Learning to read notation is a topic that guitar players often shy away from.
However, it is incredibly powerful, and gives you access to a whole world of music that you would never otherwise get to experience.
Having said that, it is not “necessary” to learn to read notation to be a good guitar player.
If any of the following goals appeal to you, you will benefit from learning to read notation:
- Understanding music on a deeper level
- Learning to compose instrumental guitar music
- Composing music for other instruments
- Adding other instrumental parts to your songs
- Learning music written for other instruments (e.g. violin or cello) on guitar
- Learning jazz standards / lead sheets
- Learning advanced music theory (voiceleading, counterpoint)
If you want to learn to play songs / solos, or improve your technique (and no judgement if those are your goals!), then you will not benefit from learning to read notation.
How This Course Will Work
Like all the courses on Study-Guitar.com, we will start looking at basic concepts and incrementally building up your ability.
We will start with simple exercises, and build up your ability to playing through simple rock style instrumental songs.
We will cover advanced aspects of notation.
Finally, we will look at transcribing classical music written for other instruments onto guitar.
As always, if you have any questions or problems, post them on the forum and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Important Note
You will find it hugely beneficial to also take the Rhythm and Strumming course, if you have not already done so.
The concepts in that course on rhythm are exactly the same as they are in this course, and seeing the topic presented from a different angle will help you understand it better.
