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

[Chris Hofstader]

John,

I really like your post. While I’ve commented from the learning theory side, I neglected to include the value of learning for learning sake as, even though many of us aren’t young anymore, neuroplasticity continues albeit far slower than in children and it’s been fairly well proven that mental exercises that include learning and logic help prevent or postpone dementia and have other excellent brain health effects.

I also suppose I’ve a hard bias against musical notation because I’m blind. I can read tab and listen to the song recorded and figure stuff out; there is a braille musical notation system that even some top flight blind professional players cannot comprehend.

At a party in LA, I asked Ray Charles how he could have both hands on the keyboard while reading braille music. Without missing a beat, he quipped, “I practice with my pants off!”

Happy Hacking,
cdh
  
> On Dec 9, 2016, at 10:10 AM, jon kip <jon at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> So all these silly reasons not to learn something, in this case, reading music, ignore the most important thing: ANY new stuff you learn, stands a good chance of making your brain grow and protecting it, and thus, YOU, from problems later in life.
> 
> SO, that means that if I (a dedicated non-tab reader) were to learn to read tabs, and you all who eschew The Reading Of Notes were to learn to read notes, we'd ALL be doing our brains a favor.
> 
> Naturally, we all have priorities, and thanks to that pesky "Evolution" thing, limited time on earth, and my priorities, as a very late-starter on the instrument,, include actually  learning the instrument, and how to apply it to jazz playing in venues where the "Late Show" starts at four PM, (so I, at my advanced age, can make the Early Bird Specials at Denny's) so that's how I spend my days.
> 
> You all can spend time finding reasons NOT to learn something, but do try to learn something NEW every day, and your brain will like you, AND you probably will become very wise and stop falling for those Nigerian Prince Scam Emails so often.
> 
> ....and, with time and dedication, become so wise that you'll understand that ALL chromatic harmonica combs should be Green, and should come with magnets inside.
> 
> Bottom Line :It is a fact that learning new things helps your brain.
> It's also a fact that finding unique ways to avoid learning things you suspect are difficult also helps your brain.
> 
> I think I'll do BOTH today and see what happens.
> 
> Bottom line number two, it's still early here and my brain is mostly asleep, so some of this might not make sense to you, in which case I suggest ignoring it....and finding nice ways to exercise your brains each day.
> 
> 
> 
> jk
> 
> 
>> On Dec 8, 2016, at 8:49 PM, harp-l-request at xxxxx wrote:
>> 
>> Re: How important is it to be able to read music? 
> 
> jon kip
> jon at xxxxx
> 
> 
>