So I started to learn sheet music and found it fairly simple to learn which lines and spaces are what notes. But then I looked at the music for an actual song and got lost.
I looked at the first line, the note was played with the E string picked open. So since its in Drop D, its in the right spot. In the next line, its picked but with the A string on the 12th fret. But the D note is moved all the down below the staff.
So I have two questions,
1) Why is it all the way down below the staff on the second line?
2) Besides the tab, how do I tell that it's the same note?
I believe the 8vb designation in the top part means that the actual note should be played an octave lower than the note shown in the staff. That would be the dropped D on the low E string. Otherwise that note would be played on the open D string.
In the second section, it is written without the 8vb because it is shown relative to the other note.
You'll also see 8va, indicating an octave higher.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
You are starting on a pretty rough piece to be learning standard notation.
6/8 time, dotted quarter note =82 bpm and a bunch of 1/16 notes.
At least rhythm wise.
count the 1/16 notes in groups of 3 as triplets.
I can already play this song actually. It's the first song I learned but I went entirely on the tab and never bothered to question the sheet music.
Also, when converting from Tab to Std and back, the fingering can get messed up. It could have placed the A on G-2.
As a bass player, I often read Std, but I've been known to pencil in a specific fingering on a couple of notes to help me manage any shifts.
Laz
slej is right - 8vb stands for "ottava basso", or "one octave lower". The publisher could have chosen to write the second example the same way - which would have meant writing the A note on the first ledger line above the staff.
The term 8va, which means "ottava" or "one octave" doesn't always mean higher though - I've seen it written below the staff to indicate an octave lower, or above the staff to mean an octave higher.
It's actually pretty rare to see 8vb in guitar music. The whole reason the guitar is transposed - written one octave higher than it sounds - is to put the entire range of the guitar within three ledger lines of the staff. Low E is the note below the third ledger line under the staff, and 24th fret high E is on the third ledger line above (with an ottava notation). You'll often see ottava or 8va for notes above 12th fret E, but most publishers simply use a fourth ledger line for dropped D tuning.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Now I understand completely. Thanks all. I am understanding how to read sheet music rather quickly. The one thing I'm kinda stuck on is chosing the easiest way to play a note since there are multiple ways to play each note on a guitar. Because of that, I'm actually learning how to play this song using the sheet music faster on my keyboard than my guitar.
As you know you can play the same note at several places on a guitar.
When playing any song from standard notation you look for what is easiest to move from note to note within the song and any embelishments that you have to play.
Example: I was playing a Bach piece and was perfectly happy with playing in the 1st position until I came to a part that required a pull off from E (top space) to D (second line from top) well, since the notes are on seperate strings in first position I had to shift up and play the E on the 5th fret of the B string instead (since 1st position was better for most of the song, I shifted to 3rd through 6th fret fingering for a few bars up to a slide down that took me back to first position again)
The point is find a place on the neck that makes what you are playing most comfortable for you and don't be afraid to move around the neck as needed, just plan it out.
How do you tell the difference between a pitch that is sharp and a pitch that is flat? I'm lost on how something can sound flat or sharp when pitches such as Db and C# are the same note.
How do you tell the difference between a pitch that is sharp and a pitch that is flat? I'm lost on how something can sound flat or sharp when pitches such as Db and C# are the same note.
In relation to sheet music?
If so the key signature will tell you.
Oh and before anyone does say it Db and C# are not the same note and if played to their true pitch are different. We use Relative Pitch (is that the right term?) this made it easier to make musical instruments, the notes are so close in pitch that a long time ago they decided to change the pitch of each slightly so they could both be played with the same fret, keyboard key etc...
It just occured to me that you might be getting hung up on the terms themselfs and taking them literally. Flat= dull. lifeless, sharp=bright, vibrant,
IN music that is not what it means.
Flat simply means to play any particular note one half step or semitone lower in pitch and Sharp means play any particular note one half step or semitone higher in pitch. Heck you can call it + or - if you want, wont be right but will mean the same.
Yeah that's what I was hung up on. I really should just worry about how notes and chords sound rather than what the names are. They confuse me too much.
Yeah that's what I was hung up on. I really should just worry about how notes and chords sound rather than what the names are. They confuse me too much.
It is confusing at first, that is normal.
I will go out on a limb here and say you don't give yourself enough credit.
I have seen you progress since you have been here. I can tell by the types of questions you ask.
Keep at it, you are doing fine.
This might help you, Your Very Own Rosetta Stone.
If you follow the home page, there are stages to help you.
Good luck with your endeavor, you are on the right path.
Thanks for the encouragement. I actually already knew how to read sheet music. I had already how to do it nearly 10 years ago but had forgotten since then. But its starting to come back. Though I'm not sure if I'll stick to learning it. The other night I was too lazy to go find the music or tabs to a particular song and started playing it by ear. It's actually pretty easy. Even more so since my ears are getting better and telling difference in pitch, or when a chord is being played as opposed to a note, or when the string is being muted or bent. Makes me wonder if learning sheet music or even using tabs is necessary, especially if I get better at going by ear.
