Learning to read music for guitar...

[ryokan]

Any suggestions for learning to read music? I have made attempts in the past, but have never been successful. Please recommend books, software, DVD's, teachers -- anything that you have found to be successful.

Thanks!

[Waynel]

It's like trying to learn a foreign language. There is no "easy" way. There's no "Rosetta Stone" that will magically make it easy for you. It sounds like you have printed material already since you tried to learn. You can down load everything off the internet for free such what the notes mean, the stave, signature, etc. Sorry, ya' just gotta roll up your sleeves and do it. Practice every day!

[klasaine]

Without knowing anything about how you play and more importantly HOW YOU PRACTICE, it's difficult to advise. Here's how I did it ...
20 minutes of uninterrupted solely reading practice a day, at least 5 days a week (6 is better).
With a metronome, and slowly.
Say the notes (the names) as you play them.
Reading rhythms were more my particular problem. This book was immensely helpful ...
http://www.amazon.com/Rhythms-Comple...6326136&sr=1-1
And this (a little later on) ...
http://www.jazzwise.com/catalog/prod...oducts_id=7726

[RunGuy17]

Learning jazz tunes from the Real Book (i.e Autumn Leaves, Blue Bossa, Misty, Girl from Ipanema) helped me a lot. You can also go to 8notes.com and try to play simple sax or flute tunes like The Star Spangled Banner. I can sightread rather well now...now if only I could improvise...

[strat a various]

Originally Posted by Waynel

It's like trying to learn a foreign language. There is no "easy" way. There's no "Rosetta Stone" that will magically make it easy for you. It sounds like you have printed material already since you tried to learn. You can down load everything off the internet for free such what the notes mean, the stave, signature, etc. Sorry, ya' just gotta roll up your sleeves and do it. Practice every day!

All the info you'll ever need re: notes, rhythms, keys is easily found in the internet. Then, go get a book with some music you like to learn. I like Jazz, so I taught myself to read in the 70s with the first Real Books, but you should find a couple of books with tunes you recognize, and start learning to read tunes you know. That will keep your interest and you be able to check your progress. Work up to harder stuff later.

[Leon Grizzard]

A good book for learning to read is Micky Baker Jazz Guitar, Volume I. The rhythms are straightforward, the lines are cool, and you don't have any tab to cheat with. Really, anything without tab, and just force your way through it.

One problem in these times of tab and video is that you don't really need to know how to read, and it is hard to learn if you don't have a practical use for it. So getting tabless, older books of stuff you want to learn is the best way to keep yourself at it.

[jazztele]

i use fernando sor's studies for guitar with students for sightreading occasionally, and have good results.

and there's always leavitt's method books-- a little dry, but it works.

[Ridge runner]

You also may want to research "Intervalic reading" as well..It deals with recognizing intervals for speed reading music instead of just note reading alone.They use it to train piano players.

[EdgarHF]

Reading music is one of the few music skills I have gotten halfway decent at. Learning to play piano helped me alot. Learning to read is just doing it everyday. It took me years and I still have plenty of room for improvement. Ted Greene's single note soloing book has helped me translate notes into finger movement on the fretboard on the fly.

[octatonic]

I've built up a decent reading ability in the last 3 years.
Before that I couldn't read at all.
Here is how to do it (the way I did)

1. Start with some easy reading pieces.
Something musical that isn't too hard.
I like the Real Book as it is stylistically close to what I do already.

2. Play scales, but read them.

3. Read without your guitar- try sight singing- don't worry about pitch so much, just sing the rhythms and get the contour right.

4. Get a tutor. They will see your weak points quicker than you will.

5. Write music down. I mean transribe.
When you transcribe, notate it properly, be particular.
Sibelius is excellent but try to input the music before you hear it back, if you can.

6. Learn another instrument that is one that you start reading with.
Guitar is going to be tricky because you already know how to play.
Bolting reading onto your guitar player is actually harder because you will get despondent earlier.
I started with piano and now have progressed to Oboe.
Reading 100% of the time with these instruments has really helped.

Lastly, do 30 mins a day minimum.
Don't skip a day, ever.
I do two hours most days, but if i get busy I have a rule, I read first thing in the morning and last thing at night- even if I've been drinking.
Reading after a couple of drinks is really interesting.

[Joe-Bob]

Study classical guitar.

Start with the Christopher Parkening method, Vol. 1 & 2.

Also see, Solo Guitar Playing by Frederick Noad, and another book, Pumping Nylon, I don't remember the author right now.

You need to be able to read all over the neck.

[Telarkaster]

Originally Posted by Joe-Bob

Study classical guitar.


Also see, Solo Guitar Playing by Frederick Noad

That's how I learned to play guitar, I still love that book.

[tele-rain]

One thing not mentioned here, reading is one thing but isn't it also beneficial to train the ear to recognize the notes as well? Maybe it's a bit obvious and assumed, but I think this is part of my problem of not being able to get past my hurdles. So a few days ago, I decided to go back to the beginning...

I dug out my Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1 and I'm focusing on sight reading and playing the notes. I can play the melody by repetition and reading along just fine. However, if I close the book and try to play by ear, it doesn't always work, it's pot luck. So I want to work on training my ear to hear the note and recognize it, as well as my fingers finding it on the fretboard. I'm going to try saying the notes out loud as mentioned above, and try to make my ear remember it as that note.

Does any of that make sense, or am I just not fully awake and caffeinated yet?

[Leon Grizzard]

This may not helpful to all our readers, but I try to mentally sight read the melodies to hymns in church before they start. Find the first note, which will be the 1, 3 or 5 of the chord, and then the melody goes up or the melody goes down. You get quick feedback when the organ starts.

[Chris S.]

The best book I've seen for learning how to read is Melodic Rhythms for Guitar by William Leavitt, available through Berklee Press, Amazon, etc. It takes all possible rhythmic combinations and presents them in an easy-to-grasp manner with single note and scale exercises, then combines what you just learned with original tunes using those same combinations. Highly recommended. CS

[Solcat]

Get Mel Bay's Guitar 1 book and work your way through it.

[Tim Bowen]

Originally Posted by Leon Grizzard

This may not helpful to all our readers, but I try to mentally sight read the melodies to hymns in church before they start. Find the first note, which will be the 1, 3 or 5 of the chord, and then the melody goes up or the melody goes down. You get quick feedback when the organ starts.

Good point, Leon. Along the same lines, I find sight singing to be one the best ways to make a connection with reading music. I have good relative pitch, but not so-called "perfect" pitch - so I have to get the first note from an instrument, and I'm usually okay after that.

Here lately, I've been doing a lot more sight singing with students instead of just reading with them on guitar, and I've been combining the two as well. I encourage students to do both.

[Chris S.]

Originally Posted by Tim Bowen

I find sight singing to be one the best ways to make a connection with reading music... Here lately, I've been doing a lot more sight singing with students instead of just reading with them on guitar

At school we used to refer to it as "sight screeching." It was a required part of Ear Training, and an invaluable skill to acquire. I had an arranging teacher who used to say, "You must see with your ears and hear with your eyes." CS

[ryokan]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

At school we used to refer to it as "sight screeching." It was a required part of Ear Training, and an invaluable skill to acquire. I had an arranging teacher who used to say, "You must see with your ears and hear with your eyes." CS

I like that quote! Right now I see with my eyes and hear with my ears, but I also have another sense that is getting stronger. It's the tactile 'intelligence' of my fingers. They seem to have ears and brains of their own, which is very cool. They often make better choices than the brain / ears on my head...