question on music notation

[Johneg]

So here is my question, is there any method that is between sheet music and tabs. Were the tabs show the notes (1/2, ¼ 1/16, etc), ties, accents etc., there is a lot sheet music that shows both, but my eyes are having trouble bouncing back and forth between the two.
Probably the answer to this question is that I should take the time and learn how to read music, but for me especially finger style, were you are playing multiple notes at the same time, it can get confusing very fast.
Thanks in advance

[MrBJones]

Some tab (lots, really) does in fact show rhythm in a somewhat rudimentary fashion. HERE's an example. But even then, it works best - in my humble opinion - when you can refer to standard notation.

[Archtop Guy]

I like your own answer: learning to read music is good.

I read pretty well for a guitarist. It's a great help in learning songs and new styles. You don't need to aspire to be a classical level sight reader, but just to read well enough to learn a song or a new technique in non-real-time. Be patient.

[Arthur Blake]

Originally Posted by Johneg

So here is my question, is there any method that is between sheet music and tabs. Were the tabs show the notes (1/2, ¼ 1/16, etc), ties, accents etc., there is a lot sheet music that shows both...

That's your answer.

Use the sheet music, and fall back on the tab when you need it, or vice versa - use the tab and check the sheet music when you want more info. on timing.

You don't have to try to read both at once!

[mercy]

You can write tab the same as notation, you just have numbers instead of circles.

[HHP]

There's nothing you can indicate in standard notation that you cannot duplicate in TAB. Most publishers don't go to the trouble or they put the TAB below the notation assuming you can refer to it if needed. TAB's only limitation is that it is restricted to a single instrument and tuning.

[DupleMeter]

The benefit to learning standard notation is that it is the standard for written music. You can communicate your ideas with other musicians who play other instruments.

Of course...I've been reading music since I was 8...so I'm naturally biased.

[GHS]

Find a good teacher and learn to read music. Thats it. It will open a whole new world for you.

[rick-slo]

Get tab produced by tab software that includes a midi playback.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by HHP

There's nothing you can indicate in standard notation that you cannot duplicate in TAB.

Probably true, but standard notation has the advantage of being an immediate graphic display of the shape of a melody. You can "see" the music in a way you can't with tab.

Also - btw - the reverse is true. There is nothing in tab that standard notation can't show - using classical guitar conventions.
Still, in both cases, there are some things that are simple to show one way, and complicated or confusing the other way. Showing notation and tab together is pretty failsafe, even if some of the info is redundant (shown on both staves).

I always prefer notation to tab when reading for guitar; but with banjo I think I prefer tab, because of the odd tuning of (5-string) banjo, and the standard right hand techniques. Banjo music in notation is not as intuitive to play as guitar in notation, IMO, because of the role of the high G string. But that's probably because I learned notation before tab, and guitar before banjo!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Johneg

So here is my question, is there any method that is between sheet music and tabs. Were the tabs show the notes (1/2, ¼ 1/16, etc), ties, accents etc.,

Yes, as MrBJones example.
However, to understand that, you have to understand some notation rhythm signs anyhow (beams, stems, dots, ties), so if you can read that, then you can read rhythms on notation too.
Mind you, while that form of tab rhythm shows 8ths, 16ths, etc well enough, it still doesn't distinguish clearly between 1/4, 1/2 or whole notes. Standard notation does that better.

There is another system which uses text above the tab staff (for ASCII display). w = whole; h= half; q = quarter; e = 8th; s = 16th, etc. The tab is also displayed proportionally, so you can also see the relative length of each note (which is actually clearer than the letter code).
Sibelius software (the full version) will translate notation automatically into this ASCII tab, as well as the usual tab staff. (Sibelius has the choice of tab with rhythms or without.)

NB: the entry version of Sibelius (First) automatically includes rhythms on its tab staff, and this can't be changed. Any guitarist thinking of buying it beware: it only supports standard tuning. No alternate tunings, and you can't edit the staves, as you can on the full version. (But you can use alternate tuning manuscripts donated by generous users of the full version.)

Originally Posted by Johneg

there is a lot sheet music that shows both, but my eyes are having trouble bouncing back and forth between the two.
Probably the answer to this question is that I should take the time and learn how to read music, but for me especially finger style, were you are playing multiple notes at the same time, it can get confusing very fast.
Thanks in advance

If you find yourself needing to refer to the notation for anything, that must mean you can already read notation to some extent! (rhythms at least). It shouldn't be too hard to learn the rest. There's no need to get good enough to sight-read (play from new music immediately). You only need to know how to find the notes.

Of course, with guitar, most notes are available in more than one place, so an additional tab staff can be handy (if the note positions are critical).
If I'm learning a fingerstyle piece, I can do it from notation alone, but tab will save me the intellectual effort of working out the positions . But I'd find it difficult to learn from tab alone, even tab with rhythms, because I like to "see" how the music will sound, and only notation does that.

[Johneg]

thanks to all of you for the great information. I can read music notation to some extent, when I was much younger, 50+ years ago, my family wasted money on me taking clarinet lessons for 5years, not a good experience for everyone involved. The instrument only required notation that showed a single tone at a given period of time. Playing the guitar requires a form of multitasking, and at my age it takes a little bit longer to comprehend what is on the sheet music and conveying the information from the mind to the hands. I have been playing for a little over a year and enjoy finger style. I have been trying to learn pieces in "Solo Pieces for Acoustic Guitar" by Mark Currey. I can play about half of the songs in his book, not to his level but enjoyable for me. But it is a slow process, which I am enjoying. Sometimes the music flows easy other times not so. I love the sound the guitar makes when the music is flowing smoothly, magical and the tones almost mimic a piano in tone but better.

one more comment, I tried taking lessons, didn't work out, not the instructor fault, I would practice until I thought I had it perfect, but when I went in for the lesson I would screw it up. I get nervous playing in front of people.

Again thanks for all the great comments

[naccoachbob]

I would not disagree at all with the idea of learning to read notation. But I bought Guitar Pro 6 a month or so ago, and for songs I'm learning, I print both notation and tab from it. I use the tab for fingerstyle mostly, but I'm also slowly learning to read notation. The tab on Guitar Pro shows the note durations and ties as well as slides, hammer on's and pull offs. To me, the best of both worlds.
You can buy "song books" thru GP6 or individual songs, and there are songs on the internet in that format which you can incorporate. I think it also allows for transposing keys, but I'm not sure. It does allow for different tunings, ie., open G. A couple of limitations of buying a song from GP that I've found is that I can't make changes to the notation or save the files to my hard drive. At least I haven't figured out how if it is possible at all. Of course, one could print the notation, then create a new song sheet and manually enter the notes. The files are on the web and accessible, but I'd prefer to have them on my drive. Not a deal breaker though.
Good luck,
Bob

[Johneg]

that sounds like a good way to go, what does it go for

[TBman]

Originally Posted by mercy

You can write tab the same as notation, you just have numbers instead of circles.

I have some tab that has that, Songsterr is like that. Its faster for me to absorb the note timing though with the notes drawn right now as this is new to me.