My rant concerning the near obsolescence of sheet music

James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 11:14 am

I was going to post this on the "minor key" thread, but I figure there will be enough dissenting opinions to warrant it's own discussion.

In short, I feel like sheet music is the most restrictive and inhibitive way to teach music. It WAS the best method possible for isolated musicians to learn before music could be recorded and shared. I think it's fine for helping to learn a piece but is absolutely no substitute for listening to music. There's no way that I would try to learn a piece from sheet music if I couldn't hear a recording of it played as it was meant to be. You will never learn a french accent by solely reading french text.

Everyone that I've ever met that learned to play an instrument by reading music has either never gotten past it or has, at some point, struggled hard to get away from it. How many classically trained musicians have given up their instrument because they couldn't play without sheet music in front of them or because they could never start down the path of improvisation (read creativity)? I know quite a few of them and have heard countless stories.

It seems like it's great for teaching music theory, but I'm always amazed at how many classically trained musicians know very little about how scales relate to chords/keys. Are they musicians or player-pianos that need a scroll to perform?

I can read (not well), but I didn't learn it until I had already learned to play(improvise, compose, etc) the guitar. Now, I feel like it's my least useful musical skill. Maybe if I played piano it would save me some time here and there but I would never play a piece of music by reading.

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Interesting topic James.

From the thread title i thought you were going to be lamenting the fading importance of written music what with online tab, tabledit, band in a box and all the other new technology that becoming more prevalent than sheet music. But you seem to be implying there is a certain rigidity and confininng aspect to sheet music that renders it robotic or lacking in personal expression. I can dig that, i understand and I do see some of that i think. I wonder tho if there is a flip side to that where without hearing the music and only having the written music there is an even GREATER chance for personal expression thru the artists interpretation of this writen music. Like when you read a novel, your vision of it in your head is almost always better than the movie that follows it where someone else gives concrete vision to the abstract written words you had previously conconcted your own (and much better) vision of in your head. I wouldnt know personally because i cannot read music, so I am extrapolating my experience with written language versus its live performance as a work of art (movie, play, tv show, or whatever) and applying it to written music.

I'll be interested to hear others comments. I would think Earnest Bovine might be able to provide some insight into this matter seeing as he is known to both read music and be an exceptional player and creative artiste Razz

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

My Sister is a wonderful classical flutist/flautist. One day I picked up my 6-string, and told her, "Key of C, Chris. Jam!" She looked at me like I was crazy! She was astonished that I would ask her to play without giving her sheet music! Very insulated, in the Classical world. Not all, of course. But very many. I was kinda the same way when I played French Horn in High School.

James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 1:06 pm

Ben, I see your point and it's a good one. It does open everything up wide for interpretation.

It seems to me that if children learn verbal communication before learning to read, music should be taught the same way? Learn to play, then learn to interpret. Teaching reading before playing is like me reciting a poem in German. I can memorize it word for word and have proper pronunciation.........but I won't understand a word of what it means. Essentially, I've learned nothing about the language except how to identify characters and correlate them to phonic oral movements.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I seem to remember reading a statement from Buddy Emmons that he lost many a playing gig because he couldn't read music.
I think there has to be a balance here someplace. Very Happy

John Phinney · From: Long Beach California, USA

I like sheet music.
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James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 1:47 pm

James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 1:53 pm

I'm not saying that it should be banned or anything. I'm just saying too much importance is placed upon using it. It's another tool in shed that is growing more crowded with new and better tools.

If I was playing piano, maybe I would see it differently.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Sheet music was written for musical instruments.
I always assumed that the steel guitar was a musical instrument, but I could be wrong. Whoa!

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

My Dad, bless him, never thought that ANY guitar was an instrument!

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

If you've ever looked at an orchestral score for any major piece of music, I can't imagine a better system for a large ensemble to play that kind of complexity as any kind of cohesive unit. If you've ever read through simple "fake books", I bet you might find that
even melodies that you think you might know, might actually have subtle, cooler little melodic twists than what you were hearing in your head. TAB only works for learning individual parts on your axe, which I admit can be good for E9 steel, but it could never be used with a big group to define an arrangement. There's so much universal musical information to be found in sheet music, I'd hate to have to figure it all out on my own. I'd rather draw what I want from it, and spend my free time trying to work on stuff of my own.

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

The problem with standard notation is that it doesn't work as well for steel as it does for, say, piano. On a piano, each note is a key - you see the note on the page, you hit the key. You could even say that standard notation is piano tablature! But on the steel, that note could be played in a variety of positions. I do think standard notation conveys a wealth of information, and there are devices for expression, dynamics, tempo etc. that are very helpful, but I feel that for steel it almost always needs to be augmented with tab so that you can see the positions visually.

I read music, mostly because I played several other instruments before arriving at steel - but I can see how a new steel player who has never played anything else would be totally confused by it.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

The old lute guys had it right!

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

James I have found, that while for most applications I don't need to read notation - during the 80's I did a lot of television work and it was pretty much essential. I used to write my own parts out because otherwise I would never remember what was coming up -- we used to do maybe 25 to 28 songs per programme, and with a very short turn-around, have to be ready to go the next day with the next programme. I found writing out my steel parts in notation was the only way to stop my brain from exploding Laughing

!!! I used to double on Dobro and guitar occasionally as well so there was no bluffing your way through it.
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David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Delvin Morgan · From: Lindstrom, Minnesota, USA

When I was taking lessons on the pedal steel. my teacher hated tab Oh Well

, and he only taught notation method. He would have me learn where every note (such as middle C) on the guitar was, then what chords that note (melody note) could make up. Now I can take any sheet music and within an hour or so play it, then work out a rhythem part and lead guitar part,whatever. My grandfather played the fiddle, and he had some old song books which I have now. One of them is songs of the late great Bradley Kincade. I play them once in a while, with out the knowledge to read notation, the old books would be worthless, as is they are a treasure trove.

By the way, Thanks Bob! Very Happy

Shane Glover · From: Oklahoma, USA

Hi James,

I agree with you, standard notation is a bit cumbersome for pedal steel guitar. And I am wondering how you learned to play 6 string guitar if not through some kind of notation. Just curious . I think this is an interesting thread . I am inclined to agree with Rick. Standard notation is usually meant for large ensembles to play complex arrangments.

Most school children learn to play in the 4th or 5th grade. And I was trying to think how you would teach a grade schooler to play trumpet, for example. I use this because I play trumpet and it only has 3 keys, Without standard notation. To play the 1st note of a C scale on trumpet you use no keys second note (D) 1st & 3rd keys, 3rd note of the scale E 1st & 2nd keys. Without some visual affirmation of these 3 notes I can not imagine a child being able to learn this simple scale. I can not visualize any kind of tab for trumpet or any single note instrument that would not be cumbersome and confusing.
Some instruments have a lot of keys. So IMHO you are teaching the child to speak through the instrument musically ,by using standard notation.

Most Clasically trained musicians should understand scales and keys . Because the key signature will tell them what notes to play in the scale. .As far as the scale relationship to chords goes . Musicians that can only play single notes usually do not think in terms of chords. Because they can't play one without two other people supplying the other notes in the triad.

I would be curious to know how you would learn an original composition that has never been recorded. If some one supplied you the tab for it you would still not know any rythmic patterns or the duration of any of the notes.

I also agree with you on improvisation. It seems a lot of people that read music are not very good at it. But in my experience the classically trained musicians that have this talent usually play Jazz. The ones that don't have this skill stick to classical music. Because they are not improv minded. People are all different and it comes easy to some not so easy to others.

I agree with Bryan standard notation coveys a weath of info. Without this info. it would be hard for two different ensembles to play the same music consistently. You might recognize the piece by one group and when another played it not at all.

I am new to the PSG but have played music all my life. Standard notation has been around a long time. I am not sure how long PSG has been around.I would think if someone comes up with something better and easier in the future, there will be a major shift in music and whatever it is will be adopted.

All this is just my view point. I am not mad, upset or offended. And my opinions are not meant to offend anyone. Just an interesting way to think of things & thought I would chime in.

Shane

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Has there ever been a schooled Arranger of Music who could listen to a Steel Guitar record that was improvised by the player and then transcribe it on sheet music so the next player could play the same thing. How would this arranger know what pedals are in play, what they do, and when to use them ? Could he detect the tunings ?

Once Noel Boggs gave me a gig with a pop type group he couldn't make. I asked about reading music and he said, I always tell them I can read. then I look at the chord symbols and play what I want and nobody knows the difference. This works unless it is a brand new song and you have to start it out without ever hearing it.

Just some rambling's from an Old Geezer !

Chris Erbacher · From: Sausalito, California, USA

i just finished doing the steel parts for a play in which i was the only one who couldn't read music and play it at the same time...but i could do a lot better by the end of the run and i now dig having it on paper...i used to run away from it, now it makes things easier when learning specific parts because my ear is better from learning how to pick parts up without the sheet music, and i am finding that i'm understanding how totally killer the pedal steel is and the underlying framework and logic to it...makes improvisational jamming and solos a lot easier when not doing note for note stuff...and just think...there are so many songs out there with sheet music to them...i feel like the world is my oyster in a way...do i like the frustrating feeling of not getting it right away? hell no...but it is getting easier and that is only after about a month of doing it...i think a beginning musician on any instrument should do both improv stuff and note for note stuff so there is a good balance and they can float easily in both areas...and yeah...i can see how reading music would get a steel player a lot more gigs... Winking

i'm finding that as i go along in the world of music...doing the things that don't come easy is the fastest way to becoming a better player, and learning that all it comes down to a lot of times is focus, determination, repetition, and time... Cool

Delvin Morgan · From: Lindstrom, Minnesota, USA

Billy, it wouldn't matter which pedals or levers were in use. The notes would be the same no matter where you play them, just the timbre will change.

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

I was told that "sheet music" was for "sheeting" by.

Barry Hyman · From: upstate New York, USA

James, I couldn't agree with you more. What is important for a beginner is learning how to PLAY music. Learning to read music can wait, and is usually destructive to creativity when taught first. Notation is only useful if you want to play something exactly the same way someone else played it or wrote it. That's okay, but it is not as exciting or interesting or creative as making your own music. David Mason's unnecessarily sarcastic comments show the old elitist attitude that only people who can read are real musicians. Wrong! I too have met many classically-trained players, including one who is world-famous, who cannot play without music in front of them, and who can neither improvise nor understand music theory. All they have been taught is how to follow instructions. That is not for me! Just give me the chord chart or let me hear the changes, and no instructions at all -- no notation, no tab -- nothing -- and I'll create a part that will make 999 out of 1000 people happy. Beethoven may have been able to do it better, but I don't care -- the joy of creativity and improvisation is the real joy of music, and notation and tab are merely secondary tools that sometimes help in some situations. Personally, I don't want to play what someone else has played before -- that doesn't interest me one bit. I'd rather do it my own way, even if it's not as good. I've been improvising since I started teaching myself guitar in 1964, and when I started playing PSG in 1972, I read through Winnie Winston's book, tried some of the tab, and then just started improvising some more and never looked back...

Brian Daste is right that tab helps a steel player decode notation because there are so many ways to play the same written note on pedal steel. (But normally tab contains no rhythmic information, so in other ways it is inferior to notation.) I agree, it is useful for PSG players to have both if they want to duplicate something note for note. But my question is, why would you want to do that? If I want to hear Beethoven or Buddy Emmons, I listen to the record. When I play music, I want to hear melodies and harmonies that have never existed before!
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James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 6:39 pm

James Mayer · Posted 12 Aug 2009 6:41 pm

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I learned to read music before I learned to play an instrument. I've never been very good at it, but it has served me well when it comes to learning songs from the Lutheran Hymnal, the Real Book or classical pieces. I can't imagine trying to play J.S. Bach or Erik Satie totally by ear.

I'm not much of a singer, but I had the pleasure a few months ago of hearing my sister, an alto, and a tenor in front of us in church singing perfect, unrehearsed harmonies by simply reading the hymnal. I know for a fact that she didn't know the songs, but she sings like an angel and he did too. Without written music, moments like that would be impossible.

That said, in 35 years of playing pedal steel I have yet to have someone hand me a sheet of music and ask me to play it, either at a rehearsal or on stage. It's not expected of country rock musicians. If you don't aspire to read for your own enjoyment, there's no real reason to learn the skill.
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