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

[Arthur Jennings]

Here's the chord chart for "Shotgun" by Junior Walker and the All Stars:
A7 (repeat)

"Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin:
Cmin7 (repeat)

"Land of 1,000 Dances" by Wilson Pickett
D7 (repeat)

"So What" by Miles Davis:
Dmin11 (16 bars)
Ebmin11 (8 bars)
Dmin11 (8 bars)

I call it "Your mammy!"

> On Dec 8, 2016, at 10:02 AM, Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I can discern my melody from the chords.  If I know the song,  I generally
> can hear the melody just when the chords are played, especially jazz
> melodies.  I can discern the chords from the melody.
> 
> You can call it your mammy if you wanna.
> Michael Rubin
> michaelrubinharmonica.com
> 
>> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 11:33 AM, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> I believe you are referring to harmonic information.
>> A melody is distinct from the harmonic information. Consider any of a
>> number of blues songs, all over the same I IV V cadence.
>> Can you discern the melody with only the chord information?
>> 
>> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 7:56 AM, Michael Rubin <
>> michaelrubinharmonica at xxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>>> Gary says Chord charts have no melodic information.
>>> 
>>> You and I read chords very differently.  Almost all the melodic
>>> information to be had in a song can be located in the chords.
>>> Michael Rubin
>>> michaelrubinharmonica.com
>>> 
>>> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 9:25 AM, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 8:34 PM, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> I am a horrible staff reader, but can sight read chord changes on
>>>> guitar
>>>>> (for the most part).
>>>>> 
>>>>> Just to put a fine point on it, I am talking about reading a chord
>>>> chart
>>>> and playing guitar, not playing harmonica--although I could translate
>>>> chord
>>>> changes into harp information as well--but chord charts have no melodic
>>>> information.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>