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In my last video, I discussed learning to read musical notation at the same time I started my music studies – at age 6. As a result, I think I have a visual bias when it comes to learning music, and that got in the way when I started ear training in college. It was also a problem when I studied music in Brazil, where note reading is not as much a part of the musical culture as it is in the U.S.
In this video, I talk about the ways that knowing how to read notation has helped me, such as overcoming my crap short term memory and giving me a visual reference for which rhythms should line up. I also discuss a time that I was picked on for “needing to write something out”…and the surprising way that writing out a samba rhythm changed my ability to sing and play forever! How has your ability to read notes (or not) helped YOU as a musician?