[Harp-L] Reading Muisc, Teachers & Harmonica Tab

["Aongus Mac Cana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The Reading Music thread kind of morphed into a debate between the
"professional class of musical academics" and the "tradesman class of
practicing musicians" (not too  worried about whether they read or not) an
esoteric and jargon filled discourse, which died a natural and merciful
death.
Since I don't qualify for either grouping I felt a bit left out of it.
However the erudite Winslow brought the discussion back to brass tacks now
and then and I did get a few nuggets of knowledge from the participants -
particularly from some prominent listers who took the trouble to contact me
'off line' and give me useful tips.
One theme which emerged from the debate affirmed an opinion I have had for a
long time: That many music teachers the world over (quite unintentionally)
have a talent for knocking any love of music out of their pupils. I guess I
was lucky not to have been subject to any formal music education other than
the tonic solfa in my youth.
As regards Harmonica Tab, am I the only guy who does not find harmonica tab
particularly useful, except for identifying where the notes are on the
instrument when you first attack it. Once I have the scale off, I find ABC
tab the most user friendly route to bypass regular music notation.
The forum also gave me the information that Larry Adler did not learn to
sight read until he was in his thirties. Can I presume to get one up  on
"the great man" by picking it up in my seventies?
Beannachtai
Aongus Mac Cana