Must I learn to read music ?

Personally, I think that it is always beneficial to learn to read music.

There's great pay-offs down the road for people who do that. Standard notation is the lingua franca of the music world. Tab will only carry you so far.

That said, having a 40 year old play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" strongly suggests a teacher who knows how to teach from one and only one method book, or who has very little experience teaching adults.

I'd strongly suggesting having a talk with your teacher about how you're going about learning to read standard notation.

There's no reason you can't be learning a song or two that you are excited to play, and be reading the melody line for that music for example.

Yes, you can be a good player without learning to read music.

But there are a lot of really good reasons to learn to read music - it will help you understand what's happening as you progress. Although you can do without if you're sticking to I-IV-V progressions, you'll be limited in more complicated music.

Take a more advanced chord like a m7b5 - you could easily memorize a form or two of that, and you'll be able to play it whenever it comes up in a chord chart. But if you can read music, and you know that Gm7b5 is made up of G-Bb-Db-F, and you see the next chord is Db, you can make choices - knowing that Db is Db-F-Ab, and there are two common notes between the chords, you'll have a better understanding of the harmony... you can choose voicings that bring out the melody of the tune better.

Even though in a situation like that you're not actually reading music, being able to read will make it a lot easier for you to understand the harmony involved.

So figure out your goals. If you're certain you'll be satisfied playing simple songs, you don't really need to read - and you should tell your teacher what your goals are. But if you like listening to jazz, ragtime, etc. on guitar, and you'd like to do that someday, stick with reading.

One other thing you might do, after you've learned the first position notes, is as if you can use a different method book. The Berklee series uses tunes entirely composed for the method, so you won't be doing nursery rhymes - they still start off fairly simply, but they'll seem fresh to your ears.

I guess I will agree with Kingpatzer and Noatboat...on my very first guitar lesson, my teacher asked if I was interested in learning to read music and I said "no" and he said "good because I'm not interested in teaching it." But I am sure it'd be somewhat beneficial to learn it.

When I began learning guitar (a little over 3 months now) I also began learning standard music notation. While I still have a whole lot to learn, I have found that the little I do know has proven invaluable. I can look at a peice of music (for whatever instrument it may be written for) and comprehend it to a certain extent. I make it a point to practice site reading for 15 minutes each day, and I have noticed improvements just in the short time I have been doing it. I recommend learning standard music notation, it will make for a better musical experience.

I don't see the problem here as you learning or not learning to read standard notation. I see the problem in the teacher not tuning his lessons between what you WANT to learn, and what you NEED to learn. IMHO, an instructor needs to mix everything together so you get the basics, which probably will include some standard notation, along with songs that you enjoy playing the use those basics.

I would definitely talk with the teacher about that. If he can't keep you interested, by all means find one who can!

This one comes up every now and then, and whilst I always teach younger students to read music it's normally accepted that the older beginners want to play some songs; so that's the way to teach them.

Nobody ever got fired from a band because they could read music. At your age, my suggestion would be that when you decide you really want to learn to read music, combine the method book (so you can pick Mary Had A Little Lamb if you really want to) with a guitar magazine from your local shop (which will have something far more interesting in standard notation, tab and chord boxes all on the same page). Then ask your guitar teacher to teach you to read music from the magazine.

Best,

A :-)

It really depends. There are many good reasons to learn standard notation but it is very well possible none applies to you. Learning notation when starting out is much less frustrating then when you can already play which is probably why your teacher is pushing you so much. To me standard notation has become pretty much invaluable for a number of reasons but that does not mean *you* need to do so.

Do note that it is easy to start on your own and 'race'through material. You'll probably later discover that there are huge gaps in your knowledge that will really hold you back. My suggestion is that you keep the lessons, do the homework but learn other stuff on your own as well.

There is a difference between reading and understanding standard notation and being a good sight reader on guitar.

I'm at the same point in life and my guitar learning as you (except, I'm doing it without the benifit of a teacher).

It seems to me that you can entertain yourdelf (and others) for the rest of your life without learning to read standard notation.
BUT
If you want to pick up a song that someone else hasn't already transcribed into tab, then knowing what those dots and squiggles really mean is going to be useful.

I started on my guitar adventure a month after my 5 year old started taking piano lessons (intro to music, kindergarden level) and I find that he can now play any piece of music that's put in front of him, as long as it contains the 5 notes that he has learned so far). THAT has motivated me to learn to read sheet music, just so I can play along with him.
And that , in turn keeps him motivated.

So, I do end up playing nursrey rymes, but as a duet!

And after his bedtime, I sit down with Dave Hodge's lessons, and "Guitar for Dummies" and various other books and printouts and try to learn stuff that I want to listen to myself play. (Day Tripper, Pretty Woman, Smoke On The Water and whatever else I thing would sound cool, but not be too far over my head)

A co-worker has been taking lessons for about 10 months and her teacher is teaching her to play the songs she wants to learn. Classical Gas and Crossroads are 2 she is working on - and enjoying.

THANK YOU ALL !! Never did I expect such great advise so fast. Someone stated that my teacher is perhaps used to teaching children and works out of one lesson book . You were correct, I am his oldest student and I feel like he treats me as a child also. By the time I do a small tune in the proper time ( proper time kills me !! ),.... in comes the next 12 year old and I leave. LOL !
I can see by the replies, that if I do learn to read music it will only help me in the future. And I will take that ! Guess I will just talk to him AGAIN, slowly learn my notes, and then late at night pop a beer, log onto guitarnoise, and jam away.
Again, I can not say how much I appreciate all of your help !!

THANK YOU !!

Paul

I have been playing guitar for a little over two years now and can play scores (pun intended)of tunes but not what I consider WELL. Chords etc are not much of a problem but when it comes to playing instrumental breaks, interesting fills etc. I have a tough time. I do not seem to have what some descibe as a natural talent for picking out notes by ear.I have recently started with a new teacher and told her I wish to learn some music theory as well as techniques. So I am at the same place as you are, learning notes, positions etc and trying to read them from standard notation. But I also get part of my lesson targetted toward learning a tune that has proved too difficult to learn by myself. I agree that playing something like Ode to Rock is boring but I already feel like my playing has improved in that I now know where the chords, fills etc are coming from. Sorry for the ramble but I guess the long and short of it is that I think that you should stick with learning proper skills and that includes reading music unless you are the type that Hears music and can translate that to the fretboard.
Robbie

Everything you learn is going to help you in the long run. Here's an article from GN give it a read Should I learn to read Music?

Unless it's SRV's Mary had a little lamb, I'd question the teacher as to why they are pushing it. They may have a good reason (or maybe not).

Keith

The article that was pointed out to me " Should I Learn To Read Music ", is fantastic ! Thank you for showing me that art !
I now believe that a combination is the best thing for me, and if my teacher does not agree, I shall move on !

THANKS AGAIN