Should I be doing this?

knotty

knotty

The world is your lobster.
Background. Late starter, been playing 10 years, 63 now. Would say I'm intermediate. Can play a good few licks, all my bar chords, cowboy, power etc. A few surf songs under my belt. Dont play Rhythm as cant sing. No aspirations, play for myself.

Sorted out some old mags and came across some instructions books that got thrown in with an ebay guitar deal. Fastrack guitar 1, 2 and songbook. Opened no 1..... couldnt play it. It starts off with notes on high e string on first 3 frets. Then moves up string by string. Tunes to practice each new strings notes. All sight reading though.
I sight read when I was a kid learning piano accordion but have not really done since.

I am currently working my way through the book, sight reading and playing the tunes.

Should I persevere or resort to just playing what I fancy, by tab?
I asked this on another forum and got shot down. They thought tab was king.
Confused.
MARK ET AL, HELP?
 
Well, reading is not neccessary for most guys in your position but it really makes a huge difference in your abilities once you've spent some time on it. If you have the patience and the time I say go for it. I suggest all of my students learn to read for that cvery reason.
 
+3. If you have the time to learn to read for the guitar, please do it.
Find a teacher like this Mike Whine guy and you will be a much better player more quickly.
A lot depends on what you want to play. Pop? tab works. Classical? Reading. Jazz? Reading for the most part.
Rock? By ear.
But a teacher like this Mack White guy will go a long way to getting you familiar with where you are on the fretboard, etc.
 
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I'd highly recommend learning sight reading- & if you can remember things from your accordion days about sightreading- things transferable to any instrument, such as how to interpret rhythmic aspects of notation, how modes work, how chords work.

Combine it with ear training via transcribing, & there will be absolutely nothing you will not be able to figure out & understand, even if you cannot technically pull it off.

A lot of guitarists used to think that music theory & reading would hurt their creativity, it will not.

It doesn't tell you what to do & what not to do, it only tells you why things sound how they sound.

Tab is not king, by any means. Tab teaches patterns. Notes teach music.
 
As the others mentioned it depends on what you want to do in terms of style of music. Playing Classical and Jazz will push the emphasis on note reading. Meanwhile I treat tab more as Renaissance era type music (Lute, etc). However tab has been big in the music of today and seems to be the medium most move to. Basic tab will have just finger and string positions while the Renaissance type tab would have the rhythmic figures above which I feel is very important.

As for a choice, I prefer note reading as lead sheets will usually have notes/chords/and rhythmic figures.
 
the best way to learn is to figure songs out by ear (from a tapedeck, cd, record, youtube...any media that lets you pause and replay sections)
Just keep going over it and over it until you get it right.
ear training is fundamental.
 
I think "use it or lose it" - I don't think learning anything is a bad decision unless you don't have a use for it. I read pretty badly, but that's because I never have to do it. So, I learned it as a kind of "I should be able to do this" thing, and I stumble through, but the reality is that unless I spend time studying scores for music that I don't normally listen to or can learn by ear...then it's a little wasted. However, the concentration I have to put in to read even a simple piece, makes for a tremendous warm up!
 
Hi Knotty -- I remember you from HCEG!

I've actually never learned to read music for guitar (I can read vocally, though -- so at least know the notes). I'm a bit behind you (57) and have been playing over 40 years, but plan on taking lessons when I drop some of my other obligations (i.e. soccer refereeing, etc.) and have the time to do so without pissing off she--who-must-be-obeyed! I feel that you're never too old to learn, and I'm ready to learn more!
 
mosiddiqi said:
I think "use it or lose it" - I don't think learning anything is a bad decision unless you don't have a use for it. I read pretty badly, but that's because I never have to do it. So, I learned it as a kind of "I should be able to do this" thing, and I stumble through, but the reality is that unless I spend time studying scores for music that I don't normally listen to or can learn by ear...then it's a little wasted. However, the concentration I have to put in to read even a simple piece, makes for a tremendous warm up!
Click to expand...
Speak of the devil! How's it hanging, Mo,
 
I say it depends on why you are playing guitar. If you are just playing for fun and want to be able to play your favorite songs in your bedroom, I would skip the sight reading and grabs some tabs, or hit youtube and search for the song you want to play with "guitar lesson" at the end of it. You would be surprised on how many videos there are that teach you how to play the song you want to learn. If you enjoy the sight reading then go for it. I know I wouldn't put in the hours to get the sight reading down if I just wanted to sit in my room and rock out some AC/DC.
 
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