Austrian Death Machine

I recently bought a scale book, but I kinda wasted my money on it for the time being. The book itself seems fine, but it uses sheet music to teach the scales, and I don't know how to read sheet music. I should've looked at it better in the store, but I didn't...unfortunely.

So, I was wondering if there was a good website that taught you how to read sheet music, or taught you scales. Or both, both would be good. I'm kinda trying to make up my losses here. lol

Btw, I think I might've posted this in the wrong forum. I think it might go in Theory. Oh well, sorry about that...

Clifford D

How to read notation, theory is the correct spot imo.

From middle C (one ledger line below the treble staff going up)
the lines on the staff

- F - always
- D - fine
- B - does
- G - good
- E - every

That is a trick to reading, learning that sequence - E G B D F
extended to E G B D F A C = Every Good Boy Does Fine Always Cause

The spaces also follow that same sequence of E G B D F A C
in the treble clef the sequence is FACE

so we end up with this as the Treble clef (lowest note on line, highest note in space between lines)
- notice how lines flip to spaces then back etc...

G space
- F line
E space
- D line
C space
- B line
A space
- G line
F space
- E line

Notice this is FACE and E G B D F A C mixed together.

In the grand staff ( bass and treble, based on the piano ) this sequence of 3rds continues through the lowest to the highest note.

low.........................piano................. .......high
E G B D F A C E G B D F A C E G B D F A C
-F A C E G B D F A C E G B D F A C E G B D

looks a bit like DNA the way the two "strands" of 3rds connect to form the simple diatonic scale

Of course there's much more, chords are named from the sequence of 3rds etc...

think about it

Rustee

These two sites are listed in the Useful Theory Links sticky post in the theory section.

Teoria.com - introduction
Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net - with this one, click on the lessons drop-down for those on reading music.

__________________
We all have our moments.

Silimtao

If that doesn't work, I'm pulling out the Smith Chart.

__________________
Instant Karma's gonna get you......

If you don't know where you're going, you will probably end up somewhere else.
<http://www.xcomment.com/g3/img/poster___boobs052708113237.gif>

jase

Cmon Cliff....everyone know's it's Each Goat Bleats Dies For Acting Cocky.

Seriously ...good rap.

jbitzel

Well the problem with sheet music death machine, is that lets say the note is an A. Ok now the hard part is translating that into what to play on the guitar, what octave? What about chords?
TAB to my knowledge is the easiest way to accurately depict the actual note or chord to be played.

__________________
Damn right I got the blues!

Fender Starcaster 3 tone sunburst, GFS Texas pups, Peavey Vypyr 15

Rustee

Actually the octave is pretty clear, depending on where on the staff the note is placed. But you're correct in that same note and same octave can be played on different strings...6th string, 5th fret versus open 5th string (both A notes of the same octave), for example. However if one is preferred over another, there are sometimes little numbers with circles below the staff, which designate the specific string.

All that being said, I usually prefer tab too. But ideally, I like to have both.

__________________
We all have our moments.

jase

It depends..i mean dont you think it's all complicated enough without learning basic theory from tab say,AND how to read sheet music same time ?.

Now i not saying sight reading is not a good idea,and even i can read basic notes on the stave,but your going to be looking at your sheet music,and your tab and whatever else you have going on....to much....i feel you might get to learn basic sight reading then just rip it all up with the sheer frustration of it all.

Send that book back there are plenty of good theory sites out there for beginners.

Silimtao

I think he just wants to learn the basics of sight reading now. To throw in theory at this point would be totally pointless, imo. What the hell good is talking about 3rds when you don't even know what an interval is in basic sight reading? I'm willing to bet most players don't even know the intervals between the open strings on their guitar.

__________________
Instant Karma's gonna get you......

If you don't know where you're going, you will probably end up somewhere else.
<http://www.xcomment.com/g3/img/poster___boobs052708113237.gif>

jase

Of course...

I was just thinking as well,i'm not to keen on book's about scales,i mean people can get bogged down with endless scale patterns,and it can be overwhelming.

How about learning the five pentatonic shapes,along with the minor and major one's which will lead naturally and hopefully painfully (thats a lot of lly's) into the relatives/intervals as standard practice ?.

There a lifetime of noodling there eh ?.