Play music.....

[Douglas Tate <100576.3265@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Harvey A wrote a definitive statement about music reading. It contains so much
good sense that I am going to copy it and paste it to the wall of one of my
calssrooms at school.

On a personal note he says >>> As I've said before, I'm still not ~there~ yet
(can read melody lines though)

Just a small point. Where is 'there'.  As soon as you can associate the notes
with positions on the harmonica, even one or two, you are 'reading music' and at
that stage it may be enough to let you into a new world of that tune.  If you do
it frequently enough you get to a stage where idiots say 'Oh, can you read
ordinary music on the mouthorgan, I thought it would be all written Blow-Suck
...Ho Ho Ho" 

 Music  reading is easy, reading music well takes time ... so does making a
souffle.

>> but if you give a lead sheet to a pro they can quickly
>>surmise the style, the rhythm, the melody and harmony in a matter of
>>seconds (or minutes if it's complex).

Many years ago I did some sessions for Woolworths (I think).  There was a little
band of about 8 of us in a studio, we were given some sheet music.  The studio
guys would play a current pop record.  Everybody would adjust their instruments
(except me!) and we would do a facsimile recording.  They were copy records.  It
was rare to do more than two takes and we used to produce a complete set of
about 10 songs in a morning.  On another occassion I did the backing for a film
Freebie and the Bean II.  It was done in Paris with what seemed like hundreds of
musicians, full orch, jazz band, banjo band, etc.  We recorded, I seem to
remember over 180 bits of music in 2 day.  Frequently there wasn't even time to
see what was on the next page before the dread count of 'One two three ...' came
over the cans.  Adreneline and the thought of the money carried you over the
worst of places(and a bit of experience).

One final thing on this.  Musicians get to a stage where they look and can hear
the music. Good musicians can 'hear' the majority of a symphony as a sound with
features.  Thomas Beecham, the condutor used to say that he could hear 'about
two and a half tunes at a time' .  I have a cartoon of a musician , fingers in
his ears, an agonized look on his face, reading a music score of modern music.

Keep trying, it's worth it.  
Douglas T