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

[Michael Rubin]

You are correct,  it is not infallible, but to say there's no melody
information in chords seems wrong to me.

On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 12:30 PM, Arthur Jennings <arturojennings at xxxxx>
wrote:

> 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
> com> 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.
>
>
>
>
>
>