how do you know?

[Olly]

How do you know just by looking at notes, what fret their at?

[StoneDragon]

I assume that you are talking about reading music and knowing where to play that music on your guitar.

Guitar is a difficult instrument to read music for because you can find most of the pitches in more than one spot.

Have you worked through the Theory Part I (http://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson5/theory-1.html) section of lesson 5?

Look at the chart I made up with the colored notes.

If your reading a piece of music that is written specifically to be played on guitar, then middle C is the C at the 3rd fret on the A-string or the 8th fret of the low E-string.

If you are reading a piece of music that is written for piano, then middle C is the C at the 1st fret of the B-string, or the 5th fret of the G-string, or the 10th fret of the D-string, or the 15th fret of the A-string, or the 20th fret of the low E-string.

Middle C is the note on the first ledger line below the staff with a treble clef.

You have to figure out where to play the rest of the notes from there.

[MrSamson]

That is VERY frustrating....

But obviously not impossible...

(I cannot do it as of yet, but I have not made an honest attempt to get it either...)

[Olly]

This may sound pretty stupid but what do the upside down notes mean?

[ghodaddyyo]

My daughter plays violin(1st year). She enjoys it when I attempt to play along with her. After her frustration of me flubbing time signatures, or groping for the right note, she taught me some reading basics. This is still a good reading exercise for me. I'm playing songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" as single note melodies in middle C. I found middle C by experimenting to find the most efficient area to play the right notes that also sounded fluid with my daughters violin.

[StoneDragon]

What??... you mean you're not improvising chord melody in cut time right along side? http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/clown.gif

olly,

the upside down notes don't mean anything different that rightside up notes.... notes are written that way to keep the stems and flags from covering up the staff above and/or below in a score.

[This message has been edited by StoneDragon (edited May 15, 2000).]

[ghodaddyyo]

That's so funny. I did the improv thing at first, but all it did was throw her off. I had to make her understand what chords were and what accompaniment meant, but she told me that if I wanted to help her practice, then I'd have to do what she does. I don't mind playing kinder tunes, because it gives me a chance to read. My only problem is because the melodies are so familiar, I play by ear until a change occurs, and then I can't find my place on the sheet music. I have to play it strict, or I can't do it at all!

[StoneDragon]

That's the tough thing about learning how to read after you already know how to play.

[Olly]

Oh,my friend(she plays the piano)said they ment something important but she couldn't remember what.She probably said it to tease me cause she knows more about reading music then i do.http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/movingeyes.gif

[StoneDragon]

Congratulations olly... your'e now a BAND MEMBER!!

[ghodaddyyo]

Woo Hoo!! I've got first dibs on the Cymbals!

John, flashing back to Kindergarten introduction to music! Cymbals were way better than those 2 sticks you hit and rub together!!!!

[DocRoop]

i remember learning an instrument in elementary. i remember it vividly. 50 hyper 1st graders, screaching noises, teachers with hands cuffed over the ears. ah yes, such a memory. the beautiful sounds coming from this timeless, this beatiful, this robust, this plastic instrument... the recorder.

[ghodaddyyo]

It just seems like yesterday with my daughter! She's moved on to 1st year violin. It's rough, but I want to encourage her y'know?


Dang it! I need to learn to stay on topic!!

[This message has been edited by ghodaddyyo (edited May 16, 2000).]