The printed music is the roadmap through which all musicians adhere to, and when you learn to read music you will know the very meaning of the phrase “being on the same page”.

It would be foolish to expect that someone could communicate with a Spanish speaker without knowledge of the language, why then would we expect to be able to talk with one another without the basics of this language?

Ensembles, bands, choirs, opera, jazz all operate on the written notes first. As far back as we can research, some sort of written notation existed to pass the singing of a generation to the next one, as well as teaching people to sing together.

 

Before improvisation was the written note.

The sad truth is that if you do not read you are limiting yourself to only those groups that do not require it.

It is impossible to comprehend anything but the most rudimentary knowledge of music theory without the written note. All of the structure of chords, melody, harmony and so forth can only be understood completely through the written note. You may say this sounds very difficult and it may be, but all music theory comes from the written page and harmony, melody and structure cannot be understood otherwise.

Learn a song without any other reference. You will not have to replay the tape or cd a million times or learn from someone else. If you can read music you can learn a song without ever hearing it first. If you can read music you can go straight to the book and get all of the basic information on your own. Have you ever learned a song from someone else and not known if you got it right or got all of the information you need? Knowing music enables you to take a piece you have never heard before and make sense of it on your own.

 

It is intriquing to realize the author may have intended something different that what you have heard recorded. I have many times been very surprised to find out a song was written very differently than I have always heard it performed. In “Georgia On My Mind” by Hoagy Carmichael, for example, no ones plays the intro. Even if you have known a song all of your life you may not know the entire version or the way it was meant to sound. I know as a songwriter myself; if I wrote a song and no one ever included a large part of it I would want them to know they are doing it wrong!

 

Discover new music you would never know otherwise. If you can read music you can open up a songbook and discover new worlds. I have found many songs this way that are favorites of mine now and if I did not read I certainly would never have found them.

When you can read music the discovery of new worlds awaits you. It may seem a little hard at first, but so was riding a bicycle as I recall. In fact the first time my father let go from holding me on a bicycle I ran into a post and knocked it over! I rarely do that these days now that I have learned how. In fact there are days when I don’t knock anything over.

Learning to read music will make you a better musician.    Learn to read music and you can discover music you would never hear otherwise, be able to speak with authority 
about the intent of the author and you will have more fun, I guarantee it.

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