Originally Posted By: bobcflatpicker
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The only musicians who I knew who played instruments as a child and continued to play as an adult were the ones who never had a single music lesson. <...>


Well, now you know one.

I learned to read treble clef in elementary school, even though there were no instruments involved. It was part of a well-rounded education.

I started on drums in Junior High School. I learned to read drum notation.

Then, when the sax player's family moved and a sax rental became available, I switched to sax. I played in the junior and high school bands, and also one first sax in the all-state band every year.

After school, I was in a little rock band. My first gig was for a Junior High School dance. There I was on stage, with my best buddies, playing the music we worked so hard to learn (by ear, back then they didn't publish rock and roll music). I looked off-stage, and that cute girl who didn't acknowledge my existence in English class was 'making eyes' at me. At the end of the night, they paid me money for the experience.

That's when I said, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life”. Now I'm past retirement age, and still doing it.

I did have two real jobs in my life, while I was trying out what it was to be normal. I still played on the weekends. But I found “normal” isn't for me.

I agree with you that every musician should develop his/her ears. And in school band, ear training was part of the curriculum. Your ears are your most important musical instrument.

But I also insist that learning to read music and at least basic music theory is just as important.

Reading and theory
  • allows me to learn songs faster
  • allows me to learn and play songs I've never heard before
  • allows me to improvise better, knowing what is safe and what is experimental
  • allows me to create a second, passive stream of income making style and fake e-disks for Band-in-a-Box
  • got me into better bands
  • got me studio gigs in studios from locals to Motown in Detroit


The way I figure it is, every pop musician should:
  1. Learn how to critically and analytically listen to music (a lifelong pursuit)
  2. learn to play drums at least the first dozen rudiments
  3. learn to read music and learn basic music theory
  4. learn to play by ear
  5. listen to many genres of music, not just your favorite or chosen genre


Of course, that's my opinion. But it's worked for me.

Other than those two day experimental gigs, I have never been a wage slave to some ignorant boss or faceless corporation. I've made my living doing something I really enjoy doing. I don't take orders from anyone, but profit by my good decisions and hopefully learn from my bad ones. I've met with, jammed with and have been treated as an equal by giant stars in this industry. I've had hook-ups with plenty of beautiful girls all over this country, until I found the best one of all, whom I married.

I'm way past retirement age, still gigging, and have no intention of quitting as long as I can pull a crowd. And yes, reading music and knowledge of music theory has helped me get here. So has developing my ears.

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Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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