Re: [Musicians] Dots

Hi Jeff, While I understand your point & agree with the outcome that you suggest, I see a sheet of music more like a dashboard in a car - the gauges are there to glance at once in a while as need be but the important thing to watch is the road. For myself, the best example is the (thankfully) rare occasion when we are asked to do an unending grand march. We string 3-6 tunes together, in different keys, 6/8 & 4/4, etc to keep it interesting. I always scribble out the first couple of bars of each tune, in order, so that I don't blow a transition or start into the wrong tune in the agreed upon order. As for "playing by ear", do we really mean learning by ear? If that is the case it doesn't matter much to me. Whether I learn a tune from a friend, a recording or a piece of paper, by the time it gets used it is memorized & has entered into a state of constant flux. Finally, It is guys like you, the "rhythm section", who can most easily create excitement via rhythmic & chord moves. If that is solid & driving, the melody instruments can float on top & add the filigree. As proof, I can remember you with the Synchpaths going several times in a row through a tune with no melody at all & without a single dancer looking perplexed. Maybe all of us fiddle players should just pack up, forget about the tune & go out on the floor & dance. Regards, Tom Verdot On 5/17/2019 8:52 AM, Jeffrey Spero via Musicians wrote: