McCartney doesn't read music

[ljguitar]

Hi all

Seems we have forgotten that people learn to speak years before learning to read and write, and there are many very articulate people who cannot read or write.

Music came first, and many different ways/systems of annotating it were created so it could be shared from one generation/person to another. Music existed as played/sung centuries before it was expressed in written form. And every written musical system man has invented is still lacking.

It's not strange to me that people learn very sophisticated music just from one-player-showing-another what he/she knows. Gypsy Jazz music had no notation system and was all show-and-repeat till the past century. Often the 4th player in a Gypsy Jazz trio was the apprenticing guitarist who was learning on the job note-for-note repetition of the guitar players.

Now with the plethora of both casual and formal audio and video recording, we have an additional (and more sophisticated way) to pass music knowledge on to future/existing generations of players.

Learning from skilled players via video/audio teaches not only music skills, but dynamics, form, composition etc.

Music information is somewhat possible to annotate on paper, but usually need an accompanying demonstration. Video is a powerful way to transfer skills and concepts.

[vibrolucky]

Unfortunately I can't read anything these days without glasses