How to Read Guitar Musical Notes

As guitar tablature and chord charts have become more common over the past few decades, fewer guitarists are learning to read standard notation. While most guitarists may be apprehensive about learning to read music, the ability to read guitar notation can be acquired as easy as reading tab or chord charts. By understanding the basics of how music is written for guitar you can access publications that are written only in notation, many of which are cheaper than their tabbed out counterparts.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar
• Piece of Guitar Sheet Music
• Music Stand

1. 
    

   Open the piece of guitar music and place it on a music stand. Find any notes that are written down one at a time, these are called "single notes." Single notes are to be played by striking each note sequentially, one at a time.

2. 
    

   Notice that some of the notes are stacked on top of each other. Stacked notes indicate chords and are meant to be played all at the same time by plucking or strumming the chord with the right hand. Chords may contain as little as 2 or as many as 6 notes.

3. 
    

   Find any notes that are connected by an arching line with the letter H written over it, these are Hammer-Ons. To execute a hammer-on, play the first note and quickly "hammer" down a finger on the second note. Do not pluck the second note.

4. 
    

   Find any notes that are connected by an arching line with the letter P written over it, these are Pull-Offs. To play a pull-off, place one finger on the initial note, and another finger on the second note. Pluck the string, then release the finger holding the first note while keeping the other finger down on the second note. Do not pluck the second note.

5. 
    

   Locate two notes that are connected by a line, sometimes with a "S" over it, this indicates a Slide. To perform a slide, pluck the first note, then slide that finger up or down to the next note without lifting it off of the string. Do not pluck the second note.

Tips & Warnings

• Only read tablature or chord charts when absolutely necessary. Reading a little everyday will greatly improve one's ability over time.

Resources

• Where to Buy Guitar Sheet Music
• Classical Guitar Sheet Music