I can play music once someone plays it for me and or teaches me how slowly, but if someone was to just hand me music and tell me to practice I would never learn it. Is there something wrong with me?
I have no disabilities I play the snare drum for 7 years and I was just wondering if anyone else has the same “feature” or same thing
It's the way many folk learn to play, on many different instruments. It's the way children learn many things - 'monkey see, monkey do' - no offence intended - I learn/ed a heck of a lot that way, and not just music.
It works until there's a situation where there's no opportunity for someone to show you what to do, but the music is available. Then you're stuck! Either fluff it, or look as though you can't really hack it!
At least with snare, there's only rhythm to contend with, unlike most other instruments, where there's notes (the actual pitch) as well, on the lines and spaces. So learning rhythm reading for snare is simplified. And worth looking at. You'll look at some patterns and think - ah, I already play that, that's what it looks like on paper. What's to lose?
There's nothing wrong with you, it's just that so far, you've been lucky to have someone to show you, or access to youtube, etc., but to be a good muso, the capability to read enhances your chances, and particularly just on snare, it's not onerous. Go for it!
Of course there's an issue. You are unable to use the most efficient method of accessing a new piece of music.
Whether this issue hampers your chosen sort of music-making, only you can say. Do you play with other people? Can THEY read music? Are you holding them up in playing a new piece because you can't read and they can?
I'm delighted to hear that you don't have any disability that prevents you from becoming a fluent reader. So, if reading would make your (and your group's) music making more efficient, get to it!
Or don't. Muddle along as you have been doing. But, sorry, I'm not going to validate that decision. Reading is an asset. Not being able to read is an issue.
There are lots of people who can play music but can't read it (or read poorly). This is a problem if you ever need to (or want to) read music. This is not a problem otherwise.
As a snare drum player, you probably encounter written sheet music often, so I'd say yes it is likely a problem. You can learn to read music, but it will take effort and lots of practice. If you were playing, for example, drum set in a punk rock band, you probably would not see a lot of sheet music- and thus being unable to read it would not be a problem.
It seems to me many musicians are the same as you. They can play by ear but cannot read music.
Do you want to be able to read music?
The only thing I can think of that would be wrong is if you want to read music but don't put in the practice time to be able to do it.
If you want to analyze music, study theory, or get into technical discussions about music, it's hard to imagine doing those things with any depth, without knowing how to read music.
Two personal comments:
Whenever I see a drummer sight read, especially for drum kit, I'm really impressed. It makes me think that person's a rhythm machine! Maybe that can inspire your reading in some way.
My dad plays sax, local bands, oldies style music. Audiences always enjoy his playing. But all through school band he faked it like you. What do you think he says all the time now? "I wish I learned theory, I wish I learned to read..."
Just start reading now, and strive to make it a daily habit. Read at level you can handle.
Notated music is not the same thing as the actual music it represents. ("The map is not the territory.") As you've discovered, there are multiple ways to learn that music. Many musicians learn primarily by ear, for example.
In 99.9% of the professional situations I've been in, I was required to learn the music by listening to a recording. Changes were created in rehearsals, and memorized on the spot. Even in the studio (in my experience) producers preferred to give direction without written notation. (But many studio gigs do require that you can read notation or Nashville number system.) And some of the best performers of all time never learned to read notation.
Situations where it would be important would be for classical music, orchestral gigs, broadway gigs, rehearsing for and performances with marquee names, and studying music at university.
Also, if you are learning jazz in a university (or similar setting) and play a melodic or melodic + harmonic instrument, it's likely you'll be learning tunes from a "fake book" (compilation of "heads" - aka melodies - and chord changes).
