gee... i learn a LOT here, lmao...
let me keep track in my notebook now...
(scribble scribble) "genre... is... meaningless..." okay, okay...
(reviewing previous notes) "music theory is crap... scales mean
nothing... just randomly pluck and plink notes until "something"
pops out o the ether..."
what else, what else? OH, yeah... "reading music is useless...
writing scores is for losers..."
That's good. Not sure how much leg pulling you're doing but I
suspect it's 99%.
I can tell you this from my studio experience...
Genre is very important. If the producers says it's a honky
tonk tune then you better know what that means. West
Coast Swing, samba, rhumba, mambo, dixieland, baroque
are all genres.
If the chart you're getting ready to run down is in the Nashville
Number System you need to know theory.
If the chart says "solo" you better have a grasp of the scales
and know what the chords mean.
Reading music is at the top. If the arranger has your guitar
part doubling the fiddle you need to know how to read.
I had a gig that required me to sight read an Aaron Copeland
piece I'd never seen before, or since. Thank goodness I could
read and had a concept of his genre.
One thing is for sure, I've yet to walk into a session with TAB
sitting on the stand. I think TAB has a place but it's not a
substitute for notation.