Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
IMHO classical training is good for any instrument. The skills it teaches you can be applied to other genres of music and can make you a better musician.

Insights and incites by Notes


Hi Bob,
Your post brought a couple of thoughts and memories to mind.

The first one is that, even though I am an amateur (and very technically bad) musician who can read music to a limited extent, I have been amazed at the fact that, on the frequent occasions when I have jammed informally with people who have been classically trained, those people have not known how to approach performing popular songs with which they are familiar.

While I am trying to actually make up for lost time in terms of learning the parts of music theory which will be useful to me, it is clear that the people I am talking about above have been robbed of being able to just let go and be with the music because of their classical training.

Specifically, several people with whom I have played have panicked because they do not have any sheet music to play from.

In the case of keyboard players, I have just suggested vamping on the 3 or 4 chords of the songs which we were playing, and that has been difficult for each one those people, despite them having achieved the Grade 8 (Conservatory) level of music education.

Another experience I had in rehearsing Beatles songs for a gig was that the lead singer (who is a professional piano tuner, and was trained classically) had to get me to play the introduction to 'Ticket to Ride' several times while she figured out the timing of the song (in order to figure out where she should start to sing, I think).

Once again, I was somewhat shocked, but not surprised given my previous experience.

It seems to me that what the people on this forum have going for them is a really flexible approach to Learning and playing music.

I am not disparaging the actual learning about music itself that Western Classical Music provides; however, it is more than coincidence that I have encountered again and again people who have been classically trained who feel bereft of being able to do the simplest thing on their instruments when they do not have sheet music, or when some other, non-musical factor is present.

Therefore, I think there is a common element in the 'format' of Western Classical Music training that inhibits or precludes people from thinking that they can do certain things.

Now I am thinking about Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli playing together. Apparently Menuhin could not function without his music there, and I think that when he played with Ravi Shankar he notated everything and learned that.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Last edited by drutgat; 10/23/18 02:22 AM.
"If The Beatles or the 60's had a message, it was 'Learn to swim'. And once you've learned - swim!"
John Lennon