Learning..looking for opinions

[grizzled]

Hello,

I'm looking for some opinions on which is better, learning standard notations or tabs. I've had two teachers over the three or so months I've been guitar "holding", won't dare say playing.

My first teacher wasn't that great and was starting me out on tabs. I had three lessons, I think, but wanted someone closer and in my opinion better.

My second teacher uses standard notations. Either I'm thick as a brick, sorry Tull, or I'm very slow to pick this up. Slow, very slow, so far two strings...E. F. G. B.C.D., let's not forget the one finger G chord and the D7. This is about all in 8-9 weeks.

I'm getting a little sick of this, week in and week out. I'd like to use or learn the best method even if it is this S-L-O-W! I'm learning or trying to learn the a acoustic steel string.

TIA,

grizzled

[Levinson Blade]

I think it depends on how you want to end up playing
if your goal is to play in a studio or as a session guitarist or playing in concert as part of a classical band notation is a must
if you just want to shred for your own enjoyment or to jam along with friends maybee join or form a rock band there is no problem with tab
Look at S.R.V he could not read a note of music but he was a hell of a player

[disturbed_pyro]

same with hendrix
but then again, these guys were gifted, players like that only come around once in a blue moon...

if you want to seriously play guitar, learn notation. if it's just a hobby, and you aren't really looking into a career, then tab is good.

[Coffee]

I use both and both have advantages. Tab has the weakness of not setting meter, that is, not giving the duration of the notes. This means you must know how the song sounds before you can learn it in order to get the right timing. On the other hand it is absolutely clear as to where the notes should be played on the neck.

Standard notation is a must if you want at some point to get into theory or start playing around with Bach, Stravinski etc. Incidentally, lots of rock tunes use melody phrases from classical music and they've done it on purpose. It's public domain, no fees are payable to the original composer. Notation is also essential if you want to become a professional studio musician or if you want to play in an ensemble where the writer plays an instrument other than a guitar, he won't know what' your talking about when you ask him if he has the tab for the song.

Standard notation is far more clear as to time and once you know how to read it you don't need to hear the song before you can learn to play it.

I write and I use both types, one above the other, in order to be entirely clear as to positions and timing.

I like both and they complement each other very well. If you're just starting out, unless you're really interested in classical or jazz standards, hit the tab. You can learn the other any time you want. Tommy Tedesco wrote a book called 'For Guitar Players only' which is excellent for getting your notation reading up. It's probably out of print now... sigh...

[cyberfret]

The answer is both. You really should learn to read standard notation on a basic level. This will teach you some fundamental elements of music that you will miss out on. Tablature you will need to learn rock tunes.

Now I have to be honest with you......I teach guitar for a living.....and I have been teaching for a long time... If it has been 8-9 weeks and you are still on the 1st and 2nd strings, you need to ask yourself this question. Am I really doing the practicing that I should to get this. Sure I have run in to people that just don't get it, and probably won't. But the majority of student that I have that are still on the 1st and 2nd string after 9 weeks are not putting in the time between lessons. It really takes some concentrated effort for about 10 minutes every day.....that's it. I am talking about just the reading music part....you should practice other things as well. But a lot of my students get it in their head that they can do it, or its too hard, or it doesn't have anything to do with play the Red Hot Chili Peppers.....and they don't put in the time.

the minimum goal for all of my students, is to make it to the 4th string. Not too much to ask, but a good many fail to put in that minimal effort.

I hope you are doing more in your lessons than just going through that Mel Bay book. There is always the subject of "Should I take private lessons". My answer is always.....yes, from a good teacher. That means someone that will teach you the fundamentals of music, and teach you songs from groups you like. If your first teacher taught you songs and none of the fundamentals....they were a bad teacher. If your current teacher is teaching you nothing but the Mel Bay book.....same deal.

What I do is assign a small bit of reading standard notation in a book....one that I wrote that you can see part of in the reading music section of this site. I expect that the student will be prepared to play it the next week. If so, that takes 5 minutes and the rest of the time we work on other things. If they are not prepared, and have not practiced....I might drill them on it for a half hour. In hopes that the next week they will be prepared. If a student is unwilling to practice the small amount of reading I assign, I figure that they really shouldn't be taking private lessons anyway. Those that do put in the small effort, really excel in their lessons. Because the have a good foundation to build on, and therefore they can learn all kind of things much quicker.

So ask yourself....I am I putting in the time I should.....am I stuck with another bad teacher....am I not putting in the time and stuck with another bad teacher :) You have to be the judge.


--Shawn

[jaytee]

hey shawn....
is that a book youve written that is published? or is it like your lessons you've drawn up to use....cuz id like to see whats beyond the lessons on standard notation that you have on the site....

thats actually where i started like just over a year ago and i used to practice it every day but i didnt know what came next...so i went on to tab cuz i needed a song....scales alone got laborious....but yeah im still doin scales...i wouldnt consider a practice a real practice without them....
:)

--jt

[grizzled]

Thank you all for the replies, standard notations it is. I had a really good session with the teacher yesterday, I got stuff right for a change. :D I get to move on!!

I practice, but sometimes I wonder if I practice correctly. I don't think it's my instructor, he seems to know what he is doing. He does point out "errors" he see's in my playing and or methods. Truthfully, thumb placement affects my reach which equals buzzing etc.

I'll look at myself, habits, style or lack of it. Life just get in my way sometimes. Maybe I'm thinking about other things during practice, which isn't helpful. Guitar time MUST be guitar time.

Thanks again,

grizzled

[cyberfret]

grizzled.....

Do learn to read tablature as well. By this time you should start to learn some songs by artist you like as well. This is in addition to the reading. If you are not learning basic chords, strumming, songs in your lessons......go to the First Fret section of this site. Go through the chord lessons, the strumming lessons, and there is a lesson on "how to read Internet tablature". Then go to the tablature section and check out some of the sites, find some songs you like and give them a try. When you practice, leave life's problems behind......don't worry, they will still be there when you are finished practicing :)

First Fret Section
http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/index.php



jaytee.....

There is more to the book that what is on the site. The book is not published, I just use it for my private students. Since 99.99% of my private student never get as far as what I have on the site, I have not posted any more of it. Most guitarist wrongly feel that reading standard notation is useless to them. But unknowingly they will hit a wall by not understanding the basics of music that are taught by going through a reading method like this. I am planning putting up some more, but probably not real soon. One thing I am working on is finishing the how to read rhythms lesson. That is part of the book and covers sixteenth notes, triplets, different time signatures etc. If you have gone through the reading method on the site, you have done yourself a great service. Those pages are probably receive the least amount of traffic on the site :)

--Shawn

[jaytee]

i think....i always am afraid i am stuck or "plateaued" and i worry i am missing something HUGE....some monstrous chunk of the puzzle that will hold me back....usually it goes away as soon as i feel like i play a song a bit better or something...but....id like to be able to deal with notation better...cuz right now even tho i think i could *figure out* a song in notation...itd take forever...and id need to be familiar with the song prolly to know which part of the fretboard to use...does that make sense?
tabs are great.....but i dont feel.....complete...i guess....you know? maybe im not making sense....

--jt