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Question:
I should clarify. Your ear is important, but if you need to use something like tab or sheet music to get the notes than you also need the rhythm that accompanies it. When I use good tab, I find that there are notes and nuances that my ear did not pick up the first 100 times around. All of that "useless" information in the notation helps you hear and play this. Without this you just ignore those notes or have to play the piece another 500 times to get it. Don’t get me wrong, because I think that you need to learn songs by ear alone also. It is so hard to do today with the overabundance of tab out there. I find songs that I learned years ago and when I go back I hear extra things and add them to the playing. This is very healthy as a guitar player, but I submit that learning the notes by ear is every bit as important as learning the nuance and rhythm by ear.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> A couple of things: > First the tab on the internet done in plain text falls far short of what a > beginner needs. Without instruction you will be fighting up stream without > a paddle. So first get a good instructor or take some college classes and > start by learning some theory and how to read standard notation. You can > buy several good guitar magazines at any new stand that offer well done > tablature accompanied by standard notation, and while it is OK to use tab to > know what string and fret to play on the standard notation is absolutely > necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other nuances of playing a piece. > <snip> > Sorry Lon, I have to disagree with your statement that "standard > notation is absolutely necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other > nuances of playing a piece." > I agree that standard notation can be helpful, but I don’t think it’s > necessary, and it’s certainly not a prerequisite for learning songs. > For a casual player who is interested in rock, blues, folk, country, > etc., it’s probably more important to rely on your ear than on > standard notation. As you say, internet tab is incomplete; it only > tells you chords or what string and fret to play. But you can get the > rhythmic information and nuances by listening to and trying to emulate > the song you’re trying to learn. In fact, it’s probably *better* if > you can get this information by ear. (Notice that I’m assuming that > you’re trying to learn songs that you have already heard before). > A good place to start is with "Guitar For Dummies", which has all of > its examples in tab and an accompanying CD so you can hear what the > examples should sound like. The examples are also written in standard > notation if you’re interested. It begins by showing you a few chords > and some simple strumming patterns–this will get you playing some > simple songs pretty quickly. > Just my $0.02 > Mike
Response:
A good start in the UK is a magazine called Total Guitar. I found that playing along with the backing tracks on the CD they provide really helps. The other guitar mags I have found to be more advanced. Andy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have always loved the sound of a well played guitar. My favourite is an > electric but I can appreciate an acoustic as well. I was given a good > quality acoustic when I was a child and took some lessons, before losing the > commitment required to continue. About twelve years ago I got a Squier > Stratocaster which I didn’t do much with either until recently. As I > mentioned above, listening to a guitar earning its keep makes the hair on > the back of my neck stand up on end! There’s nothing like it. This is the > reason I am looking for some information. I am absolutely dying to learn to > play, and it is only now that I am in my early thirties, that I feel I could > learn. I have been trying to teach myself by printing out TAB sheets of > songs I like and then having a go at playing them. I’m not really impressing > myself! If I hear a song I like, sometimes I pick out the vocals on the > guitar but I don’t think this is ever going to be of any use to me! Can > anyone recommend a software program that would help me learn to play. I > think it would be much easier this way, especially if I could try a song > that I liked. Are any of the free to download programs mentioned on > www.guitarseek.com of any use? Can anyone recommend the "Interactive Guitar" > software? Appreciate all replys. Thanks guys!
Response:
> A couple of things: > First the tab on the internet done in plain text falls far short of what a > beginner needs. Without instruction you will be fighting up stream without > a paddle. So first get a good instructor or take some college classes and > start by learning some theory and how to read standard notation. You can > buy several good guitar magazines at any new stand that offer well done > tablature accompanied by standard notation, and while it is OK to use tab to > know what string and fret to play on the standard notation is absolutely > necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other nuances of playing a piece.
<snip> Sorry Lon, I have to disagree with your statement that "standard notation is absolutely necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other nuances of playing a piece." I agree that standard notation can be helpful, but I don’t think it’s necessary, and it’s certainly not a prerequisite for learning songs. For a casual player who is interested in rock, blues, folk, country, etc., it’s probably more important to rely on your ear than on standard notation. As you say, internet tab is incomplete; it only tells you chords or what string and fret to play. But you can get the rhythmic information and nuances by listening to and trying to emulate the song you’re trying to learn. In fact, it’s probably *better* if you can get this information by ear. (Notice that I’m assuming that you’re trying to learn songs that you have already heard before). A good place to start is with "Guitar For Dummies", which has all of its examples in tab and an accompanying CD so you can hear what the examples should sound like. The examples are also written in standard notation if you’re interested. It begins by showing you a few chords and some simple strumming patterns–this will get you playing some simple songs pretty quickly. Just my $0.02 Mike
Response:
There are a lot of learning to read TAB sites on the internet that are quite good ,just have to wade thru them, having a feel for music and knowing what it should sound like can take you pretty far as far as timing , beats and measures go.. Learn slow the speed will come.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> A couple of things: > First the tab on the internet done in plain text falls far short of what a > beginner needs. Without instruction you will be fighting up stream without > a paddle. So first get a good instructor or take some college classes and > start by learning some theory and how to read standard notation. You can > buy several good guitar magazines at any new stand that offer well done > tablature accompanied by standard notation, and while it is OK to use tab to > know what string and fret to play on the standard notation is absolutely > necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other nuances of playing a piece. > <snip> > Sorry Lon, I have to disagree with your statement that "standard > notation is absolutely necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other > nuances of playing a piece." > I agree that standard notation can be helpful, but I don’t think it’s > necessary, and it’s certainly not a prerequisite for learning songs. > For a casual player who is interested in rock, blues, folk, country, > etc., it’s probably more important to rely on your ear than on > standard notation. As you say, internet tab is incomplete; it only > tells you chords or what string and fret to play. But you can get the > rhythmic information and nuances by listening to and trying to emulate > the song you’re trying to learn. In fact, it’s probably *better* if > you can get this information by ear. (Notice that I’m assuming that > you’re trying to learn songs that you have already heard before). > A good place to start is with "Guitar For Dummies", which has all of > its examples in tab and an accompanying CD so you can hear what the > examples should sound like. The examples are also written in standard > notation if you’re interested. It begins by showing you a few chords > and some simple strumming patterns–this will get you playing some > simple songs pretty quickly. > Just my $0.02 > Mike
Response:
I have always loved the sound of a well played guitar. My favourite is an electric but I can appreciate an acoustic as well. I was given a good quality acoustic when I was a child and took some lessons, before losing the commitment required to continue. About twelve years ago I got a Squier Stratocaster which I didn’t do much with either until recently. As I mentioned above, listening to a guitar earning its keep makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up on end! There’s nothing like it. This is the reason I am looking for some information. I am absolutely dying to learn to play, and it is only now that I am in my early thirties, that I feel I could learn. I have been trying to teach myself by printing out TAB sheets of songs I like and then having a go at playing them. I’m not really impressing myself! If I hear a song I like, sometimes I pick out the vocals on the guitar but I don’t think this is ever going to be of any use to me! Can anyone recommend a software program that would help me learn to play. I think it would be much easier this way, especially if I could try a song that I liked. Are any of the free to download programs mentioned on www.guitarseek.com of any use? Can anyone recommend the "Interactive Guitar" software? Appreciate all replys. Thanks guys!
Response:
A couple of things: First the tab on the internet done in plain text falls far short of what a beginner needs. Without instruction you will be fighting up stream without a paddle. So first get a good instructor or take some college classes and start by learning some theory and how to read standard notation. You can buy several good guitar magazines at any new stand that offer well done tablature accompanied by standard notation, and while it is OK to use tab to know what string and fret to play on the standard notation is absolutely necessary for tempo, rhythm and all other nuances of playing a piece. You already have the one most important ingredient to learning. That is a burning desire. Now get the tools to act a upon it. At thirty it is not too late to learn just to late to spend years dicking around before getting serious. So call your local music store and get a professional and good instructor. Read the FAQ posted here weekly also Good luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have always loved the sound of a well played guitar. My favourite is an > electric but I can appreciate an acoustic as well. I was given a good > quality acoustic when I was a child and took some lessons, before losing the > commitment required to continue. About twelve years ago I got a Squier > Stratocaster which I didn’t do much with either until recently. As I > mentioned above, listening to a guitar earning its keep makes the hair on > the back of my neck stand up on end! There’s nothing like it. This is the > reason I am looking for some information. I am absolutely dying to learn to > play, and it is only now that I am in my early thirties, that I feel I could > learn. I have been trying to teach myself by printing out TAB sheets of > songs I like and then having a go at playing them. I’m not really impressing > myself! If I hear a song I like, sometimes I pick out the vocals on the > guitar but I don’t think this is ever going to be of any use to me! Can > anyone recommend a software program that would help me learn to play. I > think it would be much easier this way, especially if I could try a song > that I liked. Are any of the free to download programs mentioned on > www.guitarseek.com of any use? Can anyone recommend the "Interactive Guitar" > software? Appreciate all replys. Thanks guys!
Response:
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