Have Rush used sheet music while composing their songs?

[Texas King]

I don't know so I'm asking you...

What do you know about this?

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I don't think any of them know how to read sheet music. Pretty sure they were all pretty much self taught, just playing along to their favorite records.

[edhunter]

No.

[J2112YYZ]

How would any of us know unless we were there when they wrote stuff?

[Bigbobby10]

How would any of us know unless we were there when they wrote stuff?

 

They could have said it in an interview or someone in the studio with them????

 

Or even pictures of them with sheet music in the studio?

 

kinda obvious

Edited January 13, 2018 by Bigbobby10

[patjnev]

Not likely . They would probably use charts . I kind of remember Alex referencing them in a interview. Charts are mostly handwritten notes used for reference. But like previous post stated they probably learned to play like most rock musicians by playing along to records. Thus using their memory mostly.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Not likely . They would probably use charts . I kind of remember Alex referencing them in a interview. Charts are mostly handwritten notes used for reference. But like previous post stated they probably learned to play like most rock musicians by playing along to records. Thus using their memory mostly.

 

Learning sheet music will teach you a lot (I mean a heck of a lot), but in the grand scheme of all things, it will not teach you music. That, you have to figure out yourself.

[HemiBeers]

Sheet music turns music into math. They probably used notes and charts, but playing to sheet music really slows the creativity process down. Al is sort of the 'accidental genius' that comes up with stuff by accident. You don't do that if you're following sheet music. So highly unlikely. Edited January 14, 2018 by HemiBeers

[Maverick]

Geddy once said he learned to read music when he began getting serious about playing piano in the late 80's or early 90's (I think it was an interview for Presto.) Maybe they used chord charts of some kind just for guidance. But I don't see anything being written in sheet music form, especially solos or anything like that.

[Tinwoodsman]

I bought a Rush guitar tab book published by Warner Bros. C 1995

 

Guitar Anthology Series (Rush)

 

It was transcribed by Hemme Luttjeboer, Wayne Cockfield, Eli Simpson and Bill Lafleur.

 

It has notes and tabs for 1 or 2 guitars and solos where applicable.

 

There are 20 songs in the book.

 

... looks like they are still available (used) for a little over ten bucks. (Ten bucks is ten bucks)

 

I dont think you'll find any rush written sheet music but the boys did write out some lyrics early on ... fly by night if I recall correctly.

Edited January 14, 2018 by Tinwoodsman

[EagleMoon]

I would seriously doubt it. I could see Neil using drum charts for complicated songs but that’s it.

[grasbo]

I don't think they would have written out the music and then played it as a lot of classical composers did.Beethoven was virtually deaf at the end of his (short) life but he kept composing because he knew what the notes would sound like.Session musicians for the most part would have to read music because the music would have been prepared in advance.One notable exception was when Steely Dan(Becker and Fagen) got Mark Knopfler in and handed him the sheet music.Knopfler admitted he couldn't read music and amazingly they let him have free reign.Most members of Yes in the 70s couldn't read.I would imagine that Alex,Geddy and Neil would be able to read music but like most bands they would just get in a room and just jam it out.

[edhunter]

I bought a Rush guitar tab book published by Warner Bros. C 1995

 

Guitar Anthology Series (Rush)

 

It was transcribed by Hemme Luttjeboer, Wayne Cockfield, Eli Simpson and Bill Lafleur.

 

It has notes and tabs for 1 or 2 guitars and solos where applicable.

 

There are 20 songs in the book.

 

... looks like they are still available (used) for a little over ten bucks. (Ten bucks is ten bucks)

 

I dont think you'll find any rush written sheet music but the boys did write out some lyrics early on ... fly by night if I recall correctly.

 

About a year or so ago I posted a link here to about 85 basslines that I had transcribed on my own or so since 1992. It spans every record in their catalogue.

[edhunter]

oops... Edited January 15, 2018 by edhunter

[goose]

Sheet music turns music into math.

Dream Theater?

[goose]

I don't think they would have written out the music and then played it as a lot of classical composers did.Beethoven was virtually deaf at the end of his (short) life but he kept composing because he knew what the notes would sound like.Session musicians for the most part would have to read music because the music would have been prepared in advance.One notable exception was when Steely Dan(Becker and Fagen) got Mark Knopfler in and handed him the sheet music.Knopfler admitted he couldn't read music and amazingly they let him have free reign.Most members of Yes in the 70s couldn't read.I would imagine that Alex,Geddy and Neil would be able to read music but like most bands they would just get in a room and just jam it out.

McCartney doesn't read sheet. (or didn't) Edited January 15, 2018 by goose

[toymaker]

I don't think Rush ever used sheet music, but they did start using some shit music in composing their songs later in their career.

[goose]

I don't think Rush ever used sheet music, but they did start using some shit music in composing their songs later in their career.

[grasbo]

I teach guitar and i usually say to my students or anyone who will listen that five of the greatest rock guitarists,Hendrix,Knopfler,Page,Angus Young and the brilliant Aussie Tommy Emmanuel cannot read music yet they feel,listen and use their memory and imagination to play.To play classical music you have to read music.With rock ,blues,jazz,country or anything else for that matter things get a bit more tribal and it is playing more from the gut.Despite Rush 's music being somewhat complex at times i would say it is the knowledge of the rudiments(see Neils drum videos) rather than a written out song that they would use.

[Lurkst]

I dont think you'll find any rush written sheet music but the boys did write out some lyrics early on ... fly by night if I recall correctly.

 

Fly By Night was the one album where the written lyric sheets made the album sleeve but they were done that way for most of their career. The Beyond The Lighted Stage film shows the handwritten lyrics for a number of songs.

I seem to remember Neil saying as much as he enjoyed using a computer to compose lyrics, he would always write them on a pad with a marker pen.