Do they proof-read music books?

Wolfi65 · 08-20-2015, 09:01 AM

I'm referring to the notes, not the text.
I do wonder sometimes, I have now come across several song books - various genres, artists, bands - in which the notation simply does not match any recordings I'm familiar with.

bluesfool · 02-27-2016, 12:43 PM

It's been said don't believe everything you read. I've had TAB books where mistakes were plentiful. Actually, I use TABs as a reference point to learning songs, What key it's in, cord sequences, and the general feel of the song. I don't use TABs for note-to-note.

DoctorRadio · 03-03-2016, 04:19 AM

Proof reding seems to be something that has gone right out of the window, on forum posts too. In some cases, it doesn't matter, so long as the message gets through. But in tuition and music books, its vital as you can end up teaching students the wrong thing. It can't take that much extra effort to get something proof read, surely? It shouldn't be the original author, as your brain KNOWS what you are trying to say so just assumes it reads that way. Should always be another person proofing who knows the subject. And is a bit of a
pedant!

Stephen · 03-03-2016, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoctorRadio

Proof reding seems to be something that has gone right out of the window, on forum posts too.

ahem

DoctorRadio · 03-03-2016, 06:14 AM

Oops, sorry about that Stephen. What a faux pas! Still, it made me think of Otis!

SatoshiNak · 03-03-2016, 05:35 PM

The ...And justice For All tab book is by far the worst I've ever seen, the first time I sat down and looked at it, it was as if whoever transcribed it was on acid. I've read since that they just went with a "ballpark" estimate of the songs...wtf!? There are a few out now actually transcribed by the musicians or like with the new Death tab book, it was transcribed by Steffen Kummerer and Danny Tunker from the Death To All tribute band/tours.

wrong note rod · 04-05-2016, 11:38 AM

Charting music is always interesting. I dont know if you guys are in bands and so you sometimes find the need to go search for chords to a new song on the internet - but the mistakes are often incredible.

Even music books I've bought, its almost like a piano player charted for Metallica or something, somebody who didnt really understand the mechanics of modern heavy metal guitar playing.

You can chart any measure in any number of ways. I once saw an Abba chart where the writer changed the tempo, just for one measure, to do a full measure REST. LOL!

crazy stuff.

The Batlord · 04-05-2016, 11:50 AM

Nah, they just overdub 'em.

bob_32_116 · 04-05-2016, 12:40 PM

I believe a lot of modern popular music is "written" by someone playing the tune they have in their head, someone else picking it up, the original composer saying "that's not right, it goes like this..." etc. They probably do not actually write it down at all. Indeed, many modern musicians cannot actually read or write musical notation.

That means when you get a book of sheet music, it's someone else's rendering of what they heard. I remember when I first started getting interested in music, buying sheet music of several popular hit songs, playing them on the piano, and being surprised to find they did not reproduce what I was hearing on record. The tunes were correct, the main notes of the melody were there, but many of the extra notes, the "grace notes", were omitted, and in a few cases the chord assigned to a note was not the same chord that was played on the recording.

08-20-2015, 09:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
Wolfi65 Groupie Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 35	Do they proof-read music books? I'm referring to the notes, not the text. I do wonder sometimes, I have now come across several song books - various genres, artists, bands - in which the notation simply does not match any recordings I'm familiar with.

02-27-2016, 12:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
bluesfool Groupie Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 43	It's been said don't believe everything you read. I've had TAB books where mistakes were plentiful. Actually, I use TABs as a reference point to learning songs, What key it's in, cord sequences, and the general feel of the song. I don't use TABs for note-to-note.

03-03-2016, 04:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
DoctorRadio Groupie Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: East Riding of Yorkshire Posts: 21	Proof reding seems to be something that has gone right out of the window, on forum posts too. In some cases, it doesn't matter, so long as the message gets through. But in tuition and music books, its vital as you can end up teaching students the wrong thing. It can't take that much extra effort to get something proof read, surely? It shouldn't be the original author, as your brain KNOWS what you are trying to say so just assumes it reads that way. Should always be another person proofing who knows the subject. And is a bit of a pedant!

03-03-2016, 06:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
DoctorRadio Groupie Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: East Riding of Yorkshire Posts: 21	Oops, sorry about that Stephen. What a faux pas! Still, it made me think of Otis!

03-03-2016, 05:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
SatoshiNak Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 51	The ...And justice For All tab book is by far the worst I've ever seen, the first time I sat down and looked at it, it was as if whoever transcribed it was on acid. I've read since that they just went with a "ballpark" estimate of the songs...wtf!? There are a few out now actually transcribed by the musicians or like with the new Death tab book, it was transcribed by Steffen Kummerer and Danny Tunker from the Death To All tribute band/tours.

04-05-2016, 11:38 AM	#7 (permalink)
wrong note rod Groupie Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 23	Charting music is always interesting. I dont know if you guys are in bands and so you sometimes find the need to go search for chords to a new song on the internet - but the mistakes are often incredible. Even music books I've bought, its almost like a piano player charted for Metallica or something, somebody who didnt really understand the mechanics of modern heavy metal guitar playing. You can chart any measure in any number of ways. I once saw an Abba chart where the writer changed the tempo, just for one measure, to do a full measure REST. LOL! crazy stuff.

04-05-2016, 12:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
bob_32_116 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: 32S 116E Posts: 324	I believe a lot of modern popular music is "written" by someone playing the tune they have in their head, someone else picking it up, the original composer saying "that's not right, it goes like this..." etc. They probably do not actually write it down at all. Indeed, many modern musicians cannot actually read or write musical notation. That means when you get a book of sheet music, it's someone else's rendering of what they heard. I remember when I first started getting interested in music, buying sheet music of several popular hit songs, playing them on the piano, and being surprised to find they did not reproduce what I was hearing on record. The tunes were correct, the main notes of the melody were there, but many of the extra notes, the "grace notes", were omitted, and in a few cases the chord assigned to a note was not the same chord that was played on the recording.