|
Introduction
to reading standard notation - Although
there are many great guitarists that can't read
music, it definitely comes in handy if you want
to communicate musically with other musicians.
It also is useful for writing down musical ideas
and compositions so you don't forget them later
on. Tablature is very popular and sometimes
helpful when you need to learn specific fingerings
but standard notation is more precise and is
understood by all musicians, not just guitarists.
You will also find that being a good reader
will open many doors for you as far as musical
employment.
Practicing
the examples in this chapter - Practice
the rhythmic exercises by clapping your hands,
tapping your fingers (when you are on the train),
or by playing notes or chords. Where chords
are not given for the reading exercises, see
if you can harmonize them using the techniques
you learned in the last chapter. They are mostly
diatonic so it should be an easy and fun way
to get your composing skills together. I've
also written most of the reading exercises as
duets so you don't have to practice them alone.
Notes
and Rests - Notes tell you what pitch to
play and how long to play it. Rests tell you
how long to not play. The big round note below
is a whole note and it lasts for four beats.
Tap your foot and count to four, keep counting
and tapping and play a chord and let it last
the whole four beats. A half note, as you may
have grasped by its name, gets two beats a piece.
A quarter note gets one beat each; so each time
you tap your foot, play a chord on each beat.
The pattern continues with eighth notes, sixteenth
notes, thirty-second notes, sixty-fourth notes,
and so on, each type of note being half the
length of the previous type.
|
Whole
Note
|
Half
Note
|
Quarter
Note
|
Eighth
Note
|
|
|
|
Whole
Rest
|
Half
Rest
|
Quarter
Rest
|
Eighth
Rest
|
|
Rhythmic
Exercises
- Play or clap the following rhythms. Remember,
it is important to look ahead while reading.
If you find the examples simple, turn the page
upside down and read them again:
Ex.1)
Ex.2)
Ex.3)
Ex.4)
The
notes in open position on the first and second
string
(Keep
in mind, music written for guitar is played
an octave lower than written)
Reading Exercises - Play the following
exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Use
a metronome and try looking ahead. Record the
chord changes or have someone accompany you:
Ex.1)
Tied Notes - Tied notes are written with
a curved line connecting each note. Notes of any
length may be tied together, and more than two
notes may be tied together. The two tied notes
will sound like one note of the combined lengths.
Although dotted notes can be used to produce the
same results, tying notes is the only method to
lengthen notes over bar lines.
Rhythmic
Exercises
- Play or clap the following rhythms. Remember,
it is important to look ahead while reading.
If you find the examples simple, turn the page
upside down and read them again:
Ex.1)
Ex.2)
The notes in open position on the third and
fourth string
Reading Exercises - Play the following
exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Use
a metronome and try looking ahead. Record the
chord changes or have someone accompany you:
Ex.1)
The notes in open position on the fifth string
Reading
Exercises
- Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable
for you. Use a metronome and try looking ahead.
Record the chord changes or have someone accompany
you:
Ex.1)
Dotted Notes
- A dot placed next to a note or rest increases
its value by exactly half.
Rhythmic
Exercises
- Play or clap the following rhythms. Remember,
it is important to look ahead while reading.
If you find the examples simple, turn the page
upside down and read them again:
Ex.1)
Ex.2)
Ex.3)
The notes in open position on the sixth string
Reading
Exercises
- Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable
for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist
or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle
piece:
Ex.1)
Rhythmic
Exercises - So far all the songs and exercises
we have practiced so far have been in "common
time" or 4/4. The following rhythmic exercises
will introduce 3/4 time meaning that there will
be three beats per measure rather than four:
Ex.1)
Ex.2)
The notes in second position in the key of
C major
.jpg)
Reading Exercises - Play the following
exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play
each as a duet with another guitarist or try
to play both parts together as a fingerstyle
piece:
Ex.1)
Triplets
- a triplet sub-divides one note into equal
thirds. When you tap your foot, you should play
three notes per one beat.
Rhythmic
Exercises - Play or clap the following rhythms.
Remember, it is important to look ahead while
reading. If you find the examples simple, turn
the page upside down and read them again:
Ex.1)
Ex.2)
Ex.3)
Reading Exercises - Play the following
exercise in a tempo comfortable for you. Play
it as a duet with another guitarist or try to
play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:
Ex.1)
|
