Reading Music on Guitar

Notes are simply notation that symbolizes pitches and duration. Each note represents two musical aspects;

1. Duration - the length of a note

2. Pitch - the specific frequency of a note.

The music staff is what is used to help indicate the pitch, the higher the note on the staff the higher the pitch. There are five lines and four spaces on the staff. Ledger lines are used when notes are higher or lower than the pitches on the staff. The clef used for guitar is the treble clef.

Watch the video below and answer the questions below.

Pitches

• What is the musical alphabet? How many letters does it use?

• Know how to find the pitch name of a note anywhere on the staff.

• What mnemonic device can you use for the lines? Feel free to come up with your own

• What's an easy way to remember the spaces?

Time Signatures

• What is a time signature and what information does it give us?

• The top number tells us what?

• The bottom number tells us what?

• What is a measure?

• What is a beat? (not a drum beat)

• What is tempo?

• What is a bar line?

• Be able to count measures. This will be useful to know since when I give you feedback I might say something like "you slowed down in measure 3, try to look ahead when playing that section"

• What does a double bar line indicate? What does it look like?

Note Duration

• How many beats is a whole note and what does it look like?

• How many beats is a half note and what does it look like?

• How many beats is a quarter note and what does it look like?

Practice the rhythm exercises using rest-stroke. Play each note on the high E.

• Always count a measure before starting, so you set your pulse.

• Always pick a tempo that is slow enough so you can look ahead.

• Always count out loud, if you count inside your head you will most likely slow down or speed up and the beats won't be even.

• Watch out for the repeat signs, they look like the double bar line with two horizontal dots.

Notes on the staff and where to find them on guitar.

• I have added the pdf that has all the natural notes that were covered in this video on the next page.

• We will be working string by string over the next few weeks so you don't have to memorize all of these notes and where they are just yet.

• However, it would be beneficial to come back every week and work on this section: (You can skip to 10:22 for this part)

• Say the names of the notes as you play them, make a mental note of where they are on the guitar and the staff.