How many of us can read music?

[thefsb]

Yes, but only up to about 12 bpm. More like 4 if it needs to be accurate.

[Joe Beamish]

The notes, yes, the rhythms not so much.

[k_russell]

Originally Posted by bkepler

I’ve found that there’s a correlation between amount of extra stuff written and how much they ignore rhythmic value or rests (which they rarely mark).

Definitely harder to ignore that stuff if you mark it.

[k_russell]

Yes, I read music. My public school, primary education, included learning to read music.

[colchar]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

[*]In practice it's no harder to actually read standard notation than tab - and as stated above, there's always the option of annotation for difficult fingerings

Tab tells you exactly which string and fret to play. Notation requires a translation.

[*]Standard notation uses, in addition to the notes themselves, markings for tempo, dynamics, and interpretation which allow you to play a piece as the composer intended without an audio guideline;

Tab includes those as well. And often tab is combined with standard notation.

FYI orchestral-string/woodwind/brass/keyboard/percussion players don't "do tab";

Drums do.

Quite frankly that request always sent up a red flag, that this person wasn't/isn't serious about their musical pursuits:

So not wanting to become a pro means one is not serious? Can one not play guitar as a hobby, and are those who desire nothing more than that not worthy of lessons?

Considering tab a red flag is ridiculously elitist.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by k_russell

Yes, I read music. My public school, primary education, included learning to read music.

Yes, it takes a fourth grade intellect to learn to read music. I'm not saying anyone should learn to read music, or would be a better guitar player if they could, I'm just saying that it isn't that hard to learn if one wants to.

I consider reading tabs as reading music. You have a piece of music in front of you and you're reading off it to play the piece. That's reading music. So if you are reading tabs, you can read music.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by rllink

So if you are reading tabs, you can read music.

Can't say I agree with that.

Let's say I've heard you play and I like it and you've told me "I can read music."

So I refer you to a bandleader for a gig that requires reading sheet music. If you show up and can't read standard notation, you're not getting called again, and I AM getting called-- and probably getting called a lot of stuff

[Jaxon]

still waiting to hear a formal trained music reader play Terraplane Blues...waiting, still waiting....







walk on by a blowhard

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

still waiting to hear a formal trained music reader play Terraplane Blues...waiting, still waiting....







walk on by a blowhard

That's an odd flex...I mean, all it would prove is that someone with a music education could play a song that already existed. Which a good player certainly could.

[reeve21]

I learned to read music playing a horn in the school band.

I learned to read chord charts when I started strumming a guitar in college.

Then got away from playing music for a long time, except for a few short episodes.

Learned to read tab when learning finger picking after rediscovering the guitar as an older guy.

One thing I can't do is translate sheet music to the guitar (other than the rhythms). Part of that is I never had the discipline to learn all the notes on the fretboard. Now that I'm focusing on improvisation the importance of that has finally sunk in. I've got C and G down, I guess D is next in the circle of 5ths.

I'm a big fan of being able to read and knowing theory. Maybe if I had a better ear it wouldn't seem so important, but when you know what you are doing, and then hear it come out sounding right, I think that actually helps improve your ear.

[yaharadelta]

I learned to read music from taking piano lessons as a kid (thanks Mom) gave up the piano for sports and girls in Jr. High, and picked up the piano again in my twenties until kids and responsibilities cut into the the time that it took up. So I'm familiar with the bass and treble clef, key signatures etc.. I started with the guitar a few years prior to retirement, never took to tabs, and never looked into reading music for the guitar. How does guitar sheet music tell you where on the fretboard you should be. For example if Middle C or C4 can be played on 5 of the 6 guitar strings, how do you know where to find that particular C, and where are the related 3rd and 5th's to make a C major chord.

[k_russell]

Originally Posted by yaharadelta

How does guitar sheet music tell you where on the fretboard you should be. For example if Middle C or C4 can be played on 5 of the 6 guitar strings, how do you know where to find that particular C, and where are the related 3rd and 5th's to make a C major chord.

The string is noted by a number encircled, usually above the note. The writer, transcriber, and or arranger notes the fretted finger by adding a number without a circle. The letter "C" followed by a Roman numeral indicates a bar position (CII - bar the 2nd fret).

[Jamolay]

Originally Posted by yaharadelta

I learned to read music from taking piano lessons as a kid (thanks Mom) gave up the piano for sports and girls in Jr. High, and picked up the piano again in my twenties until kids and responsibilities cut into the the time that it took up. So I'm familiar with the bass and treble clef, key signatures etc.. I started with the guitar a few years prior to retirement, never took to tabs, and never looked into reading music for the guitar. How does guitar sheet music tell you where on the fretboard you should be. For example if Middle C or C4 can be played on 5 of the 6 guitar strings, how do you know where to find that particular C, and where are the related 3rd and 5th's to make a C major chord.

As a beginner, I like to have both notation and tab. I am generally enjoying playing notation better, but am not good enough to use it alone.

Tab does tell me where the author decided to play the notes, but one of the wonderful things about guitar is that you can choose to play certain notes and chords wherever and however you prefer.

So where to play that middle C is where you would like to play the piece in the guitar neck and how you want it to sound. The easy solution is to copy the original as written, but we don’t have to. This allows other interpretations. So in that sense tab is both helpful yet could be limiting.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

That's an odd flex...I mean, all it would prove is

don't be rattling cages...sorry couldn't help myself

[rllink]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Can't say I agree with that.

Let's say I've heard you play and I like it and you've told me "I can read music."

So I refer you to a bandleader for a gig that requires reading sheet music. If you show up and can't read standard notation, you're not getting called again, and I AM getting called-- and probably getting called a lot of stuff

Point taken. I guess anything can happen. In that case it might be.