Learning style

[Charvel]

How do all of you learn to play guitar, by tabs, music notes or do you just sound it out, cause my dad keeps telling me i shud learn how to play notes... but i dont kno if its worth it, is there really any diffence between tab an noteS???

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

I learned completely by ear. I would always listen to music and then attempt to figure it out. The only thing I needed to learn were the basic techniques like power chords, palm muting, harmonics etc. Now, after learning only by ear I can take almost any song and learn it just by listening to what's being played and applying the techniques I know. The only time I ever use tab is if there's something I just can't figure out after a LONG time of trying. For example a very fast solo or a part in a song that's too muddy to hear every note clearly. As for notation, there IS a difference between that and tab. Notes don't tell you WHERE to play the note on the fretboard. You could play a B note for example on either the 4th fret on the G-string, or an open B-string. But if you learn to read sheet music, you can figure these things out for yourself after awhile. MY advice is stay away from tab as much as possible; only try using your ear to hear what's being played. Also, what everybody will say is to play along with a track so that if you play something wrong you can HEAR it, and then fix it. Of course, for me it's come to the point where I always have music in my head and I'm strumming an imaginary guitar everytime I sit in class listening to a lecture or something. and keep in mind I'm only 2 or 3 years older than you.

after there are lots of responses to this thread, tell your dad to READ IT!! That'll teach him

[yes-fan]

Re: Learning style

yes. tab is easy and learning to read notes is harder but it pays off big time. with the notes you dont have to look for what fret to play on your guitar because your fingers already know were it is. and with notes you also have timing, wich tab doesnt have. if you learn to read music than you can play any part that is writen for any other instrument in any song that was ever writen. and also there is lots of money involved in transcribing music onto a sheet of paper.(not in tab) fye. so if you want to take the easy rout. learn tab. what do i mean learn tab. you dont have to learn anything to play tab. if you want to be well respected and have more fun with guitar playing learn to read music.

[yes-fan]

Re: Learning style

As for notation, there IS a difference between that and tab. Notes don't tell you WHERE to play the note on the fretboard. You could play a B note for example on either the 4th fret on the G-string, or an open B-string. But if you learn to read sheet music, you can figure these things out for yourself after awhile.
after there are lots of responses to this thread, tell your dad to READ IT!! That'll teach him

it doesnt matter. its still the same note.

[Norman_T]

Re: Learning style

I can play by ear, read music or by tab - does not really matter as I have been playing for many years. When I first started tab was not invented (yeah shows my age) and you either had to play by ear or read music, when you are a pro that's what you have to do.

Tab is great for beginners or if something needs to be figured out. Guitarists tend to be very lazy in being able to read music and tab is a good way of making it easier. It is not the panacea for everything and reading music will help you along your music career but at the end of the day using your ears and knowing where the notes are on your fretboard are the most important thing. Playing a D on the 1st string (10th fret) as opposed to playing it at the 15th fret on the second string will give you different tones and also your fingers will be positioned differently.

BTW I teach youing people and tab is very easy for them to figure out tunes to play, but you do have to get them to read music.

[Charvel]

Re: Learning style

Well i shud give notes a try then, but how would i learn everything i got is tabb you guys gotta have a site heh cant you put a link down here, id appreciate it alot

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

so if you want to take the easy rout. learn tab. what do i mean learn tab. you dont have to learn anything to play tab. if you want to be well respected and have more fun with guitar playing learn to read music.

You dont have to read music to be well respected. There are examples out there of some who don't read sheet music well, or at all, and they're excellent musicians... but sorry, I don't have any examples right off the top of my head:P

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

it doesnt matter. its still the same note.

But that's not the point. In guitar playing, the idea is to move your hand across the fretboard as little as possible. So for example if you were playing a scale, you wouldn't go far across the fretboard, like running across one or two strings to complete the scale, you would keep your hand in the same spot and climb the scale on the same frets of adjacent strings. Also the tone of the note changes according to whether it is played on a fretted note, or on an open string. So it's not only a matter of tone, but a matter of ease for your hand's movements.

[Charvel]

Re: Learning style

Well i am only 13-14 so you guys think i shud learn notes, and get my hearing able to tell the notes, while im stilll in my youth hehe i kno i still got a long time to play i got the rest of my life to learn this stuff but would it be a beter idea to learn while im young or not?

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

you might as well look into the basics of notation. I had to take music theory as a mandatory course in grade 9 last year, and I'm taking it again this year by choice. It really helped me, more than I know I think.

oh and how are those LiveWire actives working for you in that charvel?

[Norman_T]

Re: Learning style

Well i shud give notes a try then, but how would i learn everything i got is tabb you guys gotta have a site heh cant you put a link down here, id appreciate it alot

Try these:

http://www.powertabs.net/

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/tab.html

[Charvel]

Re: Learning style

you might as well look into the basics of notation. I had to take music theory as a mandatory course in grade 9 last year, and I'm taking it again this year by choice. It really helped me, more than I know I think.

oh and how are those LiveWire actives working for you in that charvel?

there working damn awsome, but wait a sec actives are when you gotta put batterys in right>??? do i have to put new batteries in after a while?
or when i get the guitar do i gotta put them in?, cause i didnt think they were actives, and man if i need batteries in them im missing out **** loads!!! haha damn dude i hope you reply fast

[BobbyEarl]

Re: Learning style

I initially learned by ear which, along with a basic chord book, got me playing actual songs pretty fast. Later I learned some guitar theory, which makes it easier to communicate with other musicians (horns, keys etc). I read somewhere Wes Montgomery did not read music...but being a guitar genius he didn't need it! (I on the other hand need all the help I can get).
IMHO you need to learn at least a little theory.
Tabs are a pretty good kickstart to learning by ear provided you listen well.

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

lol you should probably have batteries in those livewires, that's why they're called livewire... active, live, get it? lol apparently they run on an 18-volt power supply, so you'll need two 9v's. I didnt know they functioned without batteries!

[Metalman_666]

Re: Learning style

Well i shud give notes a try then, but how would i learn everything i got is tabb you guys gotta have a site heh cant you put a link down here, id appreciate it alot

when you ask for a site are you talking about a site that teaches you notation? If so, I can't help you with that, but there are plenty of good books out there to help. The one for my theory course is called something like the "Lawless Preliminary Rudiments" or something like that. Take a look in a bookstore.