Sheet music

I never learned technical theory. I was a band geek in Jr High and HS, so I did learn a little bit about following the bouncing black dots on the page. Time signature. Kinda what key we were in. When to play. When not to play.

But my take on reading music with us common folk is that if you can look at a page of music. Know that when the notes go up you sing/play higher and the opposite when the notes go down. While you may not know the name of the note. You may not know what key you are in….. in your own way, you are reading music. Just not reading music like a trained pianist reads music.
 
I know how to read the notes. Very slowly. Useless to me in the real world.
I do understand a fair amount of theory, learned as i went, I find it interesting.
Playing trombone in school and singing bass, I have a decent working knowledge of bass clef. Had to for band since I had to follow all those bouncing black dots. Helps with singing as well….. unless I’m making up a bass line on the fly…. Which I do frequently.

Treble clef. Forget about it. Like you. Can read the notes….. slowly.
 
Yep, once you learn a song, these are simple helper charts.

View attachment 86940


I'll do something similar, from time to time.

I know how to read music (though I can't just sit down for the first time with a piece of sheet music and play it. I'm not that fluent!) and I have a good working knowledge of theory that I learned from my own study, lessons, and college.

But, I find it helpful, as a memorization aid, to chart things into a "rhythm chart" format. I have Finale music notation software on my computer and it really helps with making custom charts.

Here's one I did recently. I took the chord chart and recharted it into a rhythm format. I use this to make guitar arrangement notes to myself, as well.


RhythmChartExample_Fantasy.jpg
 
Side remark: i would write down something like that with a text editor and use ABC notation.
 
Back
Top