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Music reading for guitar: any point? (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-19 15:34:58
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Something a little different this week. I'm occasionally asked whether it's any longer worthwhile learning to read traditional music notation on the guitar. This video is my attempt at answering that question. (In short, I think it is a useful skill to have.)

I go into a few reasons why learning to read music right make you a better guitar player and I also give you some beginner's tips to get started with reading. 

Hope you find it interesting!

Speak next week,

Adrian 

Files

Music Reading: essential knowledge or pointless for the modern guitarist?

Tab and backing track can be found on Patreon (pay what you like): https://www.patreon.com/anyonecanplayguitar My beginner soloing course: https://courses.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk My latest album: https://zodiactoys.bandcamp.com/releases Intro music (Miles Davis' Four) 00:00 Hi 00:58 Why reading music is good for you 02:59 Better rhythm 03:35 Better fretboard knowledge 04:46 Better understanding of theory 05:10 Improved communication with other players 05:39 Discover new music 07:09 Getting started with music reading 07:52 Reading basics 08:21 Mapping notes onto the fretboard 10:00 Some of my favourite reading resources 5:08 Bye 17:10 Please subscribe here for many more YouTube lessons: https://www.youtube.com/c/anyonecanplayguitarcouk Check out my website: https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk Social blah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acpgtr/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/acpgtr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk

Comments

Charles Cluck

I appreciate that your lesson materials always include the GP files, so I can switch the notation on or off. I generally look at it awhile to see the general trend of the melody, how it rises and fall, what patterns are evident, then switch it off. All the rhythm info is still in the tablature, or am I missing some nuance there ? I do sometimes painfully translate old time tunes from notation to tab, with a stop at the keyboard in between, so I concur; a bit of notation literacy is useful. Thanks for all your efforts to uplift us hacks to a higher level of musicianship.

Mr Mont

Thanks, Adrian. You make a good case. I've been feeling a little stuck with my playing lately, and maybe this is a good way to break out.

Ignatz Maus

Adrian, will you be posting the music that you were reading from? Or... were you just pretending? =D

Stewart Smedley-Brown

I decided that I wanted to learn to read music for all of the reasons Adrian mentioned. I’ve been playing for a fair few years. I bought Sight to Sound by Leon White and it is excellent. It’s slow progress for me at the moment but that’s down to the available time I have. It does take dedication but I know it will be absolutely worth it

Covey Herd

Hi Adrian, I have my own MIJ Jazzmaster! It came with a Mastery bridge and tremolo, but there's something rattling inside. I will have to take it apart carefully. (but it's got block markers).

Haroun Haroun

E-G-B-D-F and F-A-C-E ... Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. Mudhoney!

Allan Pilgrim

I would advise anyone to learn notation...a few yeaes back I obtained a Flamenco Book (my second favorite genre) printed in the 60's in both tab and notation there were several misprints in the tab...even showing a simple single string run on the wrong string you would really struggle if you could not 'fall back' on standard. Another reason although tab is great if you are familiar with the piece you are learning....not so if you have never heard it before!!!