[Smt-talk] ABSENCE OF LEAD SHEET

[Olli Väisälä]

Gregory Proctor wrote:

> Since I have been teaching graduate students primarily in the past  
> few years, I find myself using lead sheet notation more and more.  
> It is especially helpful in reminding them that what "inversion" a  
> chord is in is usually insignificant compared to its nature (triad,  
> added sixth, seventh)

and

> I meant to assert thaqt our notation is silly and that inversion is  
> overrated in classical music.

"Inversion is overrated in classical music." What interesting  
assertions we encounter in this e-mail list!

Indeed. Just think of all those stupid classical composers who  
bothered themselves with those overrated inversions and bass lines  
(if the composers of the ludicrous figured-bass tradition even  
realized they were writing "inversions"). Just imagine what a  
marvellous repertoire they MIGHT have created, if they only had had  
the wisdom presented above.

Olli Väisälä
Sibelius Academy
University of the Arts, Helsinki
ovaisala at siba.fi