[journeyman1040]

Hi guitar tab universe player's ;

I just wonder , if any one out there , ever takes the time to learn how to read music.
I'm not talking about just chords, or guitar tabs !
I'm talking about picking up a sheet of music , studying it !!
first.. what key is the song in?
2nd .. what's the timing ?
3rd .. which bar's look tough ?

the reason I ask . Is because , at one time ,when I first played guitar ,
I played basic chords. Basic struming pattern's .
when I turned about 38, I decided I would teach myself how to read music !
Now, today I'm 42, I pick a song I always wanted to play ,study it about a week, and then play !!!!

I'm not saying I'm great. I still have trouble , but now I can take just about any song , study it and play it !!!

THe joy to play all your favorit songs!!!!

[Graeme! Yes, Graeme!]

This is something I said in a similar thread in Guitar Q&A:

Standard notation and sheet music offers so much more than tablature. Note pitch and duration, tempo, dynamics, technique. Yes, things can get complicated on the page - but that's generally when complicated music is happening anyway!

For guitarists, it's my opinion that a combination of tab and standard notation is the perfect set up. You can play notes that are enharmonic in a variety of places on the guitar, so having an element of tab involved means you can work out where the ideal fingering is. Combining that with notation means you also know what the note's length is, it's dynamic markings and so on. You get the complete picture of how something should be played.

[spacecrumbs]

I'd have to agree with Graeme on that, some things just aren't necessary to your average guitarist in sheet music.

[Graeme! Yes, Graeme!]

I'd have to agree with Graeme on that, some things just aren't necessary to your average guitarist in sheet music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Erm... I meant sheet music should be used. Because, like, it's good... you know?

[Will_Wood]

I'd have to agree with Graeme on that, some things just aren't necessary to your average guitarist in sheet music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Erm... I meant sheet music should be used. Because, like, it's good... you know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

parents just don't understand - Will Smith

[SmoothD]

This is something I said in a similar thread in Guitar Q&A:

Standard notation and sheet music offers so much more than tablature. Note pitch and duration, tempo, dynamics, technique. Yes, things can get complicated on the page - but that's generally when complicated music is happening anyway!

For guitarists, it's my opinion that a combination of tab and standard notation is the perfect set up. You can play notes that are enharmonic in a variety of places on the guitar, so having an element of tab involved means you can work out where the ideal fingering is. Combining that with notation means you also know what the note's length is, it's dynamic markings and so on. You get the complete picture of how something should be played.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't disagree with you if a person is very serious about playing, however, in my own case, I believe that close is...close enough. Besides I get a bit pissed off when someone tells me that I didn't strum Hey Jude or some other song the "right" way! For me, I think that I have the right to express myself and play things the way I want to. Music, like any artform is based on self-exression. At least that's my take.

JMHO

D

[shellshoe]

i think it's good for your brain to work on both. conceptually, speaking. making music is great but sometimes when i play i get the same feeling like i just did a big cross word puzzle. remember, the more you exercise your brain, the better off you will be when you're geriatric age.

[spacecrumbs]

I'd have to agree with Graeme on that, some things just aren't necessary to your average guitarist in sheet music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Erm... I meant sheet music should be used. Because, like, it's good... you know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with your opinion that the combination is best for the reasons you gave. I was just adding that I think some things in standard notation are unnesessary to many a guitarist, and can be simplified in tab.

[dogpoo]

people should just learn how to read standard notation, it's a great skill to have. i don't quite see why you have to study it for a week though, a lot of being a good musician (in the classical sense anyway) is about being able to sight read.

i'm not saying you should just pick it up and sight read it if you can't, but i think a week is kind of long. at the most, i'd say a couple of hours just studying it, and then working it out. there's alot to be said about sheet music, but for someone who knows a song, tablature works just as well, and is simpler.

[halfmoonbay]

Being able to read standard notation is a useful skill to have, it can make things easier, and sometimes it will open up possibilities and opportunities that wouldn't have been available if you couldn't do it (e.g. if a gig requires you to sight read a chart that's been put in front of you). But that being said, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to be a very good guitar player even if you can't read standard notation.

[mishmosh]

Well, I'm doing a music A Level in College which means I have to learn how to read it. I've only got 3 months to do it!

[Graeme! Yes, Graeme!]

This is something I said in a similar thread in Guitar Q&A:

Standard notation and sheet music offers so much more than tablature. Note pitch and duration, tempo, dynamics, technique. Yes, things can get complicated on the page - but that's generally when complicated music is happening anyway!

For guitarists, it's my opinion that a combination of tab and standard notation is the perfect set up. You can play notes that are enharmonic in a variety of places on the guitar, so having an element of tab involved means you can work out where the ideal fingering is. Combining that with notation means you also know what the note's length is, it's dynamic markings and so on. You get the complete picture of how something should be played.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't disagree with you if a person is very serious about playing, however, in my own case, I believe that close is...close enough. Besides I get a bit pissed off when someone tells me that I didn't strum Hey Jude or some other song the "right" way! For me, I think that I have the right to express myself and play things the way I want to. Music, like any artform is based on self-exression. At least that's my take.

JMHO

D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree completely with that/ Music is all down to interpretation, not just being a mechanical reproduction.

[AcousticSam]

The one thing that many "good" guitarists lack, is the ability to read music and understand basic theory. The best thing to do to help you improve your guitar skills, is take up another instrument.

Ive been playing guitar for about 9 years now. Im 16 years old. For the first 5-6 years i was a good guitarist, i could play any song my teacher put in front of me and tought me, and i could kind of improvise.

When i was about 13 years old, i took up piano, and enrolled in a music theory class at my school. Since then ive started writing for acoustic, and ive become a great improviser.

Many guitarists will say oh i dont NEED theory i have tabs thats all i want. In my opinion you cant call yourself a guitarist unless you understand the notes of the guitar.

I am now enrolled in the advanced placement music class at my school and i am looking into colleges such as Berklee, and North Texas school for jazz music. Theory improved my guitar playing so much, i cant really explain it all in one post.

[journeyman1040]

The one thing that many "good" guitarists lack, is the ability to read music and understand basic theory.  The best thing to do to help you improve your guitar skills, is take up another instrument. 

Ive been playing guitar for about 9 years now.  Im 16 years old.  For the first 5-6 years i was a good guitarist, i could play any song my teacher put in front of me and tought me, and i could kind of improvise. 

When i was about 13 years old, i took up piano, and enrolled in a music theory class at my school.  Since then ive started writing for acoustic, and ive become a great improviser. 

Many guitarists will say oh i dont NEED theory i have tabs thats all i want.  In my opinion you cant call yourself a guitarist unless you understand the notes of the guitar. 

I am now enrolled in the advanced placement music class at my school and i am looking into colleges such as Berklee, and North Texas school for jazz music.  Theory improved my guitar playing so much, i cant really explain it all in one post.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Theory improved my guitar playing so much,I can't explain it all in one post.

I agree !!
Wish you good luck ! "Acoustic SAM"

P.S I have some question's, maybe you can help ?
if your not to busy studying that GUITAR!

[sunday_girl]

Hi journeyman,
good name I watch a local blues band called the journeymen and they are great.
thanks for your pm it means a lot.
My music reading is coming along nicely the only problem that i had until recently was which notes to sharpen. (once you progress from beginners books they remove the sharp notes from beside the note)
Anyway i read that they place the sharp sign on the corresponding barr line so if the g needs to be sharpend the sharp sign will be there.
Its brilliant being able to read it as it makes so much sense (well it does now).

you find so much information written into it and can understand the timing and how everything fits together bass, melody, etc.

I'm glad i have learned and I know many people say its unnessasary to learn to be a great guitarist. But it was something I needed to do.
I may never be great, but i love what i do and thats important.

Rachel

[SmoothD]

Acoustic Sam said;
Many guitarists will say oh i dont NEED theory i have tabs thats all i want. In my opinion you cant call yourself a guitarist unless you understand the notes of the guitar.



I say;
I have guitars, I play songs on them, therefore, I am a guitarist! Look into some rock history and you will find accomplished guitarist who can't read a lick of music!
So, in my opinion, piss off!


D (Guitarist)

[Graeme! Yes, Graeme!]

Not everyone is lucky enough to be an intuitive musician and have that bit of their brain that can sort of work out the theory naturally. For everyone else, learning basic theory opens up your abilities and capabilities. Understanding the rules of what you are doing means you know how to break those rules.

[AcousticSam]

Acoustic Sam said;
Many guitarists will say oh i dont NEED theory i have tabs thats all i want.  In my opinion you cant call yourself a guitarist unless you understand the notes of the guitar. 



I say;
I have guitars, I play songs on them, therefore, I am a guitarist! Look into some rock history and you will find accomplished guitarist who can't read a lick of music!
So, in my opinion, piss off!


D (Guitarist)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

who do you think would write the better song... one who just plays songs on the guitar, or one who fully understands the theory related to the guitar. fine, maybe it was wrong of me to say those who dont know theory arent guitarists, but those who do know theory are certainly better guitarists.... so you piss off

[halfmoonbay]

Theory is essentially a way of explaining why certain things work well with each other and what should sound good together. There are times when knowing even a bit of the basics can be very helpful. There are some folk who know all about the technicalities of modes, keys, scales etc and can pull a song to pieces and analyse it in respect of that, whilst there are others who perhaps can't do that........ but at some level these people often have an intuitive grasp of how everything works and don't necessarily have more of a problem writing great tunes or in actually playing their guitar. And as a rule, if you play something that sounds good, odds are it'll fit in with some sort of theory that'll explain why it sounds good. A lot of those old blues players probably wouldn't have been able to explain what they were doing in terms of music theory, but it didn't stop them playing the guitar well.
Anyway, I'm not saying that theory isn't important. I've found that even the basics can take you a long way and can give you a better understanding of the music you play, but I don't believe that being a hardcore theory-head is the only way anyone will ever be able to play a decent tune on the guitar.

[SmoothD]

Acoustic Sam said;
Many guitarists will say oh i dont NEED theory i have tabs thats all i want.  In my opinion you cant call yourself a guitarist unless you understand the notes of the guitar. 



I say;
I have guitars, I play songs on them, therefore, I am a guitarist! Look into some rock history and you will find accomplished guitarist who can't read a lick of music!
So, in my opinion, piss off!


D (Guitarist)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

who do you think would write the better song... one who just plays songs on the guitar, or one who fully understands the theory related to the guitar. fine, maybe it was wrong of me to say those who dont know theory arent guitarists, but those who do know theory are certainly better guitarists.... so you piss off

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So now you've switched from playing guitar to writing songs. That's a nice way to cover a gaff but I am still inclined to believe that there are guitarist who don't have the indepth knowledge of theory that you evidently possess, who could write and/or play songs and harmonies that you'd never dream of until you heard them.

Maybe I'm alone here but I don't care for some noob with 9 posts telling me I'm not a guitarist because I don't think like him! So don't try to cram your opinion down my throat because it isn't going to happen!