Hanging 27: Taco Surfing

Post by **mewrio** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:15 am

The thing that shocked me in the New Times interveiw is that he cant read music :shocked: All this time I thought he could.

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA????????????? :shocked: :crazy:

Post by **weird_el** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:16 am

The thing that shocked me in the New Times interveiw is that he cant read music :shocked: All this time I thought he could.

That surprised me too, and it kind of contradicts this:

viewtopic.php?t=481

Manda · Post by **Manda** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:31 am

Why did he say that he did? Or did Al misunderstand the question.

I dident mean that Jon's a liar, maybe he dident know.

Post by **scottidog** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:31 am

I think there is a difference between being able to read and write music, and playing with sheet music.

I just re-read an interesting question at the Ask Al Archives:

stabbim of Salt Lake City UT asks: You have stated before that you never learned to play guitar. Considering that you get sole writing credit on the original tunes, how do you work out the parts for heavily guitar-based originals like 'Young Dumb & Ugly'? Do you figure out the parts yourself on keyboard then have Jim transpose them, or do you just lay out the basic idea of the song and he takes it from there?

When I submit my demos to the band, all the music is played on a keyboard. The chords and melody lines and main riffs are all there, but not being a guitar player myself, I wouldn't dream of writing out the solos, since Jim could come up with something so much better than anything I could suggest. I'll work with him in the studio until his solo has just the right feel, or I may have him do several solos and then piece together the best bits later. In short, I try to give the guys in the band as much musical leeway as possible in the studio, but it's still not really enough to warrant giving them their own writing credits. (Sorry, guys!)

Didn't Mary say in an interview that Al was playing by ear very early on, that he could play anything he heard?

Post by **scottidog** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:35 am

Why would Bermuda lie about it? Or did Al misunderstand the question.

Are those my only choices?

Just because a person can read and write musical notation, doesn't mean that that's how they work with music best. Also if you notice, Jon didn't answer the follow-up question of how well everyone reads and writes musical notation.

Manda · Post by **Manda** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:40 am

No they asked him if he practices the accordian and he said only before a tour or album. Then Al said he cant sight read music hes not a studio cat. I should say that it doesent make any sense to know how to write music but not know how to read it :crazy:

Post by **scottidog** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:48 am

Not being able to sight read is NOT the same thing as not being able to read it at all. Trust me, I *can* read music, but I have never been able to sight read it.

And from the quote I shared above, it sounds like Al writes his music by playing it. Recording demos to give the guys their parts.

I kind of find the use of the word "lying" and the implication that somehow Al and Bermuda are being deceitful pretty offensive. I know you didn't mean it that way, but Mama Bear is a little miffed over here.

Post by **weird_el** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:54 am

[quote="scottidog"]Not being able to sight read is NOT the same thing as not being able to read it at all. Trust me, I *can* read music, but I have never been able to sight read it. [quote]

A question for the musicians among us then. How are they NOT the same thing? In my non-musician perception/definition they are the same thing.

So, Al said something that contradicted something Bermuda said. I don't think there was any malicious intent, but I am curious as to why that's the case.

Post by **scottidog** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:04 am

Reading and writing it is one thing, but doing that at the same time that you are playing a musical instrument is something else.

And I know there was no malicious intent too. But that doesn't stop my feathers being ruffled.

Post by **weird_el** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:09 am

I think I know what you mean. When I'm typing something someone else wrote, I memorize a line or two then I key it in. I can't do both at the same time because I haven't memorized the keyboard -- I read the keys as I type. Is that close?