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Originally Posted by Shooter  Hey. I'm not sure how many people here read music, but I'm having a bitch of a time improving my sight reading. I can read music, of course, but just doing it quickly is really difficult. I have to sit and figure it out, then play it... I can't just do it as I play. Any advice? Thanks. |
There are two elements to sight reading, vertical and horizontal. Horizontal is rhythm and vertical is pitch. Many guitarists don't know that guitar and bass notation isn't read as written, but played an octave lower. The top space E is actually the 12th fret high E string, but guitar plays that note as your open high E string.
There are two types of rhythmic notation : notes that sustain and notes that are non- sustaining. Sight reading is easy, once someone shows you how. I have yet to see a book or method or computer program that will show you how.
Once you can read the notation and know where to play it on your guitar, there is a matter of interpretation. A musician can NEVER groove, play 16th note funk, or play anything well if he/she can't play what they are sight reading "in the pocket". It has to be played correctly. If you would like to be able to sight read pretty much anything in about six weeks, send me a pm. It is not difficult because you already know most of the rhythms and heard all the notes. You already know the language.