My sight reading is terrible...

[TBman]

If it wasn't for GuitarPro and listening to the mp3 I would be lost in space.

I won't be quitting my day job any time soon. Anyone else notation challenged?

[JAMKC]

I’m hopeless!

Can't say I like standard notation or tabs. I'm more of a watch and/or listen kind of learner. Whatever works IMHO. It's not like I'm making a living off this guitar stuff that"s for sure so who cares how I get there in the end.

[Imbler]

For me, the key was to sight read lots of easy music. When I would work on a piece maxing my skill level, I basically studied the piece to play it, so I didn't help my reading skills.

But reading through exercise books, song anthologies, etc. below my skill level, I was able to focus on the reading, not the playing.

And then, of course, gradually increase the difficulty of the music you sight read.

Now, I still don't sight read like a studio musician, but then I don't play like one either

But at least for me, that gave me pretty quickly noticeable reading increases.

[BFD]

I'm pretty much in the same boat. If I'm just learning melody lines for playing fiddle or mando (or guitar), it's not too bad. Mind you, I'm not sight reading I'm learning, but it's an OK method for me. But for complicated stuff, with several moving lines, with different/overlapping time values, like fingerstyle arrangements - forget it. I rely more on sound files & fill in w/music or tab (or my own ideas).

[stanron]

Your ability to read notation depends on the amount of time you have practiced reading notation.

The amount you practice reading notation ought to bear some relationship to how much you need to read notation. If you don't need to read notation why practice reading notation?

If you want to get work where reading notation is required then that is a good reason to practice it.

If you are in a situation where reading notation will make you a better player then that is a good reason. There will be other good reasons.

If you have some vague idea that you ought to be able to read because others have praised that ability then that is not such a good reason and may not sustain your persistance in practice.

We all have limited time for practice. Consider your priorities regarding the purpose of your practice.

If your purpose is "Money for nothing and chicks for free", reading notation might not cut it.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by stanron

Your ability to read notation depends on the amount of time you have practiced reading notation....

Just like everything. Practice, practice, practice.....

[1neeto]

I need 5 minutes to read a measure of standard music notation. [emoji23]

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Can't say I like standard notation or tabs. I'm more of a watch and/or listen kind of learner. Whatever works IMHO. It's not like I'm making a living off this guitar stuff that"s for sure so who cares how I get there in the end.

Same for me. I simply can't relate dots on staffs with music.

I was at a bluegrass camp some years ago, and the tutor (I'll not name him - nice guy, great player, but not a great teacher) simply handed out sheets of tablature, then played the piece and left us to it.

I stuck this for a couple of says and asked, "Would you please, just play through that slowly and allow me to stop you and ask if I don't follow. He looked embarrassed but did as I asked (twenty "students" sat quietly behind me).

We went through the piece about three times,. then I played it back albeit with some slight variations.

We broke for lunch, and before long, one other chap asked me to show him and soon I found myself teaching five or six - not because I was clever but because they could learn from watching me play it.

The tutor strode up and asked (a little irritably) "what's going on?"
I explained and we went back in for another page of dots.

I loved attending the annual camp, mainly because of the friends you met and made, forming scratch bands for the evening shows, and the beery jam sessions, but I stopped going, esp. when I'd paid to study mando with Mike Compton but became too ill to go - and they refused to refund my fee even though the class had a waiting list.

One or two tutors didn't use tablature, but none used notation.

[dkstott]

I'll gladly take tab or notation over the workshops I've attended where nothing is given out.

Especially when the instructor doesn't allow recordings of the lessons

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Same for me. I simply can't relate dots on staffs with music.

I was at a bluegrass camp some years ago, and the tutor (I'll not name him - nice guy, great player, but not a great teacher) simply handed out sheets of tablature, then played the piece and left us to it.

I stuck this for a couple of says and asked, "Would you please, just play through that slowly and allow me to stop you and ask if I don't follow. He looked embarrassed but did as I asked (twenty "students" sat quietly behind me).

We went through the piece about three times,. then I played it back albeit with some slight variations.

We broke for lunch, and before long, one other chap asked me to show him and soon I found myself teaching five or six - not because I was clever but because they could learn from watching me play it.

The tutor strode up and asked (a little irritably) "what's going on?"
I explained and we went back in for another page of dots.

I loved attending the annual camp, mainly because of the friends you met and made, forming scratch bands for the evening shows, and the beery jam sessions, but I stopped going, esp. when I'd paid to study mando with Mike Compton but became too ill to go - and they refused to refund my fee even though the class had a waiting list.

One or two tutors didn't use tablature, but none used notation.

[s2y]

I was ok in college. I haven't really done it since then, so I'm painfully slow. Plus, who decided to make it so small? I squint a lot, even with glasses.

[icuker]

I was always intimidated by the concept until a few years ago. I bought the Basic Mel Bay series, first couple of books and William Leavitt's first book (just to give me some variety) and learned the notes placement fairly quickly through that. They start out real basic and move on from there. The trickiest part, of course, is reading the rhythm. I just try and break it down slowly by doing the counting or foot tapping to help, but sometimes the only way I can catch on to that is to listen to the tune, so I've still got lots to learn. But I will say I am very glad I did start the process, now I can get a book from the junk store or whatever and start to learn tunes I had never heard of before. It's actually been fun to learn.

[Laughingboy68]

I’ve found a great way to improve my reading. I joined a secular choir a couple of years ago and it has helped immensely (and transferred to my guitar reading as well). I also played with a guitar choir for a one off gig. It was 65 guitars in 4 sections playing an original score. That was notated and tabbed.

I usually make the excuse that most of the great guitar players that I’ve seen and played with can’t read that well either