Sheet Music Or Tablature - Which is Best?
Dakota Evelyn
levels. Some say that to play the guitar, you have to only read sheet
music. Others say that to play the guitar, you can use only tablature.
So which is best to learn and why? Let's take a look at each one, and
then you can decide for yourself.
Sheet music
Sheet music is the most comprehensive way to learn to play a SONG on
the guitar or any instrument for that matter. This is because of the
completeness of the piece of music. By that, I mean that all the
features of the song are represented on the notation. Things like:
1. Note duration. Quarter (1 beat), half (2 beats) and whole notes (4
beats) are visually identifiable. The same with rests.
2. Key signature.
3. Timing. At the beginning of each line, there is a number that looks
like a fraction. This is the time signature. The top number tells how
many beats per measure, the bottom tells what type of note gets one
(1) beat. So a signature of 3 / 4 means "three beats per measure and a
quarter note gets a beat".
4. Slurs or ties. These are just curved lines connecting two notes. If
the notes are the same tone, it is called a "tie". If the notes are
different tones, it is called a "slur".
5. Dynamics. These are represented by words like "crescendo",
"decrescendo", "fortissimo" or "bravissimo". There are many more, so
these are only an example.
Sheet music has 5 horizontal lines and 4 horizontal spaces. From the
bottom up, the lines are called E, G, B, D, F. The spaces are called
F, A, C, E.
Tablature
Another type of sheet notation called tablature or just "Tab". These
are easy to learn and can be helpful to many beginners. The only
shortfall of tab is that it only tells where the note or chord is
played on the guitar neck. Unlike sheet music, tab has 6 lines that
each represents a string on the guitar. Numbers are placed on the
lines to tell what position to play the note.
So there is no timing, dynamics or duration information by looking
solely at a piece of tablature. The best way to use tab is to listen
to the song, see how it sounds and follow along with the tab in front
of you. That way, you could pick up the song and play it eventually,
though you will have no idea of why.
My suggestion is to use both of these in conjunction. Lots of songs
will have the music notation on top with the tab below, like a grand
staff. This is a very helpful, powerful way to learn any song or
technique. You have the actual staff notation AND the position on the
guitar where it is played. By combining the two together, you are
learning how and where at the same time.
This is one of the most powerful ways to learn to play the guitar. Of
course, you will need further instruction, so please do not think you
just go get a tab book and be a rock star. Fame and fortune will
happen later....
Bg
Bg
iceorchard
The best players know how to make a melody sound good. You've got to
find what you want to hear and play it. I can't tell you how to do
that.I suggest you look at both the sheet music arrangement and
tablature to make your arrangement unique.
Advice I wish I had taken years ago was to learn to play in all the
keys.Your ears will develope quickly when you can play the song in
another key and your fingering will improve by doing so. Your chops
will get better and you'll be able to play what you hear.
gtr
> This is a question that is hotly contested among players of all
> levels.
Mostly, what's contested is whether learning to read legit notation is
"necessary", and it's argued by guitarists that can't read.
> Some say that to play the guitar, you have to only read sheet
> music. Others say that to play the guitar, you can use only tablature.
I've participated in this discussion several times, and I've never
heard anyone argue that "to play the guitar, you can use only
tabluature." Never heard it once. You can review many such discussions
in rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz.
> So which is best to learn and why? Let's take a look at each one, and
> then you can decide for yourself.
> Sheet music
> Sheet music is the most comprehensive way to learn to play a SONG on
> the guitar or any instrument for that matter.
It depends on what you mean by "best". Reading a piece of traditional
notation can be done by a good reader a tempo. That's not so feasible
with tabulature. Thus reading in a recording or ensemble situation is
only feasible with legit notation.
But reading in a group, or solo isn't "learning to play song" per se.
It is "reading a song". I've read thousands of songs and not retained
the music in the majority of them. I was just reading. How many books
are "learned" by reading them. In popular music we usually thing of
"learning" a song as "memorizing and preparing a song for repeated
performance". It's true that classical players "learn a piece" and
still, in order to perform it, must continue to read the piece.
> This is because of the
> completeness of the piece of music. By that, I mean that all the
> features of the song are represented on the notation. Things like:
> 1. Note duration. Quarter (1 beat), half (2 beats) and whole notes (4
> beats) are visually identifiable. The same with rests.
Mostly with guitar performance this one is implied.
> 2. Key signature.
> 3. Timing. At the beginning of each line, there is a number that looks
> like a fraction. This is the time signature. The top number tells how
> many beats per measure, the bottom tells what type of note gets one
> (1) beat. So a signature of 3 / 4 means "three beats per measure and a
> quarter note gets a beat".
> 4. Slurs or ties. These are just curved lines connecting two notes. If
> the notes are the same tone, it is called a "tie". If the notes are
> different tones, it is called a "slur".
> 5. Dynamics. These are represented by words like "crescendo",
> "decrescendo", "fortissimo" or "bravissimo". There are many more, so
> these are only an example.
All of these are present in tablature.
> Sheet music has 5 horizontal lines and 4 horizontal spaces. From the
> bottom up, the lines are called E, G, B, D, F. The spaces are called
> F, A, C, E.
> Tablature
> Another type of sheet notation called tablature or just "Tab". These
> are easy to learn and can be helpful to many beginners. The only
> shortfall of tab is that it only tells where the note or chord is
> played on the guitar neck.
And the timing of the notes, the key signature, dynamics can be written
in, as can accents, slurs, glisses, etc.
> So there is no timing, dynamics or duration information by looking
> solely at a piece of tablature.
Yes there is. The only thing that is implied is the duration. For
instruments like guitar (those without consistent wind or bowed
sustain) that can be Iffy even in legit notation. After all, every
guitar note begins dying the moment you play it, so you only have a
limited amount of duration to begin with.
> The best way to use tab is to listen
> to the song, see how it sounds and follow along with the tab in front
> of you. That way, you could pick up the song and play it eventually,
> though you will have no idea of why.
> My suggestion is to use both of these in conjunction. Lots of songs
> will have the music notation on top with the tab below, like a grand
> staff. This is a very helpful, powerful way to learn any song or
> technique. You have the actual staff notation AND the position on the
> guitar where it is played. By combining the two together, you are
> learning how and where at the same time.
What does tablature give you that sheet music does not? In my opinion,
nothing. Fingerings, strings and location on that neck can easily be
stated in legit notation. I find no use for tabluature but the ease of
learning how to play a tune *without* going through the difficult
process of learning legit notation.
On the other hand being able to read legit notation allows access to
all the world's greatest guitar music, violin music, clarinet music,
piano music, etc. Tablature allows access to a small amount of
pop/rock/jazz pieces that have been published in the past 50 years only.
> This is one of the most powerful ways to learn to play the guitar. Of
> course, you will need further instruction, so please do not think you
> just go get a tab book and be a rock star. Fame and fortune will
> happen later....
You left out learning a song by ear, which is an extremely useful skill
that should be learned by players of all instruments.
--
-- Beware the delicate, tiny, very talented celebrity starlets.
Tom Sacold
"Bg" <ott...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1f7516fd-1c5d-4ed9...@v15g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
> Save yourself the trouble, learn to play by Ear.
> Bg
>
I don't know about you, but my left ear has a problem with those barre
chords ;-)
Tom Sacold
You sit down with your guitar and the band leader puts a lead sheet on the
music stand in front of you. What are you going to do? Ask him for it in
tab?