tab/notes

[airfall]

can anybody tell me what is the best way to switch from tabs to real music? i can read music, like i know what the notes are, but it takes me forever to place them on the guitar's fretboard. also, reading above or below the five lines (what's that called again? :)) is very difficult for me. any suggestions and/or exercises i can do to get better at this???

[clifford]

it is tough.. the hardest part is that there's so many different ways to sound a pitch on a guitar, you have to figure out what's the easiest way to play it.. that's why ive never learned to read music on a guitar.. im too lazy and tab's easy

[airfall]

oh gee thanks.... :) that's helpful

[clifford]

haha.. sorry, sometimes i forget im rambling and unhelpful.. well this might be of some assistance

http://www.cyberfret.com/reading/index.php

there are also a number of books (none of which ive tried) on the subject. im sure someone on here has.. go to a music store, and/or check out a library or two (my library has some guitar books)

the first thing to do when making the switch.. try and see if the notes follow the pattern of any sort of scale.. this will make it easier both ways, since scales on the staff are relatively easy to transcribe. if you're having to jump from, the 17th fret to the 2nd quite often.. something probably isnt right (edit: as in, 17 on the a string, play a ditty, then go ditty on the 2nd fret on the a string.. while you could replace the 17, on around a 2 on a higher string)

for the really high/low notes off the staff, i guess you just have to get an eye for it. the only way to get better at reading music is.. to read music. so look at tab books (with both standard and tab), or maybe buy or find on the internet a piano (or similar) book/site with familiar melodies, and practice with those.

[airfall]

hehe... cool, that site is pretty helpful, i'll be looking at it more. what's wrong with jumping (sliding) from the 17th fret to 2nd?? it sounds sogood! jk. well if nobody hears from me for awhile i'm practicing. thanks!

[TheGrinnan]

Those "five lines" are called the staff.

[diagnosisgtr]

Check out a program called Guitar Pro 4. You can tab out songs and view them in sheet music form as well, plus a lot more.

[airfall]

i bought a book on solo styles and different scale patterns and stuff, and all the music is in both notes and tab. so i play the songs first in tab until i get a pretty good idea of how it goes, then look at the notes and play it again. its working quite well. the main problem for me is i learned saxophone first, and so notes seem to trigger certain fingers on both hands that dont correspond to a guitar at ALL. makes it confusing. but i'm getting there! thanks for all ur help!