I started out playing by ear on guitar. When I started playing the piano I started sight reading...slowly...lol I am still kinda slow at sight reading.

I also play trumpet both by ear and sighting reading and I don't too much care what key you play in. Some keys are less trouble that others.Learned to play trumpet and read in high school.
Sight reading horn lines are a lot less of a problem for me than sight reading piano, perhaps because I learned that as a young kid.

If I am playing guitar with a horn section I always ask if they are ok with the key. 99% of the time the horn players I have played with can play in any key without issue. I like to sing in A so moving up to Bb or down to Ab is not much of a issue for most songs.

There is a lot of blues in the key of E and it just does not sound good in any other key, mostly because that is what we are use to hearing, and because of the open strings and low notes that are normally played.

For the guitar, I can play in any key, but for some reason I don't like to play much in Eb.

Why anyone would play in Gb I don't know, so I just play in Gb and think in F#. Don't ask me to sight read in Gb...lol

Of the two skills I think it is a lot harder to learn to play by ear than to learn to sight read. For me the hardest thing to do by ear is to play with just a drummer and a bass player when the bass player does not go to the tonic on the chord change. Also it is hard for me to hear the very low notes on the bass, E to F for example. Too many bombing runs in Viet Nam I guess. Hearing loss from the aircraft I was flying.

Playing with the old blues guys, it was rare for anyone to call the key. The lead player would just kick something off and it was expected that I would have it figured by the second or third note. There were exceptions to that, like when everyone needed to play the same note at the same time on the intro for example. Some of the old blues players could read but most could not or would not. Almost all of the old black jazz players I have played with could sight read and could give anyone a run for the money when it came to theory, no matter what high dollar school you went to.

I never met anyone who told me that learning both skill sets caused them any issues.

There is an old joke about how to get the guitar player to shut up....put some sheet music in front of him...lol

For sure one would need both skill sets to play in the studio in LA or Nashville, or New York. A guitar player would need to read Tab and Nashville number system and sight read.

There is a time and place for everything. I have had some negative feedback for bring sheet music on stage by a few guys who worked for me, but not from the people that were paying the bill.

There are always exception to most everything and this has been just my experience. I have not been everywhere and been exposed to everything.

Cheers,


Billy

EDIT: This brings up another sticky problematic issue. If I am working as a side man in your band I am going to play whatever you ask me to to the best of my ability. If you are working for me you will play what I ask you to or I will find someone who can and will. Don't come to my gig to learn the material and you XXXX sure better not come to my gig to drink and do drugs. Hard XXX old school thinking?? Yep, so get with the program..lol..I came to the gig to work and I expect and demand the same from the people who work for me. I am sure this edit will not be well received by some...lollol

Last edited by Planobilly; 10/07/15 01:56 PM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”