Reading Music vs. Playing By Ear

Post Reply New Topic

I started playing music a little over three years ago. I can sightread somewhat, but when I'm sightreading I have just a few note problems. In bass clef I will confuse D with F, occasionally, and in treble G with B or A with C. Unless they're really complicated, rhythms aren't a problem. Note issues are usually only first time looking through, and only if the paper's more than a certain distance away. It's gotten better over time, though when I started playing I assumed it would go away completely at some point.

I'm conflicted, because usually I can tink out melodies by ear, but, I've been essentially reading music since age 6 when my grandma taught me. I am so much quicker at reading treble clef than bass clef any day though (considering I use it more often). I've gotten better at sightreading than I used to be (I used to use memory as a crutch more often), but there's always a million ways to go get better at it it seems. One thing that I absolutely cannot stand is guitar tab. I wrestled with that when I tried to learn guitar and even reading music came easier to me than tab ever did.

I played the Alto Saxophone in Jr. High, and High School, can't read music if someone put a loaded gun to my head, but if I heard the recorded piece, I would pick it up in no more than three "listens"... My Dad asked me if I could play "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck, I listened to his record one or two times, and I played it, maybe not EXACTLY, but my Dad was impressed. I finally confessed to my HS band director, he said he knew, and just wondered how the heck I did it. I wish I could read music, but I just can't. I have figured out how to play some songs on the piano, as long as I know where the keys are, or the chords are on a guitar, I can play a song (with some practice of course). I can usually figure a song out, but again, I have to know where the keys are, or the Chords/Tabs on a guitar, again, Tablature is not reading music though.

I can play by ear though not instantly, I still have to get my bearings initially.

I can't read music at all, even though I've had lessons in guitar and piano when young. My piano teacher even said it's great that you have a good ear but you must learn to read the music, and she said my heavy reliance on my good ear was hindering my learning to read the music.

When learning a new piece she would play it through first, for me to hear it, then I would take home the sheet music and learn the piece, but instead of learning by looking at the notes, I just reproduced what I'd heard, with only minimal reminders from some of the sheet music.

I'm hugely envious of people who can read music fluently, I think that's a way more enviable skill than playing by ear.

I have never, ever been able to master reading music and I'm not happy about that, but it's never going to happen, my brain can't seem to do it.

I've always been an auditive learner when it comes to music. But then again, I've only practiced reading music so often. With my music studies having begun last month, though, I've gotten a bit more practice in that department, and I've picked it up fairly quickly.

And I cannot understand how to apply the knowledge I know of musical notes and me playing by here you are not the only one in fact I have perfect pitch I've been playing since I was a very very little girl I never understood notes like reading sheet note it's taking me a very long time to put these two things together as far as the notes with the keys I have a generalization of understanding each different cord and the harmony but still I struggle kind of like someone else said it's hard to put the note with the ear and apply them because it's like overloading your brain even though you kind of feel like it's effortless when you just play by ear I hope this makes sense to somebody lol if I communication skills definitely suck especially explanations