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Hello. I wonder how many people here are musicians?

By that, I mean they know how to read music, understand music theory, and love music.

I play both jazz, having played in a big jazz band for 13 years, and classical music as well.

It would be a special interest to connect with other dedicated musicians.

"To play a wrong note is insignificant, to play without feeling, is unforgivable"..

Bob4Health 5 May 20
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I'm a musician too. I've been playing since I was a kid, cello, spanish guitar, classical guiter even metal because it's a lot of fun. I can read music, but I almost never do. At an early age i realized that I had a good knack for playing by ear and it stuck with me over the years. I have a bunch of stuff on youtube, and I'll be posting some here and there if you are interested.

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Professional here.

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Hmmm...I read music and have a basic grasp on music theory and I love, love, love music right down to classical and opera, klezmer, throat singing on and on! I don't know if that makes me a musician, though. My son has a great ear for music. My talents run more through art and writing. Nice post!

thanks you. music and the arts are so important.

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I'm a complete hack, can't read music, have to transcribe it in to abc etc, but I love it, played guitar in several bands, sing and can make a noise with a few other instruments.
I'm not dedicated, just enthusiastic.

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You seem strung up on this one

yes a strung up my guitars and basses? Oh, you meant because I'm interested in meeting people that have an understanding and love of music. as someone that has spent my entire life living and loving music, for much of my life used it to earn my living?

It takes a lot of work, more work, practice, and love.

@Bob4Health It was a pun

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Can't read music,didn't know it had a theory,but i played sidedrum in a pipe band & drums now a blues band.

Coldo Level 8 May 21, 2018
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I read music, but don't ever do so — not since childhood, really. I much prefer to play from ear.

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Well, if the ability to read music and understand theory is a prerequisite for being a musician...

Interesting thing: just about any classical musician or vocalist I've ever met gets seriously stressed if you ask them to go without the music. It's weird — like someone getting anxious because you've taken away a picture book and asked them to tell the story of Cinderella from memory.

@DaveMania Yup. That's because it's always about sight-reading, understanding the new musical language on the paper, and rehearsing the sight-reading without looking at the instrument.

Well I've been reading music and playing without music all my life. reading music is a great way to communicate musical ideas, just like literature is a way to communicate ideas.

there is no way stravinsky writes the rite of spring for an orchestra, my favorite piece if he can't write for an entire orchestra, hear this unique, world changing symphony in his head.

and, yet, I'm a jazz musician, and am quite comfortable with or without music, as are most serious jazz musicians? do you think Louis armstrong, bird, duke ellington, or the like couldn't read music? the best musicians in the world and history knew how to read and write music.

that's how we learn and communicate.

people who can only read music, and not understand it, are simply reading dots on a page, and that's not about feeling or ideas.

I can not think of a musician that changed the world that could not read music.Pop stars that got famous for words do not count.

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@DaveMania People unable to function without music are not really musician. A musician should be well rounded, able to read the language of music, understand it, and make music without looking at the music. No musician should have the need to look at their hands.

I for example, play jazz, classical, Latino, read shows, and if I have to, rock or pop. I love to learn from great composers when I play classical, and I can sit down at a piano and just make stuff up.

Most musicians can. If you knew someone that just could read music, they certainly were using music as a crutch and not complete musicians.

Do you think for example, Duke Ellington could not read music, or play without music?

How about Yo-Yo M> He reads music, but loves to play original improvisation music with Edgar Myers and Mark Oconners or others.

The only really great living musician I know that can't read music would be Stevie Wonder, and he gets a pass, but he learned from all the great musicians, that all understood how to read music, and a solid basis in music theory.,

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Read music, know a bit of theory. Play a few instruments and sing a little. Have some orchestra experience, some bluegrass jam experience, some sight-singing experience, led hymns at a church, write poems--hope to one day write songs.

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I mostly qualify, but I just dabble when I need to vent. I'm always listening to various types of music, but I don't play much and quit writing a long time ago.

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Some of the worst musicians l have played with could read and knew theory. Some of the best couldn't read a lick. I've played behind Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, and Johnny Gimble in front of 50,000 people. The ability to read has nothing to do with dedication. While it is necessary for the music you play, it is not necessary for all genres of music. ☺

You played with Leon Russell? Holy shit! That guy is one of the most underrated artists ever in my opinion. I'm an amateur songwriter, but he's one of my influences.

@Piece2YourPuzzle I was lucky. We had just come off a tour with Willie and we were on the bill for Willie's Picnic. I was backstage When Willie can me out to play by himself. Poodle. Willie's stage Mgr, saw me and our bass player and waved at us to play and Leon and Johnny joined us. It was great, a little scary, but pretty cool.

I'm sorry, I'm glad you enjoy Willie Nelson, but understand, he may be an entertainer. You may well enjoy his social stances. I like his advocacy for cannabis. But musically, really, he plays diatonic chords of a key. They did that in the 1400s and before the Greeks.

Let's just say, he's not a musician in the sense of a Miles Davis, Jacos Pastorius, or a Yo Yo Ma.or an accomplished, knowledgeable musician. He writes cute lyrics. Who cares how many people watch him? Since TV came out the musical abilities of the American Public have degraded as have pop music.

Popular Music used to feather great musicians, people like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, than TV came out and people went brain dead. That was followed with three chord rock and roll, some simple folk music, and the death of classical music as a whole.

I have played in some of the finest concert halls in the world, with some great musicians. I assure you, no real musician would consider Willie Nelson anything but a pop star.

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Never took a lesson.
Play drums, bass, bit of guitar, keys, harmonica, sing, write, record..
Decades in bands and theater.

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Once a folksinger, I played several instruments (note the past tense). Dad was a successful songwriter and I worked with him and learned from him. Composed music and wrote lyrics. Still do as more of an occasional hobby. Sight read of course, but the voice has wandered away and gotten lost. The fingers no longer work and the wind is somewhere off in the willows.

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Here's a link to the group 🙂

Source:
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There is a musicians group....you should join 🙂

I didn't know that.

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I'm a singer (trained in musical theatre, classical, and opera), but I've tried to learn to sight read on four separate occasions and it has never stuck. I learn every song by ear.

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There's a musicians' group here at "Godless Musicians" Group -- come join us over there! And by the way, you don't have to understand music theory or read music to be welcome in the group. For my part, I play tuba, fiddle, and a tiny bit of guitar (been working on that last one), and yes I can read music and have a pretty good understanding of theory.

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Well if that’s your definition I might barely count lol. I can read music but it’s a long laborious process. I learn most of my instruments/songs by ear.

Ditto, with some theory. Don't believe it's a fair criteria of a "musician".

@nvrnuff yeah it helps to be classically trained in piano brass or winds if you wanna play classical n jazz but if folk roots and blues rock are your thing, playin by ear will get you close enough for jazz. Er skiffle. ***edit: until you try to play skynyrds piano parts. Classical training would help there too lol

@nvrnuff I am saying I'm interested in communicating with people that have actually studied music. It's like saying I'm a literature major, and I would like to communicate with people that have actually learning to write in a language, and read and understand great works in the field. That is the kind of people I would wish to meet.

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I just like to listen to music. I'm not talented in playing any instruments.

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I used to be able to read music for the piano.

I gave it up long ago. I couldn't pick it up again because it's so difficult.

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