The Inexperienced Experts

Published on April 26, 2005 By wnx_decoy In Just Hanging Out

Ok, now I'm going to rant for a little bit, so if you don't want to read a rant stop now, otherwise, enjoy.

I realized recently that just because you've been doing something for years doesn't mean you're going to be an expert at it or even anymore experienced at all.

I was sitting in Jazz band, a couple days ago and I found out, by an odd chain of events, that one of the other seniors didn't know what an 8th note looked like. (For those of you who have a legitimate reason for not knowing this, an 8th note gets half a beat and it's a quarter note with a flag on it.)

I thought that I had this whole thing behind me until today. This same senior came up to me about the 8th notes again. This time she asked why some notes had two flags and some notes have bars. Seriously, though, I lost it. Sometimes I feel like there's only about 5 people in the band that should be in it, and those are the people that seem to have the same problems I have.

There are actually people in our band that never thought to ask what certain things were in their music or how to play them. They just simply listened to everyone else, and followed whoever they could. I saw a member of the band that I thought knew her stuff ask for help reading a basic rhythm.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like the people make me mad in general, it's just that they have been playing music (or so I thought) for several years and now they finally decide to learn how to read it. The whole idea behind reading music is to translate the lines and dots to music.

Music is one of the easiest languages to learn the alphabet for. A...B...C...D...E...F...G... that's it! A through G and repeat. There's even guide markings on the staffs. The clefs point out where certain notes are. The bass clef (F clef) has two dots. One above the F line and one below it. The treble clef (G clef) has a part where the big curl on in crosses the G line 4 times.

It's not rocket science, and yet so many people struggle with it that should have taken the time to learn everything they need to before hand. Elemtary school music teachers actually go over this stuff several times. The kids that didn't get it seemed to be the one's that cared the least about it and often times the kids that can't read music now are the kids that don't want to be in the band anyway. I say, let the kids drop out. If they can't handle an easy A, a fun time playing and listening to music, and even just simply being with more of your friends at one time then don't force them to.

I realize the same thing happens in the business world too, and anyone dealing with that has my highest gratitude if you can take it without getting frustrated.

Capt. over and out!

(P.S.~ I'm done ranting now.)

Comments

Zoologist03

on Apr 26, 2005

Bravo! I agree with you Brandon. You really would think that if you've been in band for more than a year you could read notes and rhythms(Basic rhythms, anyway.). Going along the same lines, you think that some people could count the measures. As long as you follow tempo then you're set. But alas...people can't even count full measure rests and come in at the right time. It's excusable once in awhile or if it's a weird count like 6/8...even then it's not that hard. I believe that if we cut the band to about 10 people we'd sound a lot better....maybe even less. It doesn't seem like these people care about the sound they produce...some of it is downright horrid....oh, well...it's not like we can do anything about it.

~Zoo

wnx_decoy

on Apr 26, 2005

That's where I come in... I plan on coming back to this school to assist Miss Meyer during my shadow time. I'm not sure what you call it, but getting to stay with Miss Meyer to maybe help teach the younger kids is one thing I've had stuck in my head to do for as long as I've been in the high school band.

Next year's freshmen will be Miss Meyer's first group of kids that have been with her the whole time. Maybe, if she's been teaching them correctly, then these kids should be better than the upcoming sophomores and up (for the most part). The few I already said I thought were good to go already are the only exceptions I'm willing to make to that statement.

Capt. over and out!

ParaTed2k

on Apr 26, 2005

Capt Cornbread, I'm giving you an "Insightful" for this one!!

I teach guitar. There are a few things I insist from each of my students:

1) They play "acoustic" guitar before they learn electric (even if what mommy & daddy bought them was an electric guitar, while they practice, they are unplugged).
2) They will learn notes before chords. I won't start teaching them any chords until they know all the notes in the first 5 frets).
3) They will learn notes by using the grand staff!! (((Of course, I do teach "tablature", because hey, it's a great way to learn leads, solos and intros. Since there are more than one way to play each note, it is sometime even the best way to learn them).

If I've done my job with the kids I teach, hopefully they won't cause their bandmates the same headaches you have now!!

((((Note: Nothing bugs me more than the fact that there are so many "professional" guitar players who can't read music, or play acoustic guitar... although I openly admit that I do enjoy some of the music they play.))) ;~D

carebear07

on Apr 26, 2005

Yeah, I think it's kind of sad to see people that have been in band since 5th grade not know how to read basic rhythms. How could you go for so long and not know what an 8th note is? I mean Bobbi has trouble reading rhythms, but at least she knows what the note is.

I'm kind of tired of the people who hold lower chairs thinking that somebody is going to play for them, as Ms. Meyer puts it. What are they going to do when the elders graduate? Yeah I know what first chair feels like. When I used to play flute until the middle of my 8th grade year, I held first chair and nobody ever beat me at a challenge. It's nice to know that other people look up to you, but I'd rather them learn how to play too. And the people with lower chairs wonder why they can never move up. It's because they either don't practice or expect others to play their parts for them.

It's a little nerve racking at times.....but maybe sometimes we should give those people a break. Maybe we should teach them the right way to do it instead of always getting upset with them and griping about it. Then if we made sure they knew what they were doing, we wouldn't have to get agrivated with them. Maybe if they learn that once their section leader leaves them, they'll straighten up and learn that they can't always expect people to play for them.

~carebear~

NotSoSmellySarah

on Apr 26, 2005

I get frustrated too, but I feel like going against what you have to say because no one else bothers to do so. Some people are just more musically inclined than others. I personally like making music because its fun and relatively easy for me to do. I get mad at people who don't know what theyre doing but I have to remind myself that music probably isn't there top priority and that should be fine by me. I always thought that everyone should love music as much as i do but that's not the way it has to be. I think you should at least work hard at it or at least try which granted some of them don't do. But some just don't get it like you get it or i get it. I don't try as hard as I should and I really don't care, I know I sound good but I do it as a hobby, its probably not where I want to be for my whole life that would be the theater. People should passion about whatever the heck they want to whether it be music, or acting, or something simple and stupid. I love you brandon, but this article makes you and everyone else that replied a little arrognant, which you are good actually your awesome at what you do, but you guys aren't perfect either. I can understand frustration, but try to understand where the other half is coming. I know the girl you refer to and she may not sound good or know anything about music, but she loves playing and she always has so I'm just gonna leave it at that.

ParaTed2k

on Apr 27, 2005

sorry Sarah, but I have to disagree with you here. If Cpt Cornbread was griping that band members didn't know their "Circle of 5ths" or other strictly theory concepts, I'd agree with you. There are people who play an instrument (or two, or three), and there are "musicians". To me, a musician is what you describe, someone who has a passion for music and a thrist for knowledge of why and how air and vibrating strings makes the sounds they do.

I even admitted that there are "professional" guitar players who I enjoy, even though I know they don't know anything about music. However, Cpt Cornbread (and I agreed) was venting about people who had been reading music for years and still don't have a basic thing like an 8th note down. To further the frustration, this was a Jazz Band. I don't know about Cpt Cornbread's school, but Jazz bands aren't usually for the run of the mill bandmember. There are usually auditions and competition for very few slots. In other words, I've rarely met a person in a Jazz band who didn't have at least a basic "passion" for music.

Either way, I'll let Cpt Cornbread say whatever he will about his own article. For me, I was merely sharing in his frustration, and went on to tell him what I (in my own little corner of the world) am doing about it.

wnx_decoy

on Apr 27, 2005

ParaTed2k~ thanks for the comment and the insightful. I think I'll head on over and see what I can do for you.
It seems that everyone understood pretty much exactly what I was saying, and yes, you're right. That's pretty much what it's about. I'm not saying that everyone should know everything, but that all "musicians" should first learn the basics, even if they are good without them. Our Jazz band isn't like that, though I often wish it was. Actually, the Jazz band is comprised of a lot of different levels of playing that basically just fills the time slots for some and is an actual plus for others.

Capt. over and out!

wnx_decoy

on Apr 28, 2005

Sarah~ I'm sorry you feel the way you do about when I say something, everyone agrees, but it's not like I want to hurt you that way. I just really want to make you happy and for some reason it seems like that wasn't the way to do it. I'll keep trying. I'll find the answer. And thank you for replying and even disagreeing with me. I love you.

Capt. over and out!

wnx_decoy

on Apr 17, 2006

BUMP* I just thought I'd go looking through my older articles and I happened upon this one. I was reading it and I was about to go to the next one when I realized something... I have articles with 30+ replies that have maybe 300 points and then there's this one with 8 replies and over 500 points. How exactly does that happen? I understand insightfuls and such but when all of your points come from views it just doesn't seem right.

Capt. over and out!

MasonM

on Apr 17, 2006

I read music much better than I play it. I play guitar, trumpet, violin, flute, and piano. I can read the music and play the notes. Iwas first seat trumpet in my band

It doesn't make me "good". One can read and play the notes. The truly good ones feel and express the notes.

Just my 2 cents

island_gurl12

on Apr 17, 2006

The points system is a mystery to me sometimes too, lol! I think you also get points when your article shows up in google, or something like that

So an article about your new cute puppy wont make as much points as a thread on the war in Irak or such.
I'm not sure tho, i've been away for a while, but at least you get 5 more points with my comment, you little whore! hahaha!

That said, i have to agree with your article. Doesnt it itch to yell a big D'UH-HUH at them?? lol

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