How important is notation to the guitarist?

[DLM]

Yeah, as I said, I couldn't find a shortcut for it, so I pasted it over from the Wikipedia entry for maj 7 chords.

[Sir Axeman]

Not exactly on the tab vs notation thing but still relevant to the thread topic...and one of curiousity to me (and maybe others) but you lot that are very adept readers..tell me, what would you be like with a Vai or Satch score in front of you? How quickly would you work through it? And espesh without hearing the track? Just something I'd love to see really. Now here, i'm not arguing tab is better!! Just I'd love to see how good/easy it is for a good skilled reader of spider poo to read and play something fairly complex from a rock angle. I'd actually find that very inspiring to see at least if it came out good!

[Nik Harrison]

Not exactly on the tab vs notation thing but still relevant to the thread topic...and one of curiousity to me (and maybe others) but you lot that are very adept readers..tell me, what would you be like with a Vai or Satch score in front of you? How quickly would you work through it? And espesh without hearing the track? Just something I'd love to see really. Now here, i'm not arguing tab is better!! Just I'd love to see how good/easy it is for a good skilled reader of spider poo to read and play something fairly complex from a rock angle. I'd actually find that very inspiring to see at least if it came out good!

I would venture the suggestion that (subject to the notation giving fingerboard positions, because without them it would just be a mammoth task indeed!) it would take me about the same amount of time to play from the notation as it would with the tab. However, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of both systems here. If you hadn't heard the music before, the rhythms within the notation would be essential, but then the tone would be a matter of assumption/guesswork. This kind of music isn't notation-friendly at all though with all the squeals, dive bombs, etc... I know I've been defending notation a lot in this thread, but there are always cases where the tab would offer someone a better point of departure and this is one of those cases.

[barney.]

i think notation is important..there is so much music and tuition type books out there that without notation you couldnt do...im not really saying everybody needs to sight read, but by knowing the the notation and how to find the notes on guitar theres loads of stuff out there to learn..

[musophilr]

I've got a book of Vai stuff. Its not easy to read, but then I guess it's not easy to play either. It's not like taking the 1st violin part from George Händel's Musick for the Royal Fireworks and sight reading it on guitar. That's easy.

[DefaultM]

I combine the 2 simultaneously. Use the tab to tell me the fingerings and the notation for the rhythm/phrasing. I rarely have trouble sight reading new pieces this way, though I'm sure some people would consider it cheating.
Guitar magazines, tab books, Guitar Pro and Power Tab files are always laid out in this manner so its not usual for me to be given something I can't read.
Though if someone did put standard notation in front of me with no tab you'd be waiting a very long time until you heard me play something resembling the song.

[Sir Axeman]

I would venture the suggestion that (subject to the notation giving fingerboard positions, because without them it would just be a mammoth task indeed!) it would take me about the same amount of time to play from the notation as it would with the tab. However, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of both systems here. If you hadn't heard the music before, the rhythms within the notation would be essential, but then the tone would be a matter of assumption/guesswork. This kind of music isn't notation-friendly at all though with all the squeals, dive bombs, etc... I know I've been defending notation a lot in this thread, but there are always cases where the tab would offer someone a better point of departure and this is one of those cases.

Much respect for that Nik - refreshing honesty there!

[Blueingreen]

I didn't get round to learning to read properly until I'd been playing for many years, so I've been a reader and non-reader. I just wish I'd put in the time to do it earlier. I have no doubt I'd be a better player if I had.

[Rickh]

Just my experience, getting better at reading music improved my over all musicianship as I learned a lot about rhythm, form, harmony and learning all the notes on the neck. Knowing the notes on the neck helps me get to any scales or chords quicker. Notation is also great for going through melodies and transcriptions for other instruments such as saxophone, or some classical music.

Re: teaching notation, my compromise is to mostly work on songs and use tab but just spend a short time each week working on some music reading and other bits. Some of the kids are really quite good at reading music and are quite happy to do it. Light years ahead of where I was at with it as I started late too and wish I'd done it sooner!

[folkyblokey]

... and learning all the notes on the neck. Knowing the notes on the neck helps me get to any scales or chords quicker.

Just a thought. I use alternative tunings quite a lot. CFCGAE, CGDGAC, CGCGCE, DGDGAD, DADGAD, DADF#AD, DGDGBD are the ones I mainly use. Now, I know where every note is on the fretboard, in Standard, but the thought of learning the fretboard for lots of tunings doesn't appeal to me, so I havent. Has anyone learned the fretboard for loads of tunings?