| Music is natural to us. We can sing the melodies of | | | | musical notation for the popular songs that we want to |
| popular songs without ever taking a lesson. So why do | | | | sing or play is not simple. That popular song that you |
| most people who take music lessons to learn to play | | | | learned to sing so easily by ear has complex and |
| an instrument not get very far. It's because of the way | | | | difficult musical notation. |
| most music teachers teach. They teach you how to | | | | Music theory is the approach that teaches us how |
| read music for your instrument. You aren't learning | | | | music works. All music is based on a few simple |
| how to play music, you are learning how to read music. | | | | building blocks and rules. What seems to be hundreds |
| Learning to read music for simple songs is not that | | | | of different songs reduces down to a much smaller |
| hard but learning to read the complex musical notation | | | | number of musical formulas. Learning about the building |
| for the up to date songs you really want to play is | | | | blocks of music and the rules for using them simplifies |
| much harder. There are three approaches to learning | | | | music and makes it much easier to learn. It sounds |
| to play an instruments. | | | | technical but it's simply knowing how groups of notes |
| 1. Learning to play by ear | | | | produce sounds. For lead or melody playing it's |
| 2. Learning to play by reading music | | | | understanding scales and modes. Not just official |
| 3. Learning to play by understanding music | | | | scales but pentatonic and blues scales and other |
| Learning by ear is the way most of us learn to sing. | | | | groups of notes that give a particular sound. For |
| We learn to sing songs just by listening to them. Many | | | | harmony and chords it's understanding the groups of |
| successful professional performing musicians, who | | | | notes played at the same time to back up lead or |
| can't read music, have used this method. People who | | | | melody. Even if you play by ear and can't give a |
| do karaoke usually can't read music but can perform | | | | names to these groups of notes, you still have to |
| popular songs that would look very complicated as | | | | know them. |
| written music. Having a good ear for music is the most | | | | What's the best blend of the three approaches to |
| essential skill a musician can have. For the many | | | | learning to play an instruments. It depends. If you want |
| successful musicians who are blind reading music is | | | | to play classical you will put a strong emphasis on |
| not even a option. | | | | reading music. If you want to play rock, blues or jazz, |
| Being able to read musical notation is a valuable skill. It | | | | you need a good ear and a knowledge of the groups |
| was invented to so that a musical work could be | | | | of notes that give you the sounds that you want. |
| documented and passed on to others. Before that, the | | | | There is nothing wrong with learning to read and write |
| only way to learn a piece of music was to hear | | | | music. It's a very valuable skill but you shouldn't let it |
| someone else play it. With the age of recorded music | | | | hold you back. Many popular musicians can't read |
| there was a new way. Music has become very | | | | music. Once they come up with a hit song, someone |
| portable. We all can have our favorite music to listen | | | | who can read music converts it into music notation. |
| to over and over again. Learning to read music for | | | | Who do you think gets paid the most? |
| simple songs is not that hard. The problem is that the | | | | |