World of Weird Al Yankovic

I think so. Of course I am not a musician. Most of my forays into reading music have been when I am trying to learn vocal parts. I can sit down at a piano and pick the notes out. But when I'm singing I don't think, oh... that's a C, and that's a D... the best I can do is follow note progression and timing. But if someone says, "Ok, let's start at that middle C." I'm gonna have to scramble to figure out where they are talking about. A sight reader wouldn't have that problem.

Im sorry Scottidog, but I really dont get what you are saying. Because I know how to read music to and to me sight reading is looking at the note on a piece of staff paper. And if you cant sight read the notes then to me you not reading music. But that was what I was taught by playing guitar.

Im sorry Scottidog, but I really dont get what you are saying. Because I know how to read music to and to me sight reading is looking at the note on a piece of staff paper. And if you cant sight read the notes then to me you not reading music. But that was what I was taught by playing guitar.

I suspect that's what Al meant by not being a studiocat. That he doesn't do it well enough to really consider it reading and writing musical notation. But that doesn't mean he can't do it at all.



I'll give you another example... I read Hebrew. But very poorly and it is very laborious. I wouldn't consider trying to read a whole novel in Hebrew. But I *can* make out words.



And if that's the case with what Al said, I don't see it as being at odds with what Bermuda wrote. I guess the word "lying" is what got me. I take that word very seriously, and I have never seen anything in Al's or Bermuda's character that would ever cause me to use that word in connection with them.

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.

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.

Sightreading is playing music on-demand, without ANY preparation (other than being born, learning the instrument and setting it up ). But with just playing, you will have generally had practice. When you sight read, you are definitely playing, but when you play, you aren't necessarily sight reading. I know that's about as clear as mud, but it's the best I can do.

Personally, I can sight read pretty well.

















































































A h y o u a g a i n . P M M e w r i o ' s u s e r n a m e r i g h t a w a y.

(B T W , I d o h a v e a r e a s o n f o r t y p i n g l i k e t h i s)

No, that is very clear to me, Mewrio. Thanks for the input!

I do get what your saying a little. And I am very sorry if I offended you by saying Berumda was lying, But if you read what I wrote was that I dident mean calling Berumda a liar, maybe he dident know Al dident know how to read music as well as he thought. But I dont know Al or Berumda that well they sound like good people but everyone lies. Sorry Scottidog.

What Bermuda said was in no way lying at all. Not being able to sight read but still being able to read music means that Al can read and write music, he just can't play everything perfectly the first time he ever tries to play a sheet of music. That's what sight reading is, playing unfarmiliar music just as well as farmiliar music.



I've been taking music lessons almost every other day for four years and I still can only sight read easier stuff.



edit: fixed the stupid "unfarmiliar" mistake

Thanks Civoknay. What instrument? Oh, and welcome aboard.



And hey, everyone... I'm not trying to have a fight over this. Mama Bear wouldn't be doing her job if she didn't react to slights, real or imagined, to our boys.



:biggrin:

Let me see if I can add on to Mewrio's explanation.



Sight-reading is playing music well the first time you see it.



Of course, you have to know how to read music to sight-read, but not being able to sight-read is not the same as not being able to read music. Like Mewrio said, when you play (not sight-read), normally you have had time to practice and work out difficult fingerings.



In my band auditions, I play a prepared piece of our choice which I've worked on and practiced extensively, and then the auditioner gives me a piece to sight-read to test how well I'd do with playing a whole new show (3 or 4 pieces) each week.



I guess I'm just agreeing with what's been said - sight-reading and reading music are definitely two different things.



~Tanaquil

What instrument? Oh, and welcome aboard

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Thank you. I play a bunch of stuff. Mainly piano, but also violin, a bit of viola and cello, and a tiny bit of guitar