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Neil is planning to post some classical lessons - no tab, just music. I will have to pass, myself, because I'm way too old (and don't have enough time) to learn now. But it made me curious as to how many members can read. As a definition, let's say not just sight-read, but simply be able to learn a song using sheet music. Go....

Hi Walt,

I forgot to mention that I am working on a reading course that will demystify everything about reading and make it simple for even brain dead adults, I hope. You are my target audience with it and I bet you can do it with minimal time investment. I'll keep you posted and hopefully vice versa.

Neil

That's great, I'll check it out for sure, but my learning missions are pretty well mapped out, and I just don't have the time or brainspace for it. I certainly don't begrudge you putting some music-only lessons here for those whom it can help. It just made me curious, is all.

I took organ and cornet lessons as a kid, and had a very tough time of it. I tried Mel Bay for guitar when I was about 12, too, and I couldn't get my head around it. I regret not having tried harder at the time. One thing I might get out of elementary lessons, though, is some better knowledge of rhythm. I have natural rhythm, but I don't understand it intellectually at all. I can't count off a song, for example, but I can keep a beat with just about anything.

I have learned more theory here than I ever knew, and it's helped a lot, but actually learning to read would be a whole different thing for me than what I'm doing now.

when you get down to it, note reading is just another form of tablature. Most of the time, the sheet music will even tell you what position and string the tone is to be played on. Don't be discouraged.
John

As one of those brain dead adults, I would welcome a course like that, although I think I will still have a very hard time learning to read music. Let's give it a shot though !

Dave

kelemenj wrote:

when you get down to it, note reading is just another form of tablature. Most of the time, the sheet music will even tell you what position and string the tone is to be played on. Don't be discouraged.
John

Well.... not really. It contains a lot more information, for one thing. Such as rhythm. And it's another step, knowing the notes on sight, and mapping that instantly to the guitar (I'm not sure what you're referring to re: position/string, unless you mean notation with tab under it, which is what Neil already does.) Also, I don't sight-read tab, generally - I use it to learn and memorize the song.

There is, after all, a reason tab exists - because it's hard to learn to read music. It's certainly a worthy skill, and one I wish I had developed, but it's a skill all its own.

Dan- I learned to read music when I started playing guitar when I was a kid because tab didn't exist back then or at least I never saw it. But I'm pretty rusty at it. I suppose it's like riding a bike. LOL!

It isn't all that mystical. The lines in standard notation represent notes instead of strings. The bigger challenge is figuring out the bass clef. Same principle, just have to know the notes.

I can't wait for Neil's approach to it. One reason the musical world thinks guitarists still drag their knuckles is we don't read standard notation sheet music. It's kind of a shame really.

Great question!! :cheer:

Nope. I actually struggle to read TAB so I'm tipping I won't find reading music easy. I'm in two minds as to the value of devoting time to learning it, but ive always felt that no learning is wasted, so never say never I guess.

tovo wrote:

Nope. I actually struggle to read TAB so I'm tipping I won't find reading music easy. I'm in two minds as to the value of devoting time to learning it, but ive always felt that no learning is wasted, so never say never I guess.

I can't disagree with that, but there's so much stuff I want to learn and am learning-- musical and otherwise -- that I have to pick and choose. I have a big queue of lessons waiting for me, with the tabs all printed out and everything. Plus I have the problem where, every time I see or hear a musical instrument, I want to learn how to play it. Watching "Treme" makes we want to take up the trombone, for example. I have to let that dream go, too. (Though I still mean to get to the banjo eventually.)

unclewalt wrote:

tovo wrote:

Nope. I actually struggle to read TAB so I'm tipping I won't find reading music easy. I'm in two minds as to the value of devoting time to learning it, but ive always felt that no learning is wasted, so never say never I guess.

I can't disagree with that, but there's so much stuff I want to learn and am learning-- musical and otherwise -- that I have to pick and choose. I have a big queue of lessons waiting for me, with the tabs all printed out and everything. Plus I have the problem where, every time I see or hear a musical instrument, I want to learn how to play it. Watching "Treme" makes we want to take up the trombone, for example. I have to let that dream go, too. (Though I still mean to get to the banjo eventually.)

Agree with what you say. Actually it's a topic that has been on my mind since i decided to devote my main effort to electric blues. I sure don't want to lose the modest gains I have made on acoustic, so I still need to split my time. Add to that my very ordinary theory knowledge that I'd like to improve...gee there just isn't enough time in the day (or night) So definitely end up having to prioritise.