[malletjazz]

Originally Posted by escalade

Sure but I think that is the exception rather than the rule. You can correct me if I'm wrong malletjazz, but I think that these people who have the skills to be able to read music and play musically at the same time are very rare. In some cases, I would think all that much time would not be saved because if the piece is complicated they won't be able to play it 100% correctly and they'll have to go back and do it again, etc.

I won't correct you - that's not my place - but I will say that your experience is decidedly different from mine. Yes, there are many musicians whose playing suffers if they are asked to read music, but there are also many players who not only can read with remarkable accuracy, but still bring great energy and musicality to their performances while reading. It isn't easy, but reading skills are like any other skill - they can be developed with practice, and that includes the ability to read and play musically simultaneously, whether sight-reading for the first time, or reading a piece of music that has been prepared previously.

These are professionals we're talking about. With enough practice it's a skill that can be developed to play musically while sightreading a piece. It's not all that rare either. You'd be surprised

[crazysnare666]

I have no clue how to read sheet music... i can play some stuff that i've been taught but when it comes to reading the sheet music....im screwed!

[wil]

Reading saves time and money and is therefor invaulable. Even on gigs where you didn't need to read, you can learn the tunes much faster - write a sketch of the part and you;re good to go.

[quack_stud]

I think reading drum music is really easy except for when you get those stupid ones that shows every drum and cymbal etc on on line and when you get the really abstract pieces but other than that i would say that you should learn to read it has helped my to play pretty much every thing I can now, i just read something then play around with it and make it sound good

[intake]

i read drum music too.....and yea i think its very effective in practicing...

[Drum Ace]

In jazz, everyone in the group is given sheet music, the wind and brass players must read off it, but the rythm section (drums,guitar,piano,bass) usually does not read it note for note, they see the style in wich to play and then improvise and learn the hits. So i think depending on what music or style you are playing or want to learn depends on wether u should learn to read or not. I think that it is important to learn how, and not just that but get a general idea reading treble and bass clef also.

[DrummerMom]

I started learning to read drum notation at age five. I'm 35 currently.

I love to get new drum set or snare drum books to sight read!

[gyutae]

Originally Posted by DrummerMom

I started learning to read drum notation at age five. I'm 35 currently.

I love to get new drum set or snare drum books to sight read!

Is there a point where you just get so comfortable with reading music that it just seems like you're reading a book?

I can't sightread drum parts for my life so this is really interesting for me. I want to get to a point where I can just look at a piece and my hands would just move without me even having to think about it. How do you achieve this? I'm guessing just lots of practice?

[DrummerMom]

Originally Posted by gyutae

Is there a point where you just get so comfortable with reading music that it just seems like you're reading a book?

I can't sightread drum parts for my life so this is really interesting for me. I want to get to a point where I can just look at a piece and my hands would just move without me even having to think about it. How do you achieve this? I'm guessing just lots of practice?

gyutae,

I had a major advantage over all of the other drummers on the drum line when I was in school. I had already been reading snare drum and other percussion music for nine years. My mother(60) is a percussionist and was my private drum instructor. I had a snare part and a bell part as my lesson every week. When the lesson day would get there I had to play the snare and bell parts from memory then sight read a new snare and bell part.

So, if you sight read long enough I guess it could be like reading a book.
Practice,Practice,Practice! Then when you think you have it down practice some more!