How to play Rush

[Liam]

[MCM]

LOUD!

[JRNYMAN]

That's about a fact!! Can you imagine if note-for-note sheet music existed for, oh I don't know, let's say YYZ for instance? There would literally be more black areas on the paper than white - especially Neil's sheets!

Even better, (and this just popped into my head...) imagine a cover band and Geddy's counterpart can only play while reading the music (can't play by ear or memorize anything, literally can't play a note without the sheet music in front of him!) so he's got this custom made music stand with the bass tab, keyboard sheet music, foot pedal tab and lyrics all laid out in front of him and his head is wildly scanning the pages in front of him, mere seconds from a nervous breakdown!! Back in my formative days of learning to play, mom insisted on me taking lessons from only teachers who believed in a strong classical foundation. 2 hours of practice every God damned day! Some of my theory and drill books had many, many pieces which covered more of the page with ink than not. God, I hated that part of the learning process. Don't get me wrong, the classical music and classical drills are essential for really becoming an adept, polished pianist, but OMFG is it boring and it's pretty fucking hard too!
Unfortunately, people who study and classical and only classical music end up being the very people I joked about above who can't play ANYTHING... Happy Birthday, Twinkle Little Star, NOTHING without the sheet in front of them. My sister is a prime example. You put the music in front of her and she'll play the fuck out of it like she's the one who wrote it - whether she's ever played it before or not! But ask her impromptu to sit down at a party or in a bar and play some background music.... Nope! Can't pull it off.