How to Read Guitar Music Sheet

A guitar notation belongs to the range of notes that range from A, A# (or B-flat), B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#. These notations can be written down in two basic forms. The most complicated of these forms is a staff and quotes notation. A normal guitar player conventionally does not use this kind of pattern to write music. The staff and quotes are very complicated to understand and are generally used by a symphonic orchestra. The second manner in which the sheet can be written is a guitar tab. The guitar tab, is simple to read and understand, however the user of the tab must have a keen ear and a musically developed sense to grasp the music. A lot of guitar lessons in tab form are found on the Internet itself.

What is a Guitar Tab

A guitar tab is a method of writing music. In this method of writing music, letters and numbers are prominently used to depict notations instead of staff and quotes. The guitar tab sheet usually looks like this:

e------------------------------------
B-----------------------------------
G-----------------------------------
D-----------------------------------
A-----------------------------------
E-----------------------------------

In a guitar music sheet, the notation that is to be played is denoted by a number, that indicates the number of fret, where the notation has to be grasped. The E notation string, is the thickest string as well as the first string on the guitar, and the rest of the strings follow. For example, the following is the guitar tab of the intro of the famous song 'stairway to heaven'.

e-------5-7-----7-8-----8-2-----2-0---------0--------------------
B-----5-----5-------5-------3-------1---1-----1------------------
G---5---------5-------5-------2-------2---------2--0-2-2---------
D-7-------6-------5-------4-------3------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------2-0-0---0s8s7-
E----------------------------------------------------------------

While playing with the help of a guitar tab notation, one has to refer to appropriate fret number and string that has to be played. An important part of playing process is coordinating the playing hand, i.e: the striking hand and the hand on the fret board. The following legends are to be also followed while reading the guitar music sheet.

h : hammer-on
p : pull-of
b : bend
r : reverse bend, or release bend
/ : slide up
\ : slide down
s : slide to (refer to the above example)
p.m. : palm mute
t : right hand tap
+ : right hand tap
x : rhythm click or muted string
v : vibrato
~ : vibrato.
(5) : ghost note, or optional note.
<5> : harmonic notation.

What is a Guitar Chord Sheet

Another important method that has to be followed, while reading a guitar sheet, is the method of chords or a chord sheet. This method is very helpful for guitar players who also sing while playing. The following is an example of the famous song 'Last Kiss' by Pearl Jam.

    G                  Em
Oh where, oh where can my baby be?
    C                   D
The Lord took her away from me.
     G                        Em
She's gone to heaven so I've got to be good,
     C              D                G
so I can see my baby when I leave this world.

This concept is rather difficult to grasp, as the music sheet does not indicate the number of times the specified chord has to be played. Understanding the beat and bar of the song, and feel the emotion of the lyrics, becomes extremely easy with this, if one wants to just read and practice the chords.

A lot of practice is required to master the guitar music sheet written in a tabular or a tab form. It is also important to understand which scale and chord is being played in the song. At times a point comes that guitar players start playing the song as soon as they hear it. This can be done only when the player starts recognizing chords and scales. Hence, listening to the original song attentively, helps extensively.