The Woodshed Part III, Reading

On this installment of @yamahamusicusa #silentbass and @laklandbasses Friday, I will continue the series on "The Woodshed". A caveat here. What I will cover is based on my experience as a student, performer and educator. Everything is open to discussion. This week "Reading Music". First, I want to address a comment I hear whenever I cover this topic. "Reading music!?!? I'm not going to music school...". Fair enough, but would u say that in other activities? If u took a cooking class, wouldn't u expect to be taught cooking fundamentals, not how to make mac and cheese out of a box? If u took an auto mechanics class, wouldn't expect the same? Same here with reading. It is a skill, like any other and, IMO, has many benefits. Second, I want to differentiate between reading and sightreading. Two different skills. It is like the difference between working out to stay in shape and training for a marathon. One takes WAY more work than the other and it is your choice to make. Reading has benefits beyond the skill itself. It adds another sense to the learning process...SIGHT. With reading u now SEE the music as well as hear and feel it. The more senses u can use, the more quickly u can learn and "seeing it in ur head" goes a long way. The "how" here is simple...READ! Read every day. Even 5 or 10 minutes. Find things that are simple (at first) and fun to play...anything! Remember, u are building a skill that takes time and practice, so be patient. Watch ur posture and mind ur fingering. Some music will have dynamics and articulation markings. Try to follow them as best u can. It will add dimension and breath to all ur playing. You can find lists of symbols online and refer back to them as needed. Reading is a worthwhile skill to learn IMO, and as seen above, it will add a lot to ur playing. Next week, more "Woodshed". As always, I invite your insights. #yamahamusicusa #makewaves #pirastro #glasserny #laklandbasses #sitstrings #tsunamicables #philjonesbass #uptonbassstringinstrumentcompany #basslessons  #remotelessons #www.charleysabatino.com.