[Harp-L] How important is it to be able to read music?

[EVANS]

Hi All,
So far we have heard very specific answers from a few members. Thanks for the input. That said, I am finding this question to bring polarized answers and it is for this reason I shall try to answer in a way which will come from a musician rather than a harmonica player.

If music is a truly universal language, then there must be clear communication of the essence of music. So many years ago, music was defined and thereafter a language was also defined to help all musicians understand one another. You needn’t speak English so as to convey the information required to play any piece of music. That said, you’d better be able to ‘read’ music if you wish to play music with a Japanese pianist; a Russian guitarist; a Zambian percussionist and a Czech bass player all who don’t speak English but love the blues and need you to blow harp with them.

If we then extrapolate this knowledge to actually learning something about other musical instruments, we may soon be able to convey our specific musical needs to one another when we get together to jam or rehearse with our band members. An example is how few folks take the time to learn the vernacular of people who play another instrument. Talked to any drummers lately and asked them to play ‘four on the floor’ or ‘triplets’ maybe ‘a double shuffle’? Some of you know what this does to help the music and ‘all’ of us know what it does when there is ‘no’ communication like this. The only way to have a call and response is to actually know what the other musician is communicating to you.

Folks, I am not pontificating here. I studied music since I was 5 ( I am 65). I studied classical guitar and I played all kinds of guitars throughout my shortened term of 46 years. I have a sister & several cousins who are terrific piano players. My cousin is a world class drummer. My uncles played guitar and banjo. And everyone could sing. We all communicated but especially with sheet music! We have always been able to communicate with other musicians and still do. I have played harmonica for 32 months because an accident took away my ability to play the guitar. Same language different instrument. Damn glad to make music again!

Bob, if you wish to play blues harp; you need to know the blues scale! That’s reading music. It will thereafter help if you know what a flat 3rd and a flat 5th are and why these notes make things sound bluesy. You need to know what the structure of a 12 bar blues is about and why. In fact the more you know about your craft, the more proficient you will become as a musician. After all, we are musicians first and harmonica players second. 

In my opinion, the best advice is to learn all that you can and retain it. Go slowly and learn something new everyday. Repeat it for several tomorrows and in time, you will be a musician who is also a badass harp player! Hope your journey is long and rewarding.



> On Dec 7, 2016, at 10:39 PM, Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Reading music is easy.  But unnecessary for most things except when you
> want to read a piece of written music.
> 
> What I find is that reading music is a way to convey information.  As a
> teacher,  I never suggest reading music until every other method of
> conveying that information has been explored and failed OR if the student
> asks for it OR has been coming forever and we might as well.
> Michael Rubin
> michaelrubinharmonica.com
> 
> On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 9:23 PM, philharpn--- via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
> wrote:
> 
>> Reading music has always been an option. People who take up real
>> instruments like the piano and trumpet take it for granted that you learn
>> the instrument as you learn to read music. They don't know anything about
>> music when they first start out. After a few weeks, music starts to make
>> sense. Same with adults.
>> 
>> Also, once you learn how to read the C scale, everything else just falls
>> into place. That's because every major scale is the same: Play every other
>> note except 3/4 and 7/8 in the 8 note scale.
>> 
>> It takes about 5 minutes to learn to read music. 5 lines, 4 spaces
>> 
>> I play several instruments. If I only knew tab, how would I find draw 4 on
>> the trumpet? Or the piano?
>> 
>> I've been playing at harp for about 25 years. But if I want to play a song
>> I just pick up a fakebook (Hal Leonard) and find the tune.
>> 
>> For any newbie, I'd say you'd be farther ahead learning to read music. If
>> kids can do it, anybody can. And if you're just starting out, reading music
>> is about as hard as third grade math and not much trickier than trying to
>> figure out tab.
>> 
>> Now, if you're been learning off records or tab for 30 years, there might
>> be a huge learning curve. That's because you can play really complicated
>> music. And if you saw what you can play written out in music notation,
>> you'd just be confused.,..for awhile.
>> 
>> I've said it before and I'll say it again.
>> 
>> I've never heard anyone say they regretted learning to read music.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bob Marsolais <bob at xxxxx>
>> To: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
>> Sent: Wed, Dec 7, 2016 9:28 pm
>> Subject: [Harp-L] How important is it to be able to read music?
>> 
>> Here's another question from a newbie: How important is it to be able to
>> read standard music notation?  Since all diatonics have the same hole blow,
>> draw, and bend patterns no matter what the key, then the tab form of
>> notation eliminates the need to transpose from one key to another.  So why
>> go through the trouble to learn how to read music and force yourself to
>> have
>> to transpose when shifting keys?  What do more advanced harpist use?  I've
>> found Harptabs.org.  Why not use that?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Bob
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>