So who reads on the stick? How much reading do you do and what kind of reading?

Do you play written basslines, written melodies? Do you read charts and play melodies while accompanying yourself? can anyone read a grand staff?????????

I've always do a lot of simple melodic diatonic reading (and tranposing) with my students sight reading a sax or clarinet part, but it's 6th grade level reading.

I still will practice my left hand bass reading, this is great for getting to know the 5ths and I feel that if you can't realize a simple written bass part on your instrument then you are not going to be taken very seriously by many players.

So what music do you guys read?

ps I stink at reading but I think it in some ways it's the most enjoyable musical skill, less thinking.


Brett

These days I read from the Real Book, melodies in the right hand and chords in the left. Can't read the grand staff and I don't walk lines in the left hand unless I am playing with a decent horn player.

I do some arranging for classical, which calls for more discipline in the left hand. These pieces require considerably more concentration and focus. Lastly, I read simple chord charts for songs that I hear that I like and want to learn to play. The arranging part comes last and usually requires the greatest effort.

I agree partially with what you are saying Brett. If you are not able to incorporate both hands into your playing, why not use a guitar or bass?

IMHO, much of it will depend on the role you play in your music. If you are the bassist in a band, and you play Stick on a few tunes, you have GOT to get that right.

I played piano as a kid up to college and I read the grand staff. When I transcribe and arrange a piece I write it all down so I can remember what I did. I am not a pro musician so this seems important to me. I'm also starting to read charts from things like the Real Book. I'm trying to get better at playing bass lines and this is helping me learn where all the notes are. I used to be able to sight read charts when I played guitar.

I can't see how I'd be able to play Stick without reading. I never liked tab charts and still don't. Reading the grand staff means I can arrange one measure at a time and still make progress.

-Eric

So no?

This is an area where I will simply never measure up.
I've been playing music on one instrument or another since about 1984 and I've always had to rely more on my ability to play by ear.
I am mildly dyslexic so this may be partly to blame, but even playing Sax in school I always just listened and played along.
Made for interesting judge comments on the field when playing with the marching band, lol!

Listen, music is sound. reading is just decoding symbols

The ears are it. However there are times when reading will come in handy, and it's not a can or cannot proposition. People read music in various degrees. I was just wondering how folks approached it on the stick

I was a really good reader on horn, much less so on piano, and even less so on guitar and Stick. I could sight read a bass line if I had to but it's not something I do often. If I get hold of a piece of StaffTab, I tend to use both the notation and tab. Same with guitar.

There are, of course, two aspects to this right? One is general comprehension of written music and the second is applying that to a given instrument.

This is one of those areas that ends up being a point of contention for some players. Certainly there is no shame in not being able to read or notate. There are way too many musicians much better than I am who can't read so I would never make that claim. What always bothers me though is when I run across the occasional player who appears to take pride in not being able to read and that always puzzles me. They have no idea what a handy skill it can be.

I read grand staff and tab, having learned piano and then bass guitar. Reading tab is more sensible for me for stringed instruments, because it describes a functional location. In trying to read Greg's notation I tend to convert it in my mind to tab. Guitar chord notation makes no sense to me.

Considering these factors, I ended up taking a step backwards to understand where notes are on the Stick before jumping back in to reading notation.

I can't read a note and I'm too lazy to learn now. I do know some limited theory though.

cheers,
kev