Originally Posted By: eddie1261

Reading is a tool, but it goes deeper. Do they know the Circle of 5ths and WHY chords relate to each other? Do they know the steps of the scale (tonic/root, subdominant/4th dominant/5th) etc? Do they know WWHWWWH (Whole and Half, the intervals of a scale)? If they don't know that stuff, they will only be able to play in C. Throw Eb at them and they don't know the scale.


Eddie, I don't think this is totally true. Guitar is pattern based, as you know. If you can play a lead in C you can play it in any other key. Show a non-reader how to play the minor pentatonic scale and they will be in seventh heaven. I agree that reading and theory are tools that you can use.


Originally Posted By: eddie1261

You can throw examples out all day of people who didn't read, but consider it this way. The Beatles did NOT have no musical knowledge. They just didn't KNOW they had a lot of musical knowledge. You don't write chord changes like they did with no knowledge. Learning theory is not knowledge. Theory is tools. When you drive a car, are your tools in the trunk for when you need them or in the front seat next to you?


What difference does it make? They used their ears and not theory to write their songs. I tell my students to learn theory but don't let it dictate their playing. Play from the heart. Theory is great for practicing and/or analyzing what you played. Take the rule of fifths. Just because you know it doesn't mean that all of your chord progressions have to follow it.

Originally Posted By: eddie1261
Yes. There will be a market for it. I just won't be in it, but she already acknowledged that this isn't aimed at someone with now over 64 years of experience and a degree in the field. This is aimed at the "campfire" player. Run with it and see how it goes.


I won't be in it either, i.e. 60 years of playing guitar with another 3 years added on for trumpet and French Horn. I have lots of fake books and other music books that I can draw from to play music. I think we agree on the importance of reading music and theory but we disagree on making it mandatory for all musicians. YMMV

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