Notation Or Imitation

Notation Or Imitation?

Peace be to you!

We are often under the impression that to play music by ear is an outstanding feat. One would be considered "gifted" or more talented than others if they possess this skill.

Perhaps in many ways, these musicians appear to be more skillful and are more admired by the vast majority. On the contrary, musicians who rely solely on notation when playing music are considered as less skillful. They are usually seen as dependable musicians who are in need of a "walking stick". The general public readily classifies them as incompetent artist. These "dark" thoughts lurk behind every human mind though they (the majority) may not consciously or openly admit it.

Why I used the word "dark"? It is because these type of thinking needs the shedding of light so we can see its perspective from the side of truth. It needs to be brought out to the open to the light so that we can better understand the concepts of play by notation or what I would say "play by sight". A deeper understanding is necessary so that we can put a stop to the bias stereotyping of talented and not - so -talented musicians based on these 2 concepts - "play be ear" and "play by sight".

Some predominantly play by ear but, at the same time, can read music to a certain degree (the degree then varies between individuals) and vice versa. For the sake of discussion, I will described the 2 concepts in such separative manner because my intention was to display the distinction between the 2 skills. Of course, there are many who harness both skills equally too.

To play by sight is an absolutely demanding task. It demands a great deal of comprehension and concentration from the musician. An intricate process in itself.

A musician reads the notes, digest and interpret what the eyes captured through the complex workings of the human mind, and then the brain fires out signals to the muscles involved in the production of a collective set/sequence/types of sound which in turn becomes what we call MUSIC.

Amusing? Certainly so. It is a muse and what amuses us is MUSE -ic. Music comes from the word muse.

Now, let us draw a parallel to literature.

There are those who can tell a story impromptu, or create one, or convey one with perfect communication but may not read or write the language.

On the contrary, there are many learned individuals who can read and write but may not be very good public speakers.

In fact, both playing by ear and playing by sight are equally important and equally challenging. The importance of play by ear skill is quite apparent. Since it is so obvious, there is no need to mention here.

Now, let us examine the skill of play by sight deeper.

Imagine if the apostles did not leave any writings behind. How can there be full unity? Many will make contradictory statements and then claim it to be made by the apostles. Even if everyone then understood the teachings of the apostles clearly, how can they pass on any of the knowledge which they attained accurately to future generations if nothing was put into writing. Surely, certain facts may have been forgotten.

Even if one wishes to put into writing, it may not be possible for him to jot everything down let alone passing the entire tradition by rote! This is evident when John wrote in his gospel:

John 21:25 "Now, there were many things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written"

Therefore, in this context, if all of us were competent in reading musical notes, then it is possible for the Music Ministry to achieve a certain level of unity. Not necessarily the unity in relationship but rather, unity in music. We would be able to explore new works and move out of our comfort zone without leaving anyone behind because we are united in the notes that we read. Music notation is like lighted candles placed at every step of a stairway (in the dark) so as to give us light to guide our sight.

Each member of an orchestra is able to communicate well with one another precisely because they can "read" each other. They can see what they hear/play, thus giving them a sense of direction and unity.

Secondly, it would be easier for each of us to gel so to speak in our practises. We are able to plan ahead on how to phrase the music or how to interpret them simply because now we can "see" (like the lighted candles giving light)

We become more aware of which part of the music we ought to play louder, or stop playing, or lead, or simply just playing the accompaniment.

One of the reasons we don't do this in great length is because we cannot fully determine the above as there are no notes to refer to. Even if there were, not everybody is able to read them.

Typically, someone gives the introduction, then all come in and everyone just play as he or she wishes according to the chords until the end of the music.

Hence, we need notation to guide us and give us a sense of direction. We need the written notes to steer us into the right direction.

Thirdly, when everyone is able to read notes, we become more adaptable. We are then able to learn new songs in a shorter space of time and shorten the time needed to gain maturity of the piece. We are then able to extend and widen our repertoire in sacred music easily without fret. Would you not think so?

When we play music together, we need a system to follow so that we will always be on the same page. The current system which we apply today is somewhat inadequate if we would want to better our interpretation of music. If we are satisfied with what we have right now in our quality of playing sacred music, then there is no need to explore further.

However, if we would like to improve, we can start with the basics - reading notes. Learn to read notes. It is quite simple. You can enroll for lessons.

Discuss with your potential tutor on how you would like to schedule your lessons. Once in 1 month or once in 1 week. The choice is yours. Flexibility is the key to learning.

May God bless you in your endeavour to acquire the knowledge needed for the progress of doing God's work. God willing. Amen.