|
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Quincy Jones on Music Theory
Quincy Jones on Music Theory
Page:
1
STME58
443 posts
May 29, 2013
10:28 AM
|
I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard this from Quincy Jones. I thought it was a good summation of how music theory fits into making music. Good music comes first, theory then comes along to try to explain and communicate it.
“JONES: Well, he - I had written a suite I had been working on for a long time called "From The Four Winds," and it was almost a descriptive piece. And I didn't understand theory too well then, but I just went ahead straight. It didn't stop me from writing.
I didn't understand key signatures or anything, you know. I'd say silly things at the top of a trumpet part like note, when you play B naturals, make the B naturals a half step lower because they sound funny if they're B naturals. And some guy said: Idiot, just put a flat on the third line and it's a key signature, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
JONES: And so - because it didn't bother me that I didn't understand that, because I knew eventually I'd learn it. And so I gave this arrangement to - submitted this to Lionel Hampton. And he said you wrote this, huh. I said yeah. He said yeah, you play the trumpet, too. I said yeah. He said, yeah, well, he said how'd you like to join my band, please.”
You can read or listen to the whole interview here;
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/27/186052477/quincy-jones-the-man-behind-the-music
|
timeistight
1240 posts
May 29, 2013
11:45 AM
|
He also said,As kids, we were pretty cocky because we had a great band. We could read music very well. And we did everything. It was a show band, too. So we got most of the jobs that came around. It was nice. We played with Billie Holiday in '48, behind her. And then in '49, we played with Billy Eckstine and Cab Calloway and all the bands that came through, so we were pretty confident in those days. andBird would come next door. He loved to read music. And he was starring next door with like the 52nd Street All-Stars, the BeBop All-stars, and they were looking for him next door.
It was time for him to play his set. And he's sitting over there in our band playing second tenor because he loved to read music. And he's sitting in for an hour while people next door are waiting to hear him as this genius of the 20th century. And he's over there playing second tenor parts to practice his reading because all the musicians read music back then.
(Emphasis added.)
Last Edited by timeistight on May 29, 2013 11:48 AM
|
didjcripey
551 posts
May 29, 2013
12:49 PM
|
Being able to read music doesn't necessarily imply a knowledge of theory, just as being able to read doesn't mean that you understand grammar or syntax.
I could read german, for example and have no idea what the words mean.
----------
Lucky Lester
|
STME58
444 posts
May 29, 2013
1:04 PM
|
When I heard the interview, the comment about all of the musicians being able to read back then, struck me. I expect that comment refers to the circle of people Quincy was around at the time.
I would be surprised if the number of musician who play only "by ear" compared to those who can read is much different between now and then. (Of course even if you are reading you had better be using your ear!) If anything I would expect more readers today. I am biased though, as most of my musical experience is band and orchestra where reading is a requirement.
I agree that being able to read is quite different than understanding theory. In fact, if all you do is read, you may even hinder learning the working elements of music.
I love the anecdote here about a musician that so loves to read music that he is absent from his own performance because he is so absorbed in reading a second part with another orchestra. What a picture this paints of the time and the people!
Last Edited by STME58 on May 29, 2013 1:16 PM
|
The Iceman
889 posts
May 29, 2013
1:39 PM
|
Back in those days, jazz players read because most of the gigs were in big bands or ensembles w/chart books and arrangements written out. Even these days, the same is true.
Only a few did not read....Chet Baker was one, but probably learned to read as time went on.
----------
The Iceman
|
timeistight
1241 posts
May 29, 2013
2:30 PM
|
"I could read german, for example and have no idea what the words mean."
You won't get a job reading German unless you can also speak it well, just as you won't get a job reading music unless you can play what you're reading.
When Jones says "We could read music very well," he's talking about reading on the gig, not sitting by the fire with a folio on your lap.
|
nacoran
6825 posts
May 29, 2013
2:59 PM
|
Reading music is very useful for learning theory, and theory can help teach you neat tricks you might not learn otherwise. In a world where you can look up a YouTube video or send an MP3, with monitors pointing right at you it may not be as important, but I really think that both knowing a bit of sight reading and knowing the layout of a piano keyboard are pretty useful for understanding music (knowing the piano keyboard might be even more important).
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
Post a Message
|
