okay, killed that virus..now. *deep breath*

I have lost count of the number of people who have tried to teach me to read music. But among them are included two nieces, a nephew, two sisters, a mother, a grandmother, 4 profesional music teachers, two choir directors,several organists, a mortician, and a psych professor. that I can remember off the top of my head. oh - and the model from the fur company - I REALLY wanted to learn from her!!!! Several of them *I* taught various mnemonics and the clefs, etc. but after, as I have said before, nearly 40 years of trying, I still do not READ music. I CAN labouriously translate it into a meaningful form for myself, but it is a long and difficult task (except inputing into Noteworthy, for which I am supremly grateful and joyously will use). And I work with the blasted stuff at least several days each week. I have done more than "think" I've tried. I have tried about every way there is in the book. and probably several that aren't.

using the alphabet analogy, there are far more then 7 letters to the musical alphabet. There are the various flatted or sharped notes between the "letters". then there is the fact that it is POSITIONAL notation, which depending on the modifiers to the basic staff, means the same "letter" can appear in several different locations, yet "be" exactly the same. In ADDITION to which, the "letter" can change it's location, but be modified so it means exactly the same thing. PLUS the "letters" relate to tones that can be sounded. (ANd I have also been unable to reliably learn the tones....that's a whole 'nother story) and that's leaving out timing and duration and accents and expression. But I am concerned with the basic "alphabet" if you will

I'm sorry - it's like someone learning to read being told "feline", "felis felix domestica","chat","kitty"and "puss" all mean "cat". (Which they do) Or trying to learn mathematics with a varying mix of arabic, mayan and roman numerals in base 4, using an abacus.

and the freaking modifiers aren't even next to the "letters"! They are way over there!!