( Jude the Obscure,?).
My Partner is a Professional classically trained Clarinetist and composer so learning to Read , with someone, for who it is meat and drink to ask the questions, is invaluable.
I like to play lots of different styles and my touchstone is to be a pick up bar player in the old Blues troubadour tradition , you hum it and Iĺl play it. this involves a dedication to building a framework which allows one to break down the components of what ever piece is requested and to fill in the gaps with respect to Rhythm tempo dynamics a key etc. that suits the person who wants to sing their favorite song. In Jazz there are lead sheets or cheat sheets its the best way to build a repertoire when one is learning as far as I am concerned.
In my early efforts of learning with Tab reading I used to worry about memorising the tunes so I could play without reading with music in front of me and I felt as if my playing was stilted as the wheels were going round . I now realise the wheels would have been going around anyway as most people recommend and I agree Start slowly and build up to performance tempo pro gramme the Muscle memory. However one gets to the fluency stage eventually it becomes more like whistling.
I have never understood why anyone would wear not reading as a badge of honour.
Playing by ear or throwing shapes people have shown you over the years which maybe one has modified, Reading and playing from Tab, Reading and Playing from Standard notation are all very useful skills.
In terms of building a framework of understanding a dual or even triple stave Tab and rhythm sheet gives all the information in a tune to see how it fits together. A lot of people try to understand the Guitar in terms of the piano this makes things much more difficult but it is important to understand what the Bass and treble clef or Right and left hand parts do in Piano sheet music and then realise that the Harmony and the melody in guitar playing is a similar concept except in different contexts we may be doing only one or the other or both at the same time as well.
I have been Studying Chord Melody arrangement and playing that style now for 2 and a half years. Anyone interested in reading would be assisted in watching Andrew wassons excellent series on you tube Link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74gJ_-KNMmk&feature=relmfu
Heres some video of me tackling the most ambitious chord melody I have learnt yet.
Tears in heaven now feels a much easier piece to play after learning this it will still be a month or two until I have it completely fluent and played from memory. Without my theory background, which has lead me into lots of harmonic avenues, I would not have had access to the ability to improvise on these concepts and tunes and throw them into what ever noodle takes my fancy. Its lots of work but the highest mileage is sometimes obtained that way.
Somewhere over the Rainbow.
starting
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O12L7nxCVcs
Building.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNyFDfNOpg
Ready to go on the Main Road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5I1-F7DaSw
favourite Guitar Lessons on You Tube.
Earś Bobby Ferrin.
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2011/05/youtube-world-science-festival-2009.html
Plurality of chords and two steps towards that insight. ( “Major is Minor and Minor is Major”), its a question of degrees?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Mi550FDng
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2011/06/caged-sequence-and-practice-technique.html
Howard Morgen ( RIP) FB Breakthrough
