I can sorta read and write music for melodic instruments - but it is a slow process. I've tried to force myself to improve my reading chops - but it is a maddening process - in particular since I can listen to a recorded piece of music and learn the parts within a few listens.

I play several melodic instruments well, and lack of reading has not compromised my ability to get live gigs (I can read chord charts well) - but not reading well has eliminated a few potentially well paying recording sessions as a keyboard player.

Improving my reading/writing chops is on my bucket list (but then so is banging Megan Fox - neither may be realistic goals):mad:
 
I can read and write the notes found on a clarinet. Apart from that, I'm a music theory/reading ignoramus. I definitely feel frustration about that at times, but I'm too lazy to sort it out.
 
FACE and Every Good Boy Deserves Flatulence. That's all I remember.

If I can hear it in my head, I can play it on guitar/piano. I get by :thumbs up:
 
i know a few scales and a little theory but, as far as the black dots on the lined paper go..............forget it............
but, I can pretty much figure out any instrument that has strings on it.....


my oldest son can sight read and he can play, from sheet music, on the guitar, bass, clarinet, flute, saxophone, marimba, drums, xylophone, and piano.....
my youngest plays by ear and he thrashes heavy metal on the guitar and nails classical on the piano.....


I don't know where they get it from............:rolleyes::cool:
 
Im taking AP Music Theory in school and have been in Band playing the Bass Clarinet for about 5 years now. Learning to read music is very important!
 
I can read chords placed over the music or words but aside from that, no. I'm out of practice with that too. I can't dance either......
 
Very badly, but I have no real need anymore given I pretty much only play my own music these days...

I can read guitar chord charts and what have you and could pick out stuff on the piano if I absolutely had to, but that's a long way from sight reading. I always thought guitar music was pretty useless anyway seeing you can play most notes in multiple positions...
 
Armistice said:
I always thought guitar music was pretty useless anyway seeing you can play most notes in multiple positions...
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Me too, tablature was a one book wonder for me. Plus i found out if I actually put some effort in, there is nothing I can't find :D
 
Like a lot of others, I understand theory but I can't sight read. The couple of times I worked with Pro's, they needed nothing from me but an MP3.....I aint writing symphonies. I once recorded an opera singer looking to get into Juliard. Her coach played piano accompaniment. I told her she was the best pianist I had ever recorded and she scoffed..."This isn't piano playing"... It WAS to me!!!! She said every serious opera singer should play at least that well. -Tom
 
Tom Paul said:
Like a lot of others, I understand theory but I can't sight read. The couple of times I worked with Pro's, they needed nothing from me but an MP3.....I aint writing symphonies. I once recorded an opera singer looking to get into Juliard. Her coach played piano accompaniment. I told her she was the best pianist I had ever recorded and she scoffed..."This isn't piano playing"... It WAS to me!!!! She said every serious opera singer should play at least that well. -Tom
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This is a little off subject - but I had a similar experiance. Several years ago, (I must has been around 20 years old) during my first trip to L.A. I was in a bar, intently watching a singer/pianist - who I thought was the best pop pianist I ever saw (and a fine singer). During the break he approached me and mentioned I must be a musician, since he could tell I was trying to disect what he was doing (don't we all disect others when we see them playing).

I told him I thought he was an outstanding pianist. He commented he thought he was a hack - he was actually a songwriter, playing this gig on the side to support himself while he shopped his songs.

That's when I first realized that while I thought I was a decent player in my small midwest market (and played with people who I thought were pretty good) - that the talent in the LAs. Nashvilles and New Yorks of the world were waaaaaaay better then what I was used to!!!!
 
I learned it and was halfway decent at reading music for a while, then never really used it and swiftly forgot it again. Normally I compose either on a) Guitar, b) Piano or c) directly in Cubase, and I just improvise and play around with melodies and chords until I find something that sounds good to me. When it comes to theory, I have some basic knowledge about scales and chords, but that's it - works for me so far, although I'd like to have a better understanding of theory. Cursed laziness! :D
 
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