I had the incredible fortune to see the one of the legendary "Midnight Ramble" concerts last Saturday, hosted by drummer Levon Helm (The Band) at his home and recording studio in Woodstock, New York.

Expect a full write-up next week (after I get photos from Levon's people), but until then, let me emphatically state that you NEED to get yourself to Woodstock to see one of these shows. The atmosphere is informal (it's BYOB, and they put out food for guests), the surroundings are awe-inspiring, and the guest list is star-studded.

Saturday's show included a performance by Billy Bob Thornton and his band, as well as an impromptu appearance by Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. Musicians are first-rate across the board (many commuting to the show from New York City).

Although tickets for the show are expensive - $150 a pop - it's a show you'll remember for the rest of your life. Attendance is limited to a very small number (we guessed 150 people), so there is an intimacy to the experience you won't find at other rock and roll shows.

Tickets to the "Midnight Ramble" events are hard to come by, but if you check LevonHelm.com regularly, you should be able to grab a few when they come available.

Doug S. writes:
"My guitar teacher is telling me that I need to learn to read music, and I don't understand why. I'm 44 years old, and all I want to do is learn to play acoustic guitar with my friends. Is it really that important for me to learn to read music?"

"Should I learn to read music" is a question I get all the time, and my answer always is "it depends". In my opinion Doug probably doesn't need to learn to read music, considering his age (chances are he's not going to take up playing music professionally), and his aspirations. There are many notable pop musicians who can't read or write music (Paul McCartney being a prime example) who have nonetheless written some fantastic, complex songs.

Having said that, I believe it's important for young guitarists to learn to read music as part of their early training. Although a 13 year old new guitar player may just want to bash through three-chord heavy metal songs right now, who knows where they'll want to take their music in the future. By learning to read music now, they won't limit themselves later in life.

For guitarists like Doug, learning to read guitar tab will probably be enough to allow them to enjoy playing guitar. For guitarists who'd like to learn to read music on their own, I highly recommend A Modern Method for Guitar Vol. 1 by William G. Leavitt.