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Post new topic In praise of learning to read sheet music.
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Author Topic:  In praise of learning to read sheet music.
Bill McCloskey


From:
Nanuet, NY
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2018 3:12 pm    
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As some of you know, I have moved my complete focus to the Eharp tuning and a big part of Eddie Alkire's method is learning to read standard sheet music right from the beginning. While I'm not a great sight reader at the moment, I'm getting better and recently ordered about 70 hawaiian arrangements that Eddie published in the 30's and 40's.

There is just something cool about being able to pick up sheet music, forgotten and never recorded for nearly 90 years, and sitting down and playing it. No tab, no recording to slow down. Just this time capsule of information that contains everything you need to breathe life into the arrangements again.

By being able to read music and not just read music but be able to know exactly how to transfer the music on the paper to locations on a steel guitar opens up worlds of music.

Of course, the eharp is uniquely designed to take advantage of sheet music, since it is set up like a piano keyboard. which is one of the reasons that is all I play now. But for a pedal steel player, well worth the effort.
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Last edited by Bill McCloskey on 30 Nov 2018 8:59 am; edited 2 times in total
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2018 4:40 pm    
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Reading is a life skill that I learnt at my mother's knee, so it's tough to imagine not be able to.

When I write out pedal steel music I have to write so many numbers on it that it amounts to tab. Perhaps with a few more years' experience that will diminish and I'll be able to truly sight-read.

Anyone who has difficulty learning to read in later life can console themselves that Buddy Emmons never did.
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2018 8:48 am    
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Yes, and Buddy Emmons even stated that he missed a lot of opportunities because he couldn't read music. Very Happy
Erv
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