Sarah81 wrote:
I think it would be quicker to learn the notes of the stave than to find piano tabs online all the time. Also there are other elements of the music that you need to take into consideration other than just the notes. 5 year olds can read music, so unless you have a specific reading/visual processing disorder then there is no excuse. Put your mind to it, get a music theory book, and practice!
'Cleaning windows' starts DDED GG_G EEF#E A___ DEF#A but that's all the internet will show me.
There are four notes in a bar, the _ means hold the note, and the # means sharp (the black note above the note i.e. F sharp)
Reading music isn't everything, though. I look at music, even written music, as a form of communication. My 4yo is learning to read music and he's pretty good for where he is. But he's still not good at spelling and reading even though he has a good vocabulary. The thing is, kids learn to speak before learning their alphabet, phonics, and ultimately spelling and reading comprehension. So why on earth would you expect someone to pick up a complex instrument like piano simply by written methods and music theory? I know some extremely talented piano players who can't read a note of music.
I have two university degrees in music, btw, and I didn't always feel that way. What changed was I start playing in a rock band, and I thought I'd at least get lead sheets or something. But I didn't even get that, just a guitarist yelling at me what chords to play. And that was just the first time we went through a song. Eventually I just memorized so many chord progressions that I didn't even have to hear the song first anymore. Though I didn't think much of it at the time, my aural skills courses ended up being among the most important.
That said, I do think if you have to depend on having something written down, you do better learning standard notation. I developed an ability early on to recognize intervals and long melodic patterns. I specifically asked a piano teacher to teach me music theory when I was in middle school. I learned to recognize chords instantly on sight and improvise. So when I read piano music now, there is a mental process I go through that involves only a few short steps. 1. What key am I in, and what are the primary chords in that key? 2. What is the root of the chord? 3. What voicing (inversion) is it? 4. Does the melodic line follow a familiar pattern (scales, arps)? 5. What intervals (if unfamiliar) do you have in the melody? 6. What rhythmic figures are prevalent in the melody and accompaniment? 7. Where do the different voices stack vertically (especially important if you're playing Bach inventions and fugues)?
17 Mar 2012, 4:42 pm
