RoCkOn098 asked:
I already know how to read tab but when i see pianists play the piano they can just pick up a sheet music and start playing with no practice whereas with guitar it takes practice and i usually have to memorize the song. is it possible that i can do what pianists do, with a guitar (just pick up a sheet music and start playing just like that?) anyway i guess im asking if it would benefit me vs. just tab. thanks!
Tags: Guitar Pick, Learn Music, Learn To Read
How to Read Music
yes u should always to learn how to read music no matter if u know how to read tab or not. Because if u don’t get lead guitar u are going to learn how to read music. Also everything isn’t in tab
Learn How to Read Music
Not just “good” – it’s a necessity if you’re going to play professionally in any context. Tab has a limited audience- traditional sheet music is universal, so definitely learn to read, both treble and bass clef.
Eventually you’ll want to learn to really read, but there are some tricks that will help you pick up any piano sheet music and not embarrass yourself.
Most piano sheet music also has guitar chords above the staff – let those be your first clue to what’s going on.
Here’s a few more little tricks for you – honestly these get me through 90% of what I do.
1) Learn to read note rhythms first. quarter not, dotted eighth, etc. With that info and a vague knowledge of the song you can get by with just the chord symbols.
2) Learn to find your key signatures quickly. If you’ve never read music it looks confusing, but the key signatures are always done the same way. One sharp is always going to be an F# two will always be F# and C# Three are F# C# G# in that order, etc. They don’t just throw them on the staff.
To find the key signature in a major “sharp” key, call the LAST sharp (to the right) “ti” and go to “do”.
– So one sharp is F#.. that’s “ti” – Do is “G” for G major.
– Two sharps (F# and C#, the last one is C#.. so the key is D major
To find the key signature in major “flat” keys, One flat is “F” (you have to memorize that one) — Every other key is the next to last flat.
- Two flats are Bb and Eb… the key is Bb.
- Three flats Bb Eb Ab — Key is Eb ….. etc.
3) Learn the relative minor for every major key
Every key signature has a Major and a Minor scale, and key associated with it. The “relative minor” is the 6th step of the scale up, or to steps back. In “C”.. count back > B..> A.. .the rel. key is Am In “G”…> F#> E… the key is Em .
4) Learn to read the bass note.
If I see the key of C (no sharps, flats) … and the bass notes going C…E…F I know it’s the root, then the third of the C chord., going to the IV chord (F) That also tells me what chords I can substitute and still sound good. (You’ll figure this out – put it on the shelf for now)
5) Knowing what chords go naturally with which key make it easy to hear the ones that don’t.
This is not as difficult as you think…the only notes you have to work with are the notes in the major or minor scale of the song. If you’re in the key of “C” – and see an “E”. it’s going to be E minor not E major unless someone writes in a G#. Why? because key of C has no sharps or flats in the major scale and there is no G#..and therefore no E major chord available. The “E” chord you can make with E-G-B is E minor, not E major. If you hear a major chord there – the key has changed or it’s a special transition chord. Point is – to your ear it will stick out like a sore thumb and you’ll know instantly that it’s E major when you hear it.
6) Don’t get spooked by bass vs. treble clef: The lines/spaces are different on bass and treble clef, but one is just a continuation of the other, with “Middle C” between them. So… “Middle C” is one ledger line below the staff of the treble clef, and one ledger line ABOVE the staff of the bass clef. See tutorial below.
7) Don’t get hung up on all the “inside” stuff. All you need to “fake” the tune is the key signature (so you know which chords are available to you in that key) … the bass note , and the melody. Everything else is filler, which pianists need… but you can ‘fake’. “Fake” books often just have the chord notation as a roman numeral ( I ii. iii. IV, V, vi etc.) which you can transpose into any key… the melody, which you read good enough to get the rhythm of the piece…
Not saying you shouldn’t learn to read like a pianist eventually – but in practice you won’t need that very often. If you’re a studio musician you’ll be expected to “sight read” stuff first time every time – but it’ll often be just the single-note passages and some key double/triple stops (small chords) that are written out. Arrangers don’t have time to do more, and time is money in the studio.
Here’s a beginner tutorial
Best of luck to you