'Dr Liz Doherty Unveils Innovative Tool for Traditional Musicians to Read Music'

In an effort to assist and support fellow traditional musicians, the renowned Buncrana fiddler, known for his substantial contributions to the development of traditional music, has created an innovative new resource titled 'Read Music the Trad Way.'

This resource has been created to help traditional musicians, mostly those who rely on playing by ear, learn how to read musical notation for the very first time.

It has garnered enthusiastic praise from several of Ireland’s most renowned and established traditional musicians, such as Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Bill Whelan, and Martin Hayes.

Talking to the Journal, Liz mentioned that the capability of traditional musicians to read sheet music unlocks an extensive range of musical pieces and collections for exploration.

Liz spent numerous years working as a lecturer prior to establishing her own teaching business named 'I Teach Trad.'

This aids musicians in teaching, since being a musician and taking on a role as a teacher involve quite distinct skill sets.

After spending three decades in education, I realized there was significant demand for musicians specializing in teaching. The search for lessons is more prevalent than ever, with teaching being exceptionally busy. Many instructors often inquire about guidance on reading sheet music.

Liz mentioned that as a traditional musician, she used to be 'petrified' of this before.

I found it overly complex. Although I studied it both at school and during my piano lessons, I never became proficient in executing it smoothly. To me, it seemed more like a literary task.

I was looking for a method to pick up the language that suited my requirements. Studying via classical music seemed overwhelmingly challenging, and without being able to play an instrument, it felt as pointless as trying to learn how to swim from a textbook. It just didn’t work well for me.

Liz remembered that during her entrance exam at University College Cork, she performed a piano piece from memory rather than sheet music.

Once I completed it, the lecturer assessing me approached and flipped my book back to the correct orientation. I had winged it and was completely taken aback. I guess I harboured those fears and felt like an imposter throughout the process.

Nevertheless, she was set on 'conquering this ability' and thus approached it like a conventional artist.

I suddenly understood everything, and I wished someone had shared this approach with me earlier because it was incredibly logical. It occurred to me that I should package these insights specifically for traditional musicians, so they wouldn’t have to go through the decades of anxiety that I experienced.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Liz opted to create this method of learning as a resource for others and is now formally unveiling 'Read Music the Trad Way'.

It’s quite straightforward. The process involves four steps, tailored for traditional musicians.

This completely overturns what you know about reading music. Instead of starting with individual notes and progressing step-by-step, you begin with entire melodies and work your way backward. The elegant simplicity of this approach allows conventional musicians to read sheet music and play tunes directly from the page, often achieving this skill in just a few hours.

Liz has participated several times in the course at the Willie Clancy Summer School, and she mentioned that although everyone starts on Monday with hesitation, 'by Wednesday they've got it figured out'.

She mentioned that it 'unveils a whole new world' for numerous people.

“For a traditional musician, your ear is going to be the most important thing. ABC notation is handy for recall, but it doesn’t tell you anything about key or rhythm. Staff notation tells you about musical theory, but also gives you the key to unlock a whole new repertoire. If you can read for yourself then you don’t need a gatekeeper to tell you what tunes you might play.”

As Liz pointed out, traditional music 'exists for us now due to those initial collectors who documented it'.

Therefore, it holds significant importance within the whole scope, with numerous melodies yet to be unearthed since they remain concealed within these compilations, and we lack the expertise needed to uncover them on our own.

Liz, who co-teaches traditional music classes in Buncrana at Scoil Trad Bhuncranncha alongside Jim Woods, expressed her dedication to nurturing 'well-rounded, traditional musicians equipped with every skill necessary.'

Liz aimed to ensure the course would be available to everyone, allowing individuals to participate online at their convenience – ' anytime and anywhere.'

She has incorporated videos and examples, along with tips and practice resources, and added freshly composed tunes and exercises.

When engaging with conventional tunes, one key aspect is recognising the piece almost instantly upon hearing the initial sounds. However, this course deliberately includes instances where such immediate recognition isn’t possible. Each example has been crafted by me to avoid falling back on those well-known patterns. Everything here is fresh content tailored specifically for enhancing your abilities.

Liz will similarly provide the 'live experience' of taking the course at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy in Milltown Malbay this July.

The courses, certified by the Royal Irish Academy of Music, have been completed by individuals from all around the globe.

If you wish to join the multitude doing this, connect online at www.readmusicthetradway.com