Tunes are often shared the old fashion way, learning the tune "by ear." But since it's hard to really "lock in" a tune when you first hear it, we find it lots easier to take home a piece of paper with the music written out.

Written music, when prepared by the composer, is a way the composer records his tune for others. Personally, I feel that if a composer puts the music on paper, that's his/her preferred way of having the tune played.

There are wonderful composers who don't read music and must depend on others to put it to paper. Bill Robinson, our dear friend, is one of the best musicians we know but he doesn't read music. Others put his music on paper. Often there are multiple versions of Bill's tunes, but that's certainly ok because Bill rarely plays a tune exactly the same way twice.

Since most of our music has been learned "by ear" and then put to paper, it may have lots of versions. That's the way with traditional music.