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Author Topic: Dots?!  (Read 3002 times)

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A.J. Walker

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Dots?!
« on: October 30, 2014, 01:16:31 PM »

I don't recall in over 4 decades of playing music off-and-on of having heard the term "dots" as referring to standard music notation until I came to melnet. When I first read the term, found in such as " Do you have the dots or abc?", I thought maybe it was some cumbersome button tabulature!  :o

Is this a common term I just happened to miss over the years? A lazy-internet way to type one less letter than "music"?
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deltasalmon

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2014, 01:24:26 PM »

I never heard it until I started getting into trad/folk. I like in the US and assumed it was either a European thing or a folk thing.
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Helena Handcart

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2014, 01:30:37 PM »

I first heard it on a Mike Harding Album from 1970-summat when I was very little indeed.
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george garside

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2014, 01:34:15 PM »

purely descriptive as that's exactly what they are!

george ;D
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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2014, 01:35:08 PM »

Is this (...) A lazy-internet way to type one less letter than "music"?

No.

Typing music, in a google search for example, will get you all sorts ...none of which will not necessarily include standard music notation in the form of a sheet music manuscript.




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Graham

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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2014, 01:40:29 PM »

I got it from George when he infected me with melodeonitis at his beginner's workshop at Whitby around 2007.  ;D
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Matthew B

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2014, 02:04:37 PM »

My old friend Joe used to ask new musical acquaintances: "are you paper trained?"

I think such jokes may be the stock in trade of curmudgeonly old musicians.  Fortunately these are a rare thing here on melnet. 
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Bob Ellis

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2014, 02:26:50 PM »

I first heard the term 'dots' the late 1960s when I sang with the London Student Chorale. Our conductor, Roy Wales, was sometimes heard to mutter that we wouldn't make so many mistakes if we paid attention to "the bloody dots". So, it is not a recent term and it is not used exclusively by folk musicians.
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Howard Jones

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2014, 02:41:04 PM »

I agree, I don't think 'dots' is either recent or confined to folk.  'Tadpoles' is another expression I've heard.

We now have many different ways of sharing tunes.  'Do you have the music for that?' might once have been understood to mean sheet music, but now it could be conventional notation, abc, some other digital format, or even a sound file.  In our context it is particularly useful to be able to talk about converting between abc and notation - 'dots' is a convenient shorthand.

A.J. Walker

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2014, 02:51:49 PM »

Typing music, in a google search for example, will get you all sorts ...none of which will not necessarily include standard music notation in the form of a sheet music manuscript.
Try searching for dots!!
After pages and pages, the only musical references I found was dotted notes, repeat marks, and staccato.

But using the word "music" in context, as in asking for music, implies sheet music (paper or digital).
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TomB

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2014, 03:41:50 PM »

I've just entered several terms into Google search, dots, notes, score etc. without much intel on music, but as soon as I typed 'notation', it knew exactly what I wanted. Strange thing Google   (:)
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Graham Spencer

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2014, 03:53:03 PM »

I concur that "dots" is a term used by musicians in all genres, and I've been aware of it since I first began to play in public (though not melodeon - not even folk music) in the mid-sixties. It's certainly very common among jazz/swing/big band players.

Graham

PS - yes, it may well be a largely British habit (unless someone knows otherwise!).
« Last Edit: October 30, 2014, 03:55:40 PM by GPS »
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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2014, 04:58:58 PM »

Typing music, in a google search for example, will get you all sorts ...none of which will not necessarily include standard music notation in the form of a sheet music manuscript.
Try searching for dots!!
No Thanks!  Life's too short ;D

Quote
But using the word "music" in context, as in asking for music, implies sheet music (paper or digital).
Yes, I thought that was a given...

It's worth trying any search word or phrase once the usual ones have drawn a blank, I've had limited success with the title (if known) followed by pdf.

dots after the title works too e.g. Oh susannah dots 
or to put another way:
Using the word "dots" in context, as in asking for the dots, can provide them( or sheet music  etc. etc.  ;)
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Graham

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Anahata

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2014, 08:11:54 PM »

A Google image search is also often useful when searching for music scores.

Title and "sheet music" usually  comes up with something.
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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2014, 08:51:38 PM »

'Dots' is as old as the hills and is referred to by musicians in all forms of music. 
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arty

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2014, 09:14:56 PM »

'Dots' is as old as the hills 

Yes she is....she's in Eastenders isn't she? ???
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #16 on: November 05, 2014, 07:25:13 AM »

 ;D
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Malcolm Clapp

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Re: Dots?!
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2014, 10:23:04 AM »

Not wanting to lower the tone of the conversation, but I have been asked here in Oz whether I play "by ear or from blow-fly s**t".   :o

I've also heard the term "cockroach cr*p" from ear players as a derogatory term for written music, and a good sight reader described as "being able to read fly dots at 50 feet".

Just thought I'd like to share a bit of Oz kulture...... >:E

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