1) Able to TEACH YOURSELF more EFFICIENTLY
All human beings can be self taught in muisc. However, there are players who may not have developed good hearing abilities. Thus, they may not be able to listen to a song and pick up the tune immediately. With READING skills + LISTENING skills, one is able to learn any piece of music much faster than before.
2) A WEALTH of INFORMATION to tap into
There is unlimited information and scores in the field of music in our times.
Many scores and musical instructions are written in standard Western musical notation. Possessing reading abilities will enable instrumentalist to tap into sources of other instruments that they do not specialise in.
3) Useful in PLAYING in BIG ENSEMBLES or ORCHESTRA
EX: A guitarist is required to play in a jazz ensemble of 30 members. That piece of music is 8 min long. Structure for him is 20 bars of rest, 8 bars of playing, 40 bars of rest and playing for the rest of the music. With a score and good memory, the players can take a glance at the score to see when he is needed to play again. It is difficult for the leader or conductor to communicate with all the players without a score or charts. That said, a small rock band of four looks and sound much better without scores on the stage. But, the musicians can prepare their music charts on their own before rehearsals and peformances.
4) Learning the repertoire of OTHER INSTRUMENTS WITHOUT TABS
Guitar pro has been a wonderful tool for tab readers. The only problem i experience is RHYTHM. If a guitarist can't read rhythmic notation, he will have to listen to the music to get the rhythm as well as the phrasing. If one can read the music, he will be able to grasp a basic feel of it even before listening. Coupled with listening and memorizing, he will be able to learn it at a faster pace and also perform with greater accuracies. (MOST CASES Except players with SUPERB HEARING and TALENT)
Concludsion: A FEEL for the Music is still what i value as most important followed by LISTENING SKILLS. READING is also VERY IMPORTANT
Those are my thoughts after learning to read music in my teens and also in regards to the issues i face as a music teacher.
All human beings can be self taught in muisc. However, there are players who may not have developed good hearing abilities. Thus, they may not be able to listen to a song and pick up the tune immediately. With READING skills + LISTENING skills, one is able to learn any piece of music much faster than before.
2) A WEALTH of INFORMATION to tap into
There is unlimited information and scores in the field of music in our times.
Many scores and musical instructions are written in standard Western musical notation. Possessing reading abilities will enable instrumentalist to tap into sources of other instruments that they do not specialise in.
3) Useful in PLAYING in BIG ENSEMBLES or ORCHESTRA
EX: A guitarist is required to play in a jazz ensemble of 30 members. That piece of music is 8 min long. Structure for him is 20 bars of rest, 8 bars of playing, 40 bars of rest and playing for the rest of the music. With a score and good memory, the players can take a glance at the score to see when he is needed to play again. It is difficult for the leader or conductor to communicate with all the players without a score or charts. That said, a small rock band of four looks and sound much better without scores on the stage. But, the musicians can prepare their music charts on their own before rehearsals and peformances.
4) Learning the repertoire of OTHER INSTRUMENTS WITHOUT TABS
Guitar pro has been a wonderful tool for tab readers. The only problem i experience is RHYTHM. If a guitarist can't read rhythmic notation, he will have to listen to the music to get the rhythm as well as the phrasing. If one can read the music, he will be able to grasp a basic feel of it even before listening. Coupled with listening and memorizing, he will be able to learn it at a faster pace and also perform with greater accuracies. (MOST CASES Except players with SUPERB HEARING and TALENT)
Concludsion: A FEEL for the Music is still what i value as most important followed by LISTENING SKILLS. READING is also VERY IMPORTANT
Those are my thoughts after learning to read music in my teens and also in regards to the issues i face as a music teacher.
