A question for the musicians of OT

Can you read sheet music? Do you play by ear? Or perhaps use tablature?

Personally, I learn most songs by either listening to them, or watching someone else play it. I'll sometimes cross-check what I have with tablature. And I can't read sheet music.

I'm learning sheet music for guitar, it's hard at first, but I'm getting familiar with it.

I play my euphonium in both bass and treble clef.

So yeah, i can.

Talbature or by ear. I know how to read sheet music, but I usually don't, unless the song has very odd time signatures

Well Ive been drumming for sometime now, and I have been playing guitar for some time as well (but Piano has only been 2 years) I can read music fluidly, i know music theory as well, but when it comes to learning a new song, I usually listen by ear to get the details, melodies...ect and then read the music by sheet not by tabs (tabs suck! :P)

Can you read sheet music? Do you play by ear? Or perhaps use tablature?

Personally, I learn most songs by either listening to them, or watching someone else play it. I'll sometimes cross-check what I have with tablature. And I can't read sheet music.

Dark_Knight6

You can't really call yourself a musician if you can't read sheet music... I can read little; it's very tricky, and I'm still really bad, but I'm way better than when I started studying music, and with lots of hard work one can only get better. :P

Well Ive been drumming for sometime now, and I have been playing guitar for some time as well (but Piano has only been 2 years) I can read music fluidly, i know music theory as well, but when it comes to learning a new song, I usually listen by ear to get the details, melodies...ect and then read the music by sheet not by tabs (tabs suck! :P)

mexicangordo

I want to drum so badly. Unfortunately, they're incredibly expensive to own and maintain. :cry: And my problem with tabs is that they're, more often than not, wrong. Still, learning how to read sheet music is far from a top priority, for me.

No, I don't learn other peoples songs. I just play random **** or write my own songs, lately nothing. I can read tabs easy though, just not sheet music.

I read sheet music for any of the instruments I play but I can also ear-play songs too.

I can do a little bit of all. But I am pretty good at reading music. I know both Clefs :)

You can't really call yourself a musician if you can't read sheet music...

black_cat19

Paul McCartney, one of the best bassists out there, disagrees with you. I don't believe John Lennon could read it, either.

Talbature or by ear. I know how to read sheet music, but I usually don't, unless the song has very odd time signatures

effena

Both...

I can do both well. Reading is more useful, though. It'd be... labor-intensive to learn a Brahms piano concerto by ear.

I play by ear mostly, although I can just about read sheet music to an acceptable level.

I can read music, but I rather play by ear, since I think it's the best way to learn Coltrane lines :P, plus it makes me a better improviser.

[QUOTE="mexicangordo"]

Well Ive been drumming for sometime now, and I have been playing guitar for some time as well (but Piano has only been 2 years) I can read music fluidly, i know music theory as well, but when it comes to learning a new song, I usually listen by ear to get the details, melodies...ect and then read the music by sheet not by tabs (tabs suck! :P)

Dark_Knight6

I want to drum so badly. Unfortunately, they're incredibly expensive to own and maintain. :cry: And my problem with tabs is that they're, more often than not, wrong. Still, learning how to read sheet music is far from a top priority, for me.

Tabs =/

But I use guitar pro so it has the BPM and all the music notes right above it..it also plays it for you so you can play along with it.

I got my first drum set for about 100 bucks (which is cheap) When people wanna start drumming, they get way to ambitious. They think drumming is easy but its really not. Start off with the basics; Tom's, base pedal, snare, cymbal's...ect Then work into the more advance stuff like Crash and double base...ect Tabs are wrong almost all the time. Tabs are just easy to read notes that tell you where your finger "should" go but it doesnt guide you on melody, how long, detailing, style, articulation...and so much more. You also pick up a lot of bad habits through tabs. Im not trying to hate on them but their just not formal at all.

mexicangordo

Hm, it seems fairly difficult to me, actually. :P I can hold a beat on a drum set but my technique is lacking, to say the least. And from what I've seen, even a simple set like the one you speak of is at least a couple hundred. And that's just the hardware. But maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

And I find myself using tabs less and less. I hate taking the time to get the notes, timing, and necessary technique down only for it to be wrong.

[QUOTE="mexicangordo"]

I got my first drum set for about 100 bucks (which is cheap) When people wanna start drumming, they get way to ambitious. They think drumming is easy but its really not. Start off with the basics; Tom's, base pedal, snare, cymbal's...ect Then work into the more advance stuff like Crash and double base...ect Tabs are wrong almost all the time. Tabs are just easy to read notes that tell you where your finger "should" go but it doesnt guide you on melody, how long, detailing, style, articulation...and so much more. You also pick up a lot of bad habits through tabs. Im not trying to hate on them but their just not formal at all.

Dark_Knight6

Hm, it seems fairly difficult to me, actually. :P I can hold a beat on a drum set but my technique is lacking, to say the least. And from what I've seen, even a simple set like the one you speak of is at least a couple hundred. And that's just the hardware. But maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

And I find myself using tabs less and less. I hate taking the time to get the notes, timing, and necessary technique down only for it to be wrong.

I wouldn't call myself a musician since I'm not in a band and I jam in my bedroom, but I figure out songs by ear. I only look up to see what key a song is in if I have touble figuring it out.

The cool thing about drumming is you actually learn more from free style than anything else. Just look up form or how to play correctly and take personal notes of posture and positioning and practice by yourself with freestyle. Another cool thing about drumming is that you learn very fast, its difficult but you fly by it in months. I highly recommend it to anyone. :P

mexicangordo

I guess what kind of scares me off is that I often find myself trying to emulate my favorite drummers. All of whom are far from beginners. :P

Actually, come to think of it. I think my sister has an old drum set somewhere in the basement. :o All I'd have to do is buy some new drum heads.

[QUOTE="mexicangordo"]

The cool thing about drumming is you actually learn more from free style than anything else. Just look up form or how to play correctly and take personal notes of posture and positioning and practice by yourself with freestyle. Another cool thing about drumming is that you learn very fast, its difficult but you fly by it in months. I highly recommend it to anyone. :P

Dark_Knight6

I guess what kind of scares me off is that I often find myself trying to emulate my favorite drummers. All of whom are far from beginners. :P

Actually, come to think of it. I think my sister has an old drum set somewhere in the basement. :o All I'd have to do is buy some new drum heads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4Ok35HEJQ&feature=related

Another pointer would be, mute off all sound and pay attention to only the drums. That helped me out a ton as well. :P

Its good that you try to emulate actually. It gives you exposure to what yoru trying to achieve and surpass. When i first started I wanted to drum like Jimmy Chamberlin (mind you considered to be one of the best drummers of this generation) I took notes on his style, posture...blah blah blah and now I drum very closely like him but I had my own flare to it and now its my own thing. To give you an idea of what i wanted to start off with, here it is (you dont have to listen to it just pay close to the drumming) What was I thinking....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4Ok35HEJQ&feature=related

Another pointer would be, mute off all sound and pay attention to only the drums. That helped me out a ton as well. :P

mexicangordo

Okay than, back to emulating. :P And Jimmy's one of the guys I try to emulate, actually. :P I've always been quite fond of his drumming. Along with him, I try to emulate Joey Castillo and Dave Grohl. Joey isn't the most skilled but he manages to create a very fast, incredibly hard-hitting sound. Which I just don't have the ability to sustain. And Dave Grohl is well, Dave Grohl. :P

And thanks for all the tips. :D

I play Guitar, and I figure out by either listening to the song, or watching Youtube videos of it.

I TRY to use Tabs a LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, to increase my hearing ability among music

[QUOTE="mexicangordo"]

Its good that you try to emulate actually. It gives you exposure to what yoru trying to achieve and surpass. When i first started I wanted to drum like Jimmy Chamberlin (mind you considered to be one of the best drummers of this generation) I took notes on his style, posture...blah blah blah and now I drum very closely like him but I had my own flare to it and now its my own thing. To give you an idea of what i wanted to start off with, here it is (you dont have to listen to it just pay close to the drumming) What was I thinking....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4Ok35HEJQ&feature=related

Another pointer would be, mute off all sound and pay attention to only the drums. That helped me out a ton as well. :P

Dark_Knight6

Okay than, back to emulating. :P And Jimmy's one of the guys I try to emulate, actually. :P I've always been quite fond of his drumming. Along with him, I try to emulate Joey Castillo and Dave Grohl. Joey isn't the most skilled but he manages to create a very fast, incredibly hard-hitting sound. Which I just don't have the ability to sustain. And Dave Grohl is well, Dave Grohl. :P

And thanks for all the tips. :D

I can't, but then again I'm not a musician, I just got lost on my way to the "Billy Mays did cocaine" thread...

Dave Grohl is actually good starting off. His work on Nirvana is very varied from beginners to much harder. but if you want something a bit more like how he drummed in QotSA then listen to Foo Fighters. And good luck learning, and i hope you have a blast. :P

mexicangordo

Ah, okay. I can't see me playing much Nirvana (I honestly can't stand them) but I love the Foos. And I guess while I'm at it, I'll watch some footage of Taylor Hawkins drumming. And thanks again. :D

I can read music on the saxophone, and I'm currently trying to learn on the guitar. I don't know, I prefer to be able to read the music off a sheet than just knowing the keys and playing based off of sound.

Can you read sheet music? Do you play by ear? Or perhaps use tablature?

Personally, I learn most songs by either listening to them, or watching someone else play it. I'll sometimes cross-check what I have with tablature. And I can't read sheet music.

Dark_Knight6

I can read music reasonably well. Im just not very quick, like, I look at a couple measures at a timeand digest it first, "okay, so I need to do this..." (in terms of piano study)

I sight sing pieces okay, (sight singing would be singing a melody line without accompaniment, pretty difficult actually).

I figure out all pop songs/modern songs just by listening to them, if you have ear training, its easy to pick out harmonies and melodies, what key things are in, ect.

I do both ear and sheet reading. I have some skill in both. I mainly study music theory in terms of keys, scales, chords/tensions, harmonies/melodies. My reading ability is passable.

My primary instrument is voice, second is piano, I'll be studying music in college definately. Studying composition and voice as my instrument

I can read sheet music, pretty mandatory when playing the piano, one thing though, I have no idea how to read piano tabs. :Pluisen123

Kinda depends on what instrument I'm playing

If I'm playing guitar then I prefer to play by ear and tabs to a much lesser extent. :P

If I'm playing anything else I always prefer Sheet Music.