What's The Deal With Sheet Music?

Most professional Jazz musicians read music. The advantages are that you can play a song you've never heard before. Plus there's more to Jazz than just how it sounds. Those are actual ideas based on theory, and you need to know your notes to run calculations in your head. For instance, if the song has a Bb7#11 chord, you need to know what note is a fifth above it to know what Jazz minor scale to use as a substitution.

Learning to read music is just part of "paying your dues" to be a professional quality musician. I don't mean to say you can't make great music if you're not a reader, because you can. I'm saying most of us mere mortals need to know more about theory if we want to operate at those levels.

The more information you have the more advanced your ideas can be. You can play a song without knowing the analysis of theory behind it, but your solos will never be as convincing or interesting as the person who know what the modulations are (key changes), and the correct modes for each chord or section. In short, the self taught player who doesn't read is not playing at the same level as the trained professional who does. We're not talking Punk Rock here, I'm talking about Jazz. The more you know, the better you can play.

If you want somebody to play something specific, you need to give them sheet music. If you just want them to make something up based on the chords, you can hand them a lead sheet.

If I wrote a song with a very specific bass line and I wanted it played exactly that way, I would write it out and hand it to the bass player. I wouldn't just hand him a chord chart and say "I've got something specific in mind, but I just want you to dick around until you figure out what I'm thinking" Get real! Just give him the damn part and tell him what to do.

If you wanted to learn Lester Young's solo from "Lester Leaps In", you would get a transcription of that solo, not a lead sheet (unless you felt like figuring it out for yourself).

I think it's pretty obvious. Sheet music is specific, lead sheets are not. You wouldn't hand an orchestra a lead sheet for a symphony.

It might be more rewarding to learn a song by ear, but it's a lot more convenient to use sheet music, especially for a gig.

I partly agree with you,but a lot of sheet music,even if it's the same song,can be different,and use chord parentesis,substitiution,versions,etc.

If accompaning a singer,it saves you to transpose to the singers prefered key:)

depends on the instrument

not all instruments are played the same way

yes but theres nothing wrong in playing and singing it exactly how others have written it to be performed.

Asking for and wanting sheet music shouldn't have to be justified.

not all instruments can be played with just chords :/

as a previous member in a orchestra, playing clarinet, oboe, flute I cant remember all that crap.