“You don’t necessarily have to play every note that comes across the page in a popular piece of music.”
Reading music is fundamental part of music education and has been for years. Having a visual medium is necessary for beginners and experienced musicians. Ask any former piano student about their experience and they’ll tell you that learning to read music was their biggest obstacle. In fact, it’s commonly one of the most disliked tasks for playing music at the keyboard. But is it necessary if your desire is to play and eventually become a competent musician? Well, you can’t really answer that without taking a look at what your goals are as a musician. Also, “reading” music can be subjective.
The classical repertoire musician is reading when he plays a sonata or a nocturne. His score stand is loaded with pages and pages of dots. But what about the cocktail pianist who pulls out a lead sheet when someone request “Girl from Ipanema”? It’s only a one note melody line with chord symbols above them but he seems to get more out of it than just what’s written on the page. Then there’s the stage keyboardist with even more of a scant piece of written music: A simple chord chart with chord symbols only and no musical staff or notes. Yet she plays a rhythmic keyboard part along with the other musicians in the band that sounds like a full arrangement.
Interesting. They’re all reading music. But the actual format differs to suit the style of music played. Classical music has always been tied to a strict music reading regiment. It probably always will be. But in the popular song form, (that includes folk, pop, gospel, country, jazz, blues etc.) learning through different mediums that allow you to add your own style and expression have really gained ground in music teaching and performing.
Fifty years ago, fake books (collections of lead sheets) were illegal because of publishing rights. Today, fake books and lead sheets are sold everywhere. But back to the question: Is it necessary to read music? Yes. But not in the traditional way that most people assume. Not every musician is playing classical repertoire nor should they be weighed down with a burden of having to read every note that they play.
To take things farther, you don’t necessarily have to play every note that comes across the page in a popular piece of music. Many times I myself will purchase a piece of music only to find that it doesn’t sound like the recorded version that I’ve heard on the radio for 20 years. In that case, the arranger for the publishing company decided what notes you should play for that particular song. I wouldn’t call it necessarily wrong if your sheet music arrangement doesn’t sound like the album. It’s just a matter of taste and how you interpret the song.
All music is interpretive. If you were going to sit down at a performance and hear 10 piano players play the same song, would you want to hear every one of them play that piece of music the same exact way? Most of us want to hear a different styles and nuances that can make something ordinary sound really special.
Take the hymn arrangement. If you grew up in a church like the one I did, you had one or two musicians at the keyboard playing straight out of the hymnal, pretty much note for note. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Not at all. But somewhere down the line, someone decided a that four part harmony in a hymnal should join in with all of the choral and congregational singers by playing the same notes as they’re singing.
Contrary to popular belief, a hymnal is a vocal arrangement and was never intended to be played by any instrument. As I said before, it’s not wrong, but neither is taking a hymnal and reading the melody only and ignoring the rest of the notes as you arrange it as you wish. This can really freshen up church music which unfortunately most people find bland and uninspiring.
Some musicians may not call using lead sheets and charts reading music. But regardless of what you call it, you’re using visual information and adding to it to produce that sound that you want. That kind of not reading music can be a welcome sight to your ears.
