How important is it that we learn to read music

[key-wiz]

Just want to know if some one could tell me how important it is if I or should I learn To read music

[raypam]

I play by ear and by note.  It's just want do you want to accomplish. I played in a pentecostal church for a while, and readnig doesn't help much.  You have to do it all by ear.  But in lots of other churches you can make due with either one or both.  For me reading has helped open me with playing by ear cause I "ACTIVLY" read a sheet of music.  What I mean by that is I can see a new progression in a piece of music and try to use it another song.  Like this past week I was suppose to play silent night so what I did was arranged it off of alabaster box chord progressions and put the melody on top.  It just opens you up to another level.

[ChicagoFlava]

reading is VERY important if you are trying to grow and perfect your craft to be the best you can be! I ask all musicians this question when they ask me this. How far would you make it in basketball if i put you on a court with no basketball knowledge other than what you watched other people do? well you might turn out ok, but you wouldnt be  a coaches choice to play very often and why?? Because you wouldnt know plays, defensive sytems, offensive systems you would be blind to a whole punch of other knowledge needed to to be an affective player. same goes for music  it is not just important to know what you played, but it ismore important to know WHY you played what you played. Why that chord should go there, why that run fits that scale. THats why most musicians hear jazz and they freak out, because to play jazz its 80% knowledge you have to know why and when to play certain things. Gospel is one big repetative pattern we play the same chords, runs passes in everything! you ever notice that no matter what city you hear a different musician in, we all at somepoint play most of the same chords?? because 90% of gospel musicians play by ear, they play what they heard other people play. If you want to really advance the truth is you need both. I started playing by ear of course then i took formal piano lessons, then i started studying jazz in college, and most of the gigs i get outside of church, requires that you at least be able to read charts, its only so far your ear will take you but knowing music will help you alot further. Wouldnt it be easier , while trying to learn a difficult song by ear, with your ear glued to the radio or Cd trying to hear the chords and passes, wouldnt it be easier to just pick up the sheet chart and just  learn it that way, i promise it will save you a bunch of time and headache, although your ear is very important you need to understand music to grow PERIOD!! good luck and you playing and may God grant you increase

[musmin7]

key-wiz,
 Be all you can be for Christ. Learn all you can learn for Christ. The more you learn and understand the more effective you can and will be in ministry.

there are many great organist and piano players out today and there always will be, but there is a huge diff between a musician and a player of an instrument as stated before the musician knows not only how to do but why he/she does what they do. You want to not be caught with you gaurd down always be ready to serve God in the fullest of the anointing that he has avilible to you. Remember study to show thy self approved in all things pertaining to God, if you use music that's included.
There was an organist at a church I once played for and I thought he was great and he was an exceptional player. But one sunday morn God had given me a song to lead worship with I scored the music very simply and even put the chord changes on top of the notation, when I gave it to the man his eye poped out and he looked like what do you want me to do with this? Well his process was ok you start it and I'll "pick you up", in an effort not to futher imbarass him I said ok and begain to sing the song HE DIDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE MUSIC THAT I HAD WRITTEN. I slowly made my way to the piano and continued to lead and began to play and the song was a blessing to the worship service.

So I say be ready for God to use you even if they don't use written music in your church now maby God wants to use you to start.
Shirley Berkley of washington DC one fo the teachers for GMWA did a work shop and told us that if we don't use written music we not only limit ourselves but we also limit the people we teach. don't let that happen learn all you can so you can teach all that God allows

Be Blessed

[4hisglory]

I personally think it boils down to the goals you set for yourself.  If you are just looking to play for your personal enjoyment, or a hobby, you may not want to learn to read music, but if you are looking to be a professional, you probably need to learn to read.

Buuuuuuttttttt.......

In your Cas Key-Wiz, I know that you've been on tour with the biggest name in gospel so if I was you, I would probably not worry about it.

[Jniles_NCF]

i personally think learnign to read music is important. i don't knwo how to sight read  but if i spend time with it i can pick it out. and chicago flabor is right, it is much easier to just pick up the music and learn it that way. i'm starting to learn chords now and so a lot of sheet music will have the chords on there and it makes learnign the songs so much easier and it's less time consuming and it gis me the liberty to play around with the music they have and add my twist and flavor to it. i mean those hymn books, the music in there is sick, nothing i could ever just make up, at least not yet, and so i want to learn how to read the staff and all that stuff , but chords are good for now, after a while your hearing goes ,and if you play next to a loud drummer or right by the organ it will go even faster at least you can wear glasses when your eyes go bad, you'll still be able to read the notes even if you have to magnify it by 10 times

[jlewis]

Ok,  I'll ask if no one else will.

Key-Wiz   who are you touring with?   And since you are touring, you are probably encountering very prominent musicians ( as you may be yourself).   So my question would be, How many of the musicians that you encounter read music and do they themselves feel like it is important.


I know a a few really good musicians.  I would say that about  50% read music.   The ones who read, also compose as well.


jlewis

[BBoy]

Yes, learn to read music if at all possible.

Let's put it this way. Suppose someone says to you, "I can't read, but I can repeat anything I hear other people say. And i am quite good at conversation, so why should I learn to read?"

 You would of course say, "But you have limited yourself. Learn to read, and you can learn anything you want by reading a book on any subject!"

Same with music. Learn to read music, and you can learn from Bach, Mozart, Donald Lawrence, Beverly Crawford, Tramaine Hawkins, etc.

Just my two cents . . .

Be Blessed!

[Bronzee]

Just want to know if some one could tell me how important it is if I or should I learn To read music

Key, I think its important to learn to read as I do. I started off playing by ear. I 'm a perfectionist.  I couldnt play every chord I heard, after I started playing for 2 choirs backup. I learn, I am hearing chords and can't play them. With reading sheet music its a time for everything..like the runs and riffs,,slurs,,breive, I think you should learn because if u didnt know a song from hearing it by ear,,u certainly would be able to read it if someone gave u the sheets..u would get the job,,because you would kow how to read and u have a good ear. I would love to understand theory better and play by ear,,i want it all in the music area. I just play for a hobbie now..anyway iam so eager to learn. In cocic .i dont see the musicians reading sheets much..they either mermorize it or play it by ear,,but the only way to be perfect is read , then play the sheet music.  I add and improvsiving in alot of my reading sheet music to give it that little extra sound..sometimes i play the chord and add 9th etc,,and sometimes i split the chords up and just do runs..so, actually when u have played a song for years over and over again,,from reading i end up just playing it..so somewhere the song has to be stored in the back of the brain. I can't figure out why some of the students here ask for the chords to songs all the time, if they play by ear..to me,..a person isnt playing by ear..they are playing what the other student infromation on how the song is played..that is why i think its important to read music. I am lost without it..and i don't like it either.

[gtrideout]

But just keep in mind that the future of gospel music is starting to value reading skills alot more than it used to. Reading is essential because its driving the future of the industry

[DivineIvy08]

Just want to know if some one could tell me how important it is if I or should I learn To read music

Mr. Abracabra, I think if you have the time to learn to read, do it.  You can do even MORE magic with it :wink:.  Not only that, I think it will be an eye opening experience for you and take you deeper into the music world.

I'm the opposite of you - I read and have to develop my ear.  Guys like you have the advantage for sure, because playing for a church relies heavily on being able to play by ear.  I'm what they call a "slave to the page."  So you have to grow towards my end of the spectrum and I have to grow towards your end in order to become more well rounded musicians.  

Congratulations on thinkin' about it, I encourage you to do it...I think you'll learn lots of interesting and pleasantly surprising lessons along the way!!

[sjonathan02]

Just want to know if some one could tell me how important it is if I or should I learn To read music

Can't ya'll see Key, readin' some sheet music, talkin' bout, "man, I've been doin' already"  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

But, at the same time, can't ya'll see Key sayin, "so THAT'S what that chord is called?! :?:  :!:  Cool"

Do it, bro and watch God take you to even higher heights.

Jonathan

[uriahsmusic]

..THERE ARE MANY AREAS IN PROFESSIONAL MUSIC WHERE CREATIVITY IS NOT AT PLAY AND THE MUSIC IS ALREADY WRITTEN.  
..THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN PERFORM IN THESE ARENAS IS TO READ.
MOSTLY PLAYS...MANY MOVIES....ORCHECTRAL GIGS ON AND ON.

THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OF MUSIC THAT INVOLVE READING.
SOME OF IT IS VERY CHALLENGING!

[sacred-composer]

I want to say that I have studied music in college, theory, history, composition etc. I have found that it has broadened my horizons concerning music in general. It is amazing how much historical church music is studied in college, Bach, Mozart etc. But recently I began looking on line at our own musicans and composers of Africian descent that studied music some were contemporaries of Mozart and even before.
 Some of you may have heard Richard Smallwood's album where there was a medley of his songs performed by an orchestra and it was awesome. I would love to see more of our gospel musicans and songwriters doing that but when you start working with large groups of musicians such as an orchestra the parts have to be written out. Yes with the modern convenience of sequencing and midi you can have a computer print out your score but how do you know that the parts are accurate to what you want to happen in the music? The computer may put a b natural in a part where you wanted a b flat. How would you know? So being able to read as forementioned by so many others is so important.

On a personal note I started out in classical music, got saved in COGIC and had to learn to play by ear. I was 17. I'm still learning. I dropped my classical piano skills along the way which I regret to this day many years later. Though now that I work at a piano and organ store in DC metro area I've been around some sales people and teachers that have great classical as well as jazz and gospel skills. With some of the build in software in the Rolands (but Kawai and some other manufacturers and 3rd party software companies have them as well) I have been getting back into my Hanon excercises. Those who know about Hanon will agree with me on this if you complete all of his exercises and practice them faithfully and in every key there will be nothing that you can't play.
But there are so many other technical excercises that will help your playing no matter what style you play. So you all out there seriousily think about learning how to read music.

[RWILLIAMS3000]

Question for sacred composer im in college and tryna take some classes to enhance or better help me to understand the keyboard/ piano what classes would you recomend me take on the college level? keeping in mind that im still kind of like a beginner!!!

[sacred-composer]

rwilliams3000 I would recommend some music theory to get your foundation in the rudiments of music, notation, scales, chord structure, etc. Also musicianship classes will help with your sightreading, rhythm, playing etc. Private lessons will really get you disciplined. When we play at home or by ourselves we might think we may have mastered something musically but having a trained eye and ear to see and hear what we are actually doing they can correct us better than if we try to correct ourselves. Unfornately too many of our gospel musicans out there think that they have arrived and don't need any training, critiquing of their playing ablities, etc. So they wouldn't even bother with a site like this to dialogue with other musicians. But if you can humble yourself and admit that there are fellow musicians and instructions that can help draw out, develop and nuture the God given ablity that lies dormant, immature, underutilized and/or undeveloped within you and me. It is then we can truly rise and shine to God's glory and praise as musicians.