Re: Becoming good without full time college?

Those books are usually "EZ play" books (they may or may not state that) in
which the chords, keys and rhythms are vastly simplified for
beginner/intermediate pianists. Or they are a condensed version of the
piano/guitar/vocals/whatever for grand staff piano. Again, a lot of the
material is simplified to fit.

As far as guitar books go, it's "consider the source". The big companies
(Hal Leonard, Cherry Lane, etc.) do some pretty extensive double checking.
OTOH, some smaller companies will publish whatever TAB their contractors
send them will minimal proofreading. It's pretty easy to tell which is which
through a quick scan of the pages.

That's still a lot different than some 14 year old kid posting his TAB
"transcription" of a Greenday tune in which half the notes are just plain
wrong.

--
Lessons, music and more at www.jmsjazz.com

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid,
but most stupid people are conservatives."
- John Stuart Mill








"Kraig Olmstead" <kraigo_Do_Not_Spam_Me@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:444afd9d$0$726$804603d3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'll respond to myself, I'm not proud:

Here's the other side of reading: How many of you know people who can
sight read, but if they're handed a chord chart can't do a thing with
it? I've met alot of people like that. Some of them are college
graduates with music degrees. You ask them to play 12 bar blues in A
and they can't do it.

Reading can be a hinderance as much as a help. I don't advocate NOT
reading, but I spend alot of time in the youth band getting the kids
over not having notation in front of them. With some it's like a bad
habit they have a hard time shaking.

FWIW, I bought a Credence Clearwater Revival book for my brother to
learn guitar on. Some of the tunes are in the wrong key (e.g. Down on
the Corner). Ever paged through the Beatles books and looked at the
guitar chords? Total rubbish. How is notation from a "reliable source"
so much better than the tab from the net again?

Asbestos undies on!

KO

Kraig Olmstead wrote:
John Shaughnessy wrote:

And how do they know how to read a lead sheet? you don't learn that on
the
streetcorner...

The kids I'm coaching are doing it and they aren't in college yet (8th
and 9th graders). I'm not opposed to writing stuff down. I think that
anyone who is determined to make a living playing music is a fool if
they don't learn how to read notation. I also think that notation makes
alot of information that wouldn't otherwise be available to you,
available.

At the same time, I think that tab has some merit (don't expect to see
it on a pro gig). And I think that notation is not a prerequisit to
learning music theory. Theory and notation different things and you can
learn one without knowing the other. Reading lead sheets falls more
into the knowing theory category than the reading category, except for
the lead player.

It's gratifying to see students that were mortified at playing if there
weren't notes written down getting comfortable with seeing chords
written over the lyrics.

Alot of the jazz greats (boppers like Bird and Coltrane) didn't go to
college. They learned their stuff on the job and after hours "cutting
sessions". They may or may not have been able to read notation, but
they sure knew enough theory to make a go of it (as well as having
developed great ears).

KO


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Becoming good without full time college?
    ... Bird knew how to read. ... they don't learn how to read notation. ... Reading lead sheets falls more ... weren't notes written down getting comfortable with seeing chords ...
    (alt.guitar.bass)
  • Re: Virtual pitch
    ... problem ensues when doing more complex chords, and one wants to be able to ... an often highly improvisatory style of music. ... The keyboard player may play a C6, ... that kind of notation is a "framework for improvisation". ...
    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: Idiosyncratic (or idiotic?) notation for lim inf, etc.
    ... and they're easy to find in lots of books. ... seem to be a single set of "standard proofs". ... >>an even worse idea to use in public the notation that I have ... For any particular reason? ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Chord connection
    ... Being a professional composer ... Well real music is made up out of chords, rhythms, melodies, and so ... the abstract bits of music - the bits all the books try to teach you. ... chords and then stop - they're merely there to hang your melody on). ...
    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: Fake book
    ... A book from which you can "fake it", containing, as was stated, just ... Fake books are popular amongst all musicians, ... play the chords to a tune, ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)