Just kept going.

[hais1273]

About five years ago I had a bit of a falling out with Folk dance group I played with. Like most falling outs it was the sum total of many stupid little issues turning into something completely out of proportion. In a nut shell one of the members kept going on and on and on about learning everything "by heart". Well yes, I kind of agree assuming you can, but as a relative musical novice playing the right notes at the right speed in the right order was more than enough to cope with at that time.
Despite being asked not to go on about it by other people. She just kept moaning on. Eventually I had enough and had a big flouncy exit complete with door slamming and I haven't been back since. Since then I've been playing the same type of music with others who are much less dogmatic in their approach. The four of us all learn and play in slightly different ways, we have the "earist" who can play and learn purely from listening, a novice who is still learning her stuff, my wife who is pretty much a sight reader through and through and myself 90% reader 10% memory player. Learning by ear just doesn't work for me, I can eventually I guess, but it's time consuming and very frustrating. For me it's much easier to learn a piece from the written notes and then memorize the piece. Since then I have maybe a dozen melodies I can play from reliably and well from memory

Last week I had the enormous and deeply satisfying experience of A) playing three or four dances tunes from memory in public for dancers and then B) watching Little Miss Memory playing rather leadenly I felt, entirely from sheet music the following evening. I laughed all the way home.

I suppose it just goes to show you have to keep going and do what you think is right for you. If I didn't have a passion for French and Breton dance music and a small stubborn streak (Best Beloved is even worse) I would given up the accordion, sold the instruments and done something else.

My dance tunes were very well received by the way.

Why do some musicians have to be such a£$"(*&£s! Live and learn I guess.

 

[Ffingers]

"Why do some musicians have to be such a£$"(*&£s! Live and learn I guess."

Why?
Because they are people - and that is the way that many people behave.

I find my cats to be more logical and cooperative than many of the folk that I have been unfortunate to encounter in my long presence on this planet.

"Be reaonable - do it my way." is a constant for many people.

 

[JerryPH]

LOL... I was never asked to play by memory, only in my last year or 2 while at the conservatory was I mandated to play a piece from memory, but short of that, everything was with a stand and sheet in front of me.

Today I prefer to play from digital sheet music, but there are a few pieces that I play from memory. When making a video, I *almost* always do so memorized.

That said, I never tell ANYONE how they should play, by ear, memorized, or sheet music that is read. I, of course, have my preferences, but those are reserver for ME, not to preach and tell others how they "should".

 

[jozz]

need a good door slamming now and again, clears the mind

I've met my share of musicians and often the fulltime professionals are the most 'purist'. If somebody acts like that in semi-pro or amateur circles it often means they have some other issue with you or themselves besides music, or are just plain a$$holes. The most pragmatic people I found are those who do all sorts of stuff and sidegigs. Those are the ones that need some form of written music to communicate their projects or to receive assignments/session work, but will simply switch over to memory if the gig demands it.

 

[CC_PDX]

I'm one of those who prefer to play by ear or from memory -- happy to join in old time, folk, bluegrass, etc. sessions with totally unknown tunes, but I would never expect or demand it from others. That said, it does drive me a little crazy when people who don't really know a tune try to lead the session on an original or not widely-known tune. Always lots of false mis-directions, hesitations, corrections, calling out the wrong changes. I can follow almost anything but my brain shuts down and my eye starts twitching when the session is going down 3-4 paths simultaneously and I have to pick between the "right" version and multiple competing directions where the majority has been (mis)lead. I can play solo fine or follow along, but am self-aware enough to know that I can't reliably lead a tune to save my life.

 

[hais1273]

What a thoroughly decent bunch of people you all are!

I like cats too. These days we have a couple of dogs who by and large make more sense than many people. Jasper warbles along in a houndy way to tunes in minor keys.
To me, it doesn't matter a jot whether you play by "ear" or "memory" or from the "sheets". Years ago I used to go a Karate club in Kent, Sensei had a Dojo moto that more or less said. I promise to do my best, train hard and honestly and not "critisise others until I am perfect". Very difficult to live up to, but it's something I try to do. Not always very successfully it must be said. Anyway, I feel I've had the last laugh, I've had a number of "attaboys" from a goodly number of dancers. No one was more surprised than myself.

I'm one of those who prefer to play by ear or from memory -- happy to join in old time, folk, bluegrass, etc. sessions with totally unknown tunes, but I would never expect or demand it from others. That said, it does drive me a little crazy when people who don't really know a tune try to lead the session on an original or not widely-known tune. Always lots of false mis-directions, hesitations, corrections, calling out the wrong changes. I can follow almost anything but my brain shuts down and my eye starts twitching when the session is going down 3-4 paths simultaneously and I have to pick between the "right" version and multiple competing directions where the majority has been (mis)lead. I can play solo fine or follow along, but am self-aware enough to know that I can't reliably lead a tune to save my life.

Completely agree with you.

 

[Tom]

I have also met the spectrum of musicians, good and bad. The good ones smile and listen, others will take over the band and you may as well just take your accordion and go home. I prefer to play from memory, but I only have about an hour so if I don't want to repeat I need to bring sheets. I suck at playing with songs I don't know. I fake it by playing mostly root note chords .

 

[EMan]

I've been playing since the 50's and gigging since the late 60's. There have been only a very few times I've seen paper music on a gig, but it does happen. I played for a number of contractors in the 70's and 80's. They not only required that ALL music was committed to memory, but you had to do it in the original key. Obviously the music business has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. I gig about once weekly and still never use printed music. I just recently purchased a iPad pro and have digitized some of my music, but this is primarily for classical stuff, where the composition is 10 or 15 pages long and I mostly use it in my studio while practicing. There is nothing wrong with using music on a job, but it does slow things down, while you find the correct song, open it and get ready to play. Gigging with a group on a bandstand, IMHO, should be done w/o music. It makes the flow of music much smoother. But if you need the printed sheet and everyone in the group agrees that it's OK, then go for it.

 

[JeffJetton]

On one hand, I do get the idea that folk music is ideally learned by ear, since that's fundamentally what folk music is--tunes passed down aurally, with all the beautiful genetic mutations that go along with it. And in most cases there is no single "official" version of the tune anyway, so any notated chart is just going to be one person's particular way of playing it, which may or not be the way the musicians in your group play it. It's all about listening and negotiating.

On the other hand, if you've got a couple hours of new-to-you tunes you've got to play next week, if your memory as lousy as mine currently is, well... pass me that stack of dots!

IMHO, a fully-formed musician should aspire to hone both disciplines. I suspect that most jerk "earists" never really learned to read well and are self-conscious about it. And the jerk "notists" never developed their ears/memory much and are self-conscious about that too. Of course both reading and hearing/memorizing are skills that anyone can (and should!) develop and improve upon by doing it, as slow/frustrating/annoying as that might temporarily be. Of course, this often requires telling one's ego to go take a flying leap.

 

[Ffingers]

On one hand, I do get the idea that folk music is ideally learned by ear, since that's fundamentally what folk music is--tunes passed down aurally, with all the beautiful genetic mutations that go along with it. And in most cases there is no single "official" version of the tune anyway, so any notated chart is just going to be one person's particular way of playing it, which may or not be the way the musicians in your group play it. It's all about listening and negotiating.

On the other hand, if you've got a couple hours of new-to-you tunes you've got to play next week, if your memory as lousy as mine currently is, well... pass me that stack of dots!

IMHO, a fully-formed musician should aspire to hone both disciplines. I suspect that most jerk "earists" never really learned to read well and are self-conscious about it. And the jerk "notists" never developed their ears/memory much and are self-conscious about that too. Of course both reading and hearing/memorizing are skills that anyone can (and should!) develop and improve upon by doing it, as slow/frustrating/annoying as that might temporarily be. Of course, this often requires telling one's ego to go take a flying leap.

Jeff, it mayalso be a matter of individual capabilities more than conscious choices.
Ways of learning and individual responses to memory/patterning are quite diverse - which is where so many people are failed by a standardised 'education' system and rigid teaching methods.

 

[jozz]

There is nothing wrong with using music on a job, but it does slow things down, while you find the correct song, open it and get ready to play. Gigging with a group on a bandstand, IMHO, should be done w/o music. It makes the flow of music much smoother. But if you need the printed sheet and everyone in the group agrees that it's OK, then go for it.

I appreciate that - certainly about the flow of music and really being able to 'get into it' with each other which is nearly impossible with sheet.

But the overall process of session work is mostly not slower with sheet. Coming Saturday I play a gig of some 50 songs. A live rhythm section complete with horns, keys, rotating singers - 4 rehearsals total: on 8 weeks notice.

Maybe two songs I can do from memory because I had those earlier in another project or they are Dutch classics. This whole thing wouldn't have been possible without sheet both in preparation as on stage.

 

[debra]

When I was in music school, learning to play the piano (that's... from about 55 to 45 years ago...) once we were passed the beginner stage and started to have not only public performances but also public exams it was mandatory to play everything by heart. It's a matter of training your brain as well as learning to play the piano, but we all persevered and managed to master this.
But... later with the accordion, playing in an accordion orchestra, nobody played by heart, and that is also the case in other orchestras. It's basically: in an orchestra nobody plays by heart except for a soloist (if there is one) but generally when you play solo you play by heart.
Then... we moved, from Belgium to the Netherlands, and we discovered that here people who learn to play music almost never learn to play by heart. So it's a regional thing. I now rarely play anything by heart. Only when in an ensemble I play a solo on the accordina (doesn't happen often as I almost always play the bass accordion) I play the solo by heart. It's just easier because with the accordina I play standing up and can even make a few steps (depending on whether I'm on a wired mic or wireless). But I have seen that even in the conservatory solo players often perform using sheet music. Oh well... I like when a whole ensemble of musicians plays everything by heart, but I have learnt to accept that this is exceptional and that playing with sheet music is quite acceptable.

 

[EMan]

Only when in an ensemble I play a solo on the accordina (doesn't happen often as I almost always play the bass accordion) I play the solo by heart. It's just easier because with the accordina I play standing up and can even make a few steps (depending on whether I'm on a wired mic or wireless).

I agree with Paul. He, in fact, brought up another point. I had always played standing up, never sitting down; in fact to this day, I cannot sit on a standard height chair and play; I did purchase a "musician's" saddle, who's height is more like a bar stool which in my old age, suits me better, but I still cannot sit on a "kitchen" height chair. I see a lot of accordionists sitting on low chairs - can't do it. I still feel comfortable when strolling table to table standing and playing; it just seems more natural.

As far as the phrase "by heart", I thought I was the only one left that used that phrase. That's the way I always referred to playing by memory. Paul, apparently, there are two of us left in the world ! Ha HA !

 

[Pipemajor]

I agree with Paul. He, in fact, brought up another point. I had always played standing up, never sitting down; in fact to this day, I cannot sit on a standard height chair and play; I did purchase a "musician's" saddle, who's height is more like a bar stool which in my old age, suits me better, but I still cannot sit on a "kitchen" height chair. I see a lot of accordionists sitting on low chairs - can't do it. I still feel comfortable when strolling table to table standing and playing; it just seems more natural.

As far as the phrase "by heart", I thought I was the only one left that used that phrase. That's the way I always referred to playing by memory. Paul, apparently, there are two of us left in the world ! Ha HA !

There are more of us lurking in the shadows

 

[Thomas N]

My accordion teacher was old-school. I took lessons in the 70's and although we used printed music for lessons and practice it was never allowed on stage. Ever. He saw it as less-than-mastery of the material. As a product of his teaching I never used music on a job. In retrospect it was probably a mistake as I would often get a request that I didn't know and it would have been simple to pull up the sheet music and play on the spot. Instead I had to provide the obligatory "I'll have to learn that one and get back to you".

Now I'm older and it's a lot of fun to hear a song, look up the music and learn it. I notice that about 95% of the time I practice it is without music. It's almost all improvisation now on songs I've known forever. It still keeps everything fresh and fun. I really admire the players here that will perform Frank Marocco songs to perfection, or older accordion classics done well. I don't know why but I have no desire to do that. I guess after hundreds of hours of going note for note through Dizzy Fingers with my teacher looking on I just don't have it in me anymore.

 

[debra]

...

As far as the phrase "by heart", I thought I was the only one left that used that phrase. That's the way I always referred to playing by memory. Paul, apparently, there are two of us left in the world ! Ha HA !

I have never heard any other term for the phrase "by heart". I always found it funny because in my mother tongue (Dutch) the term uses "head", not "heart". If I ask Google translate to translate the Dutch phrase it does still translate to "play by heart". So it's more common than you think.

 

[Tom]

"By heart" is common in the US. Which is good because as people of a certain age, the heart tends to get larger as the head fades.

 

[Dingo40]

To learn something "off by heart", ie to memorise it, is the usual expression here in Australia (and applies to more than music).

 

[Pipemajor]

To learn something "off by heart", ie to memorise it, is the usual expression here in Australia (and applies to more than music).

Also in the UK. (at least to those of a certain age)

 

[JeffJetton]

Also in the UK. (at least to those of a certain age)

I have a Canadian friend who also says "off by heart". Here in the States you don't usually get the "off" though.

I've never really thought about it before, but I feel like, in my circles at least, you would say that you know something "by heart" when you've learned it more passively. As when you've just listened to a favorite song or watched a movie so many times that you now know it by heart. Or played a song from sheet music so much that you don't need the sheet music anymore. When you intentionally work on something though, saying that you know it "from memory" or "by memory" seems to be more common.

Then again, there's a song that I grew up hearing so many times that I know it by heart, which uses the term "by heart" in the sense of having intentionally learned something, so what do I know?