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| Author | Topic: Reading Music |
Stephan
Registered User
Registered:
11/28/2004 | posted: 11/28/2004 at 10:02:48 PM ET
Gosh, I hope I don't sound like an idiot, asking this:
I just started trying to teach myself music. I am a percussionist who does everything by ear, but need/want to learn everything I can about music so I can join up with a symphony or something, just to better myself musically.
Can anyone tell me how long it takes -usually- to feel comfortable with reading along with a piece of music and so forth? If I play chimes in a piece,I want to know exactly where I stand, but am afraid I am going to slow.
Can anyone tell me what the usual amount of time it takes to learn the basics?
Thanks,
Steve
| Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
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| posted: 11/28/2004 at 11:53:26 PM ET
I've been taking piano lessons for about 2 yrs or so and I'm finally beginning to read.
Guess the best way would be to find a music school. If you are near a conservatory don't let the word scare you, you might check to see if they have an extension division. Or you might speak to someone about becoming a student. If your goal is to become a member of an orchestra than you'll need to study music. Hope this helps a little. Now if I could learn to count.
| Stephan
Registered User
Registered:
11/28/2004 | posted: 11/30/2004 at 8:48:45 AM ET
Thanks for the reply.
One thing I forgot to ask is this:
I am trying to understand how it is that sometimes a quarter note can get to beats, and how it is possible to *know* this when reading a piece of music.
This threw me for a loop when I first saw this on Sunday. I am baffled as to how one would know this is going to be two beats instead of one. Another thing I a trying to figure out is, what are the quarter notes with a horizontal line through both the stem and the the circle, or situated at different places on the note. There is no explanation for what this represents within the pages of this study.
Thanks,
Steve
| Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
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| posted: 11/30/2004 at 8:57:08 AM ET
Steve,
I think the best thing for you to do is take music lessons. Do you play the piano or another instrument? The way to learn is to actually physically play the music - see and do - I'm still learning but coming along.
| TheHornSupremacy
Registered User
Registered:
11/17/2004 | posted: 11/30/2004 at 9:38:19 AM ET
The way to know when a quarter note will get two beats is to recognize the "meter". The Meter is always one of the first things that's noted at the beginning of a piece of music. If you're looking at a piece of music, you'll see 3 things at the beginning - the clef, the meter, and the key signature. The meter is the one that looks like a fraction. A common meter signature is 4/4. In this meter, there are four beats per measure, as indicated by the first 4. The second 4 tells you what type of note gets the beats (4 stands for quarter note). In another meter, like 6/8, we know that there are six beats in a measure (because of the 6), and that an eighth note gets a beat (because of the 8 ). So one eighth note gets one beat, thus two eighth notes gets 2 beats. And we know that two eighth notes is equal to one quarter note, so that means that one quarter note gets two beats. But again this is only because the meter says so. Once you're able to recognize and understand meter, then you'll be well on your way to understanding how the beats work and how songs should sound in pieces where the meter is more complex.
Hope this helps!
| Stephan
Registered User
Registered:
11/28/2004 | posted: 11/30/2004 at 9:58:28 AM ET
quote:
Steve,
I think the best thing for you to do is take music lessons. Do you play the piano or another instrument? The way to learn is to actually physically play the music - see and do - I'm still learning but coming along.
Hi Annoymous,
Thanks so much for the reply.
I have played drums for 40 years, and always did it by ear. I bought to two timpani, an octave and a half of chimes,because I want to play with some sort of an ensemble like symphony , big band swing, jazz, etc., plus I play the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. All this requires learning to read, so I decided I must do this, and its fun, but I am afraid I am going to blow this because I cant afford a teacher and am trying to learn it all on my own.
At least I can play, but I just want to learn everything I can to better myself as musician.
Thanks a lot, again, for the reply.
Steve
| Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
64.12.116.x
| posted: 11/30/2004 at 11:11:16 AM ET
Hi Steve,
You must be very talented. My father who was an accompianist always said that self-taught people do things so well because they love what they do.
Maybe one of the muscians in the band can get you started in your goal to read music. I'm a beginning piano student (2 1/2 yrs) and can tell you that I love it but it's quite a challenge.
Anyway, good luck in reaching your goal.
| Stephan
Registered User
Registered:
11/28/2004 | posted: 12/2/2004 at 9:56:38 PM ET
quote:
Hi Steve,
You must be very talented. My father who was an accompianist always said that self-taught people do things so well because they love what they do.
Maybe one of the muscians in the band can get you started in your goal to read music. I'm a beginning piano student (2 1/2 yrs) and can tell you that I love it but it's quite a challenge.
Anyway, good luck in reaching your goal.
Hi Anonymous,
That is a very, very nice and appreciated compliment. I envy your father, and I envy you for having a ftaher who is also a musician. I had just met my Dad after 38 years, and discovered that he played Big Band, Jazz, swing,Pop, and all my life I missed out on growing up with him, and then he passed away 5 years alater and we never once got to perform together. I was crushed to say the least. He had played trombone and keyboards. So, I am trying to learn what I can now. I am having so much troouble because I want to learn to play my chimes. I have an octave and a hlaf of them and since I dont read music well enough yet, I dont know where to go to play songs except by guessing.
I iknow its set up just like a piano, and so forth. I just can't figure out how I know waht "G" is by ear. If I was to read a piece of Christmas music that required Chimes, I guess I just follow the notes and strike each note required on the chimes, right? I want to play so badly I can taste it. But its learning the counting, the notes, knowing the definitions of each note that is scaring me. I have downloaded, thus far , stuff from "Pianonanny.com", Datadragon.com"musicnotation.com" and am trying to take it slow. I hope that I can do this.
Thanks again for your wonderful compliment and your advice.
Sincerely,
Steve
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