Do you "read" music?

[Kieron]

Just wondered how many of you read music and how many play by ear?

My Mum was a fantastic keyboard player - couldn't read a note though. She could copy any song within minutes though!

I struggle reading music for the drums - and that's a much simpler form of reading music!

[Jules]

I voted for play by ear. Although I can read music I can't do it very well at all. when I do.... I sound more like Les Dawson learning. One of the reasons I stopped taking piano exams after grade 6 was because my sight Reading was poor. The other reason was that I simply found it a rubbish way to learn.
I can now play by ear to pretty good standard. However, although this is useful for composing I fear my inability to read music fluently would prevent me doing anything proffessionaly.

[dazza74]

I can read music, although sometimes I can only play the top note initially from reading sheet music and have to practive a piece for quite a while to get to playing all the chords etc.

You'll never remember all the songs you wish to play by hear so being able to read sheet music to some extent and play is invaluable for me.

[Jules]

Originally Posted by dazza74

You'll never remember all the songs you wish to play by hear so being able to read sheet music to some extent and play is invaluable for me.

I find the opposite. Songs I slowly learned from sheet music are quickly forgotten... But if I try to play something by ear it gets comitted to long term memory.
I'm probably unusual in that regard though as most musicians I know do need sheet music in front of them...even if it's just for the occasional glance.
I find it just puts me off. I can also embellish a song 'on the fly' without sheet music.

[metropolis]

i can only read a little bit of sheet music which i picked up at school learning to play the cornet.since learning to play the guitar ( slow and painful progress being made ) i have just used tabs which is not the same.i also struggle to play by ear so i can't realy vote on this poll until you include a "can not do anything" option

[Monarch]

I can read music, but struggle to sight read a lot, I've done it and I can read music no problem, I can get a feel for how something should sound by reading it, but playing it and reading it at the same time is a different thing.

Anyway, I'm not quite sure what to tick, most of the time I'll get the music off the net if I want to learn a song, I'll read a 8 bar or so passage, kind of run it under my fingers (guitar) and then listen to it and try and play it, seems to work for me, a mixture of both! It would take me a while to actually learn a whole song by ear, but I could do it, I could do the opposite too, but just reading it off the page doesn't come naturally to me at all

[suniil]

I can do sight reading, but unable to play any instruments in good way .

[groveman]

I read music, but struggle with more than 3 notes for the right hand. I know the chord 'shapes' - so don't read for the left hand. I find that playing comes a bit easier if you sing or hum along with the tune.
Are there any websites where you can download some free sheet music for keyboard / electronic organ?.

[Chris Muriel]

Poll doesn't have an option "read music" but also play a lot of stuff by ear.
(and that's without even discussing the "halfway house" of tablature).

Chris Muriel, Manchester (mainly banjo and acoustic guitars here)

[deadtotheworld]

I play be ear and feel the vibe or mood of what should be played.
Playing in bands and doing session work I have met a lot of musicians, mostly guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardist/pianists - but also the occasional orchestra players. I found that most of the people that read music actually NEED the music to be able to play - so their ability to improvise, jam or suggest new ideas on the fly was almost zero.
I know a lot of guitarists that went to lessons or college to do music degrees and did everything the 'proper' way and just never seemed to improve themselves or find their own style - hence they quit after a while.
I find that 98% of the people that I have met that read music, only play other peoples stuff and never break out of that mould. Kind of a shame really.

[karkus30]

Play drums using notation, can only really play guitar using TAB.......weird eh !

[sunnybacon]

I can read music, although most of the time, when the option is there, I prefer just to play by ear.

[namuk]

Buy Ear..

[dng007]

Learnt to read music back when I was around 7-8, when I started playing the piano and violin. Plus needed it for singing when I was a chorister. Can't really remember 'learning' it mind - not like learning English, history, etc where I can recall actual lessons.

[aleximo]

Both but i mainly read music. Was recently playing clarinet on the proms was an awesome experience! and going to study clarinet at the royal college of music in just 4 days time so yeh i pretty much read alot of music. lol