Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike M. on March 22, 2012 at 8:24am

I think that there's some value in being able to read sheet music. As was mentioned already, for some things, it might be all that's available and it will give you some musical details that tabs will not.  I've used it to piece together guitar parts for songs that weren't written for guitar, too.  Plus, I think that reading sheet music helps develop a musical mind, somehow.  And I could probably go on.

That said, I rarely use sheet music for guitar.  Even when I've been in better practice at using it, I don't think it's as easy to play from on guitar as tabs are.  So, for all of the nice things about being able to read sheet music, if your goal is just to learn how to play songs on the guitar, you might rarely, if ever, use that skill after you develop it.  I would look at it as something enriching to do as a learning experience but I don't think you need to make it a priority unless you decide to branch out into classical guitar or something.

Permalink Reply by Graeme Smyth on March 23, 2012 at 6:46am

I am happy enough using tabs or sheet music, but as others have said sheet music carries more information with regards to rhythm etc.

When I write music I record it as sheet music. Turns out there was something useful I learned in Year 8 Music Class in school, although I still have the occasional nightmare about the recorder hehe.

So advice time, learn to use sheet music but you don't need to throw away the tabs. Learning sheet music lets you translate things from one instrument to another more easily.

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