sight read or play by ear?

[snaaber]

Horn Players

Are you sight reading or playing by ear during church services and rehearsals??  Are you getting guidance from your MOM on when to play, solo, what key etc?? 

[under13]

I guess it depends on what you are playing. If you are doing a Hezekiah Walker song, you probably wont find the horn parts written out, so you will have to learn them by ear, or get with the other horn players and figure out the parts. You can also get a little music notebook and write out the notation once you figure it out.

If you are doing hymns, then you can sight read from the hymnal as long as you know how to transpose it so that it matches your horn, and you know what key they are singing it in.

IMO, I think its way easier to just do things by ear when in the service...you cant really flow when you are stuck on charts and sheet music

[snaaber]

Thanks for the feedback.  I wanted to get a feel for what other horn players are doing.

[under13]

No problemo. Welcome to LGM

[organman88]

in my experience with working with horn players (with a classical background) none of them played by ear so i had to buy sheet music paper and actually right out the notes and arrange parts for them and it became a hassle because i was put into that positon by default and didnt want to do it its just easier to play by ear in church services because most are spontaneous!

[snaaber]

The problem I am experiencing is my MOM seems to let everyone who "thinks" they can play a sax join us in the pit. I am a very good player and needs no help. Right now we have 3 sax players; a 5th grader who has been playing for about a year (not playing in school), another player who taught himself to play while in jail, and me who is classically trained with many years of experience. I can improvise and play almost anything by ear. The other 2 players can't. My MOM doesn't teach woodwinds and I don't have the time. How do I convince my MOM that the other 2 sax player are not ready to play at this level? He hears the wrong notes they are playing?  He doesn't want to hurt anyones feelings.