Quick question please

[shrews824]

Hey guys/gals,

I have a quick question if you don't mind and please forgive me for my very simple inquiry. I'm beginning to learn to read music on my own. I've always played by ear and/or visual references. I'm learning to read with very simple songs and song melodies so that I'm able to follow along on the staff, however there are a few things that I'm assuming without knowing for sure and I just want some clarification.

For example, on Coltrane's version of Blue Train, the series of bar notes (in the PDF link below) begins with a Db, yet the second "D" in that series is not shown as a flat. Is it understood that when a series of notes are in the bar format like this that the second "D" is flatted? When listening to the song and playing along it sounds as if both are flatted to me.

Thanks for any info you all could provide.

Cheers,
Scott

Doc Aug 18 2022 (1).pdf

[Tal_175]

Yes, the second D is also flat. Bar lines cancel accidentals. Also accidentals do not apply to other octaves (in this case D's are in the same octave).

[shrews824]

Yes, the second D is also flat. Bar lines cancel accidentals. Also accidentals do not apply to other octaves (in this case D's are in the same octave).

That's what I was thinking. Thanks for the clarification. Much obliged!!!

[Tal_175]

You're welcome. Also one other thing to note, if an accidental note is sustained over a barline (with a tie), then the barline obviously doesn't cancel the accidental for the duration of that note, since the note starts before the barline.

[shrews824]

You're welcome. Also one other thing to note, if an accidental note is sustained over a barline (with a tie), then the barline obviously doesn't cancel the accidental for the duration of that note, since the note starts before the barline.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks.

[alltunes]

Another point...some notation might use a "courtesy accidental". In your example if a D was in the second bar it would be D natural and the key signature tells you that but sometimes you might see the natural sign next to that D note giving you a little courteous hint that it is not Db anymore.

Good for you that your are leaning how to read standard. It's an invaluable tool and really not as difficult as people make it out to be. I always suggest a book of simple Christmas, Beatles or Nursery Rhyme tunes when first learning how to read but your are tackling it head on with that key!

[shrews824]

Another point...some notation might use a "courtesy accidental". In your example if a D was in the second bar it would be D natural and the key signature tells you that but sometimes you might see the natural sign next to that D note giving you a little courteous hint that it is not Db anymore.

Good for you that your are leaning how to read standard. It's an invaluable tool and really not as difficult as people make it out to be. I always suggest a book of simple Christmas, Beatles or Nursery Rhyme tunes when first learning how to read but your are tackling it head on with that key!

Appreciate it. Yeah, I've been playing for nearly 30 years, but never took the time to learn to read. It's something that I always knew would benefit me, but..... I no longer play out or play in bands anymore so I just play at home and since I still want to play as much as possible I thought this might be a great time to teach myself. Sure, it would be easier with an instructor, but I live in a very rural part of Kentucky where not a lot of folks play, much less teach!!! I definitely wanted to start with some simpler melodies so as not to get too overwhelmed. Songs that I already knew in my head as to how they should sound, etc.

[sgosnell]

Practicing reading using songs I already know how to play has been helpful to me. It seems to help having my fingers go to the note automatically, and seeing and hearing them together without having to search for the note on the fretboard. At least that's how I started, and it seemed to help me. I'm still not a proficient reader, mostly because I don't do it that much. I'm lazy.

[shrews824]

Practicing reading using songs I already know how to play has been helpful to me. It seems to help having my fingers go to the note automatically, and seeing and hearing them together without having to search for the note on the fretboard. At least that's how I started, and it seemed to help me. I'm still not a proficient reader, mostly because I don't do it that much. I'm lazy.

In my very short time of learning to read these are my thoughts exactly. Having my fingers automatically fall to the correct note on the neck and correlating that to the sheet music has been very helpful in my case. Just as mentioned in the above post, I could tell that it didn't sound correct yet I wasn't sure about the note on the paper. I'm going to try to read a little every day in hopes that it will become second nature. I'm not delusional enough to believe that I will ever be a sight reader like many on the forum are I'm sure, but I'd like to be able to look at a staff for a bit and read it and know the notes, key, and signature.