Have you ever met someone who could "play by ear"? Where they can hear a song and pick it out just by listening? Or have you ever met someone who could take a page of sheet music and just read and play through it without ever hearing the music before? That is called: Sight Reading. While both skills have their own strengths, the most versatile musicians are those who learn both. Let’s explore the importance of these skills, their benefits, and how students can develop them to become well-rounded musicians.
What is Playing by Ear?
Playing by ear is the ability to listen to music and reproduce it without written notation. It’s a skill that relies on listening, memory, and intuition, often associated with creativity and improvisation.
Benefits of Playing by Ear:
Improved Listening Skills: Playing by ear sharpens the ability to recognize pitches, rhythms, and harmonies.
Creativity and Improvisation: It encourages spontaneity and the ability to experiment and improvise in music.
Accessibility: Students can learn songs even without sheet music, which broadens their musical exposure.
However, playing by ear alone may lead to limitations, such as an over-reliance on imitation without understanding the theoretical foundations behind the music. The ear can also be faulty. If the student can not read the music, the student may hear the notes incorrectly and learn the music incorrectly.
What is Sight reading?
Sight reading is the ability to interpret written musical notation and play it accurately. This skill is essential in classical music, ensemble playing, and professional settings such as theater and studio work.
Benefits of Sight reading:
Repertoire Access: Sight readers can perform virtually any piece of written music in their instrument, from symphonies to contemporary songs.
Structured Understanding: It provides a deep understanding of rhythm, dynamics, and structure, equipping musicians with a theoretical framework for performance.
Precision: By following the composer’s instructions, sight readers can deliver a faithful representation of the written work
Types of Notation for Sight Reading
1. Sheet Music
Sheet music is the traditional way of writing down music. It uses musical notation to represent the pitches, rhythms, dynamics, and other musical elements of a piece. It includes a staff (a set of five lines) with notes, rests, and symbols indicating how to perform the music.
Who Uses It:
Classical musicians, pianists, orchestral players, and choir members.
Music students learning to read and perform compositions accurately.
Anyone who needs a detailed and precise representation of the music.
What It’s Used For:
Provides a complete, exact version of a song or composition.
Essential for classical music and formal music education.
Used to perform complex or multi-instrumental arrangements.
2. Drum Notation
Drum notation is a specific type of sheet music written for drummers. It uses a standardized format to indicate which drums or cymbals to play and when, including the specific rhythm patterns and techniques like rolls or accents. Drum notation is generally on a single line or a set of lines, depending on the complexity.
Who Uses It:
Drummers of all genres, from beginners to professionals.
Music teachers who want to communicate drum patterns clearly.
Percussionists in orchestras or marching bands.
What It’s Used For:
Indicates rhythmic patterns and specific drum parts in a song.
Useful for learning, practicing, and playing drum parts accurately.
Helps drummers play in sync with other musicians.
3. Lead Sheets
Lead sheets provide a simplified version of a song, focusing on the melody, lyrics, and chord symbols. They do not include full arrangements or detailed instrument parts, making them less complex than traditional sheet music.
Who Uses It:
Jazz musicians, pop/rock musicians, and anyone involved in contemporary music.
Singers and instrumentalists who need a quick reference for a song.
Musicians who improvise or play from memory.
What It’s Used For:
Serves as a guide for performing a song, especially in genres where improvisation is common.
Useful for jam sessions or casual performances where musicians create their own arrangements.
Aids in learning and practicing chord progressions and melodies.
4. Tabs (Tablature)
Tabs are a simplified form of musical notation specifically for guitar, bass, and other stringed instruments. Rather than using traditional notation, tabs use numbers and lines to indicate the frets and strings where notes should be played.
Who Uses It:
Guitarists and bassists, from beginners to advanced players.
Musicians who prefer a quick and easy way to learn songs without reading traditional sheet music.
Rock, pop, folk, and other contemporary genre players.
What It’s Used For:
Indicates exactly where to place fingers on the instrument’s fretboard.
Useful for learning songs quickly, especially for those who don't read traditional music notation.
Commonly used for solos, riffs, and chords.
Each type of notation has a unique purpose, making it easier for musicians to play in different musical contexts based on their needs and skill levels.
That said, sight reading can sometimes limit creativity if a musician becomes overly reliant on notation without developing their ear
Why Both Skills Matter
The best musicians integrate both skills seamlessly. As music educator Edwin Gordon noted,
“Audiation is to music what thought is to language,”
emphasizing that listening should precede reading. Similarly, the Suzuki method advocates for learning music by ear before introducing notation, drawing parallels with how children first learn to speak before they learn to read
In practice:
Studio Musicians: They must sightread complex scores while being able to adapt or improvise on the fly.
Ensembles and Bands: Members often rely on sight reading during rehearsals but use their ears to blend with others.
Composers and Songwriters: They may experiment by ear but notate their ideas for others to play
How Students Can Develop Both Skills
1. Start with Listening: Encourage students to play simple melodies by ear, such as nursery rhymes. Apps and tools like interval training can also enhance ear development.
2. Integrate Theory: Understanding scales, intervals, and chords helps bridge the gap between hearing and understanding music.
3. Practice Sight reading: Begin with simple pieces, focusing on rhythm and note identification. Gradually increase complexity as confidence grows.
4. Combine the Two: Challenge students to learn a piece by ear and then compare it to the sheet music. Alternatively, sightread a piece and then play it from memory.
Conclusion
Playing by ear and sight reading aren’t opposing skills; they are complementary. Together, they create a versatile musician capable of adapting to any musical scenario. At Keen School of Music, we encourage students to explore both paths, ensuring they not only play the notes but also feel the music.
References
Gordon, E. E. Learning Sequences in Music: A Contemporary Music Learning Theory. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2012.
Suzuki, S. Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education. New York: Exposition Press, 1983.
McPherson, G. E., & Gabrielsson, A. (2002). "From Sound to Sight: The Role of Audiation in Music Learning." The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning.
University of Oxford (2020). “The Role of Ear Training and Sightreading in Musical Skill Development.” Oxford Academic Journal
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Rauscher, F. H., & Zupan, M. A. (2000). "The Influence of Music on Cognitive Development." Psychology of Music, 28(2), 148–153.
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