Starting music in Second Year...

tedobrien98

In our school, music is not available in first year. It can only be taken on in second year, and depending on the numbers, we might have to go over to the convent to do it. In my year there are only two of us going to do it, so we will be heading over in September. I was wondering, do you need to be able to read music for the junior cert? I can play both guitar and piano very well, I took guitar lessons from when I was 6 until I was 11 and just played away since, and I have played piano by ear since I was very young... I have heard that playing everything by ear is a bad habit to have when wanting to learn to read music, but also that being good at languages helps it, so I don't know what to believe.

Also, do we all play the same instrument or do we play our own?

spurious

You need to understand sheet music, know the notes etc., but not necessarily read it well enough to play an unknown piece from the sheet music.

You can play or sing on your own or with someone accompanying you.

tedobrien98

spurious wrote: »

You need to understand sheet music, know the notes etc., but not necessarily read it well enough to play an unknown piece from the sheet music.

You can play or sing on your own or with someone accompanying you.

Ah that'll be grand so. I kinda already know a bit about how it works etc. lines and spaces, all that jazz... I wouldn't be able to play anything from it though, whereas I would without it.. Thanks for that!

anirishlad

If your music class is anything like mine the teacher will teach you the rhymes that let you know the notes and its not a major thing, once you learn the rhymes you'll be grand.

Also you'll play your own instrument but the teacher might teach the class the tin whistle for example, just to get the students who dont reach a good enough standard on there own instrument through the practical.