-
Hello, I am learning music by my own, and i am begining to read music.
I found a software called LenMus, that helps you to begin and practice rading music. But the point is that this a very basic software. Most of the music is in C key only. And there are only single ntoes played each time. Of course i will practice with this at the moment. But can u recommend me any good sfotware or web sites with exercises to learn more advanced music. Like music that combine single notes and chords. And also in different keys
Because most of the music are into this. I need to read chords and in different keys
Thanx you a lot
ANd excuse me for my English
-
10-08-2011 07:03 AM
-
yes...Mel Bay Modern Method...
I have gone through it many years ago and from time to time pick it up...open to any page and play it....great system for learning the instrument..
above all...time on the instrument...
-
I venture a guess that Mel Bay is where Jimmy Bruno got his "5 shapes" or as he calls it now, "5 positions" that he uses to cover the entire fingerboard. He uses the 5 fingerings of major scales to cover all scales with the idea that everything is derived from those scales or "positions". i.e. everything is nothing more than a major scale with "outside notes". Exceptions are made for diminished pitch collections and whole tone scales. It's a fabulous way to get people to create their own lines for playing jazz.
-
thank you a lot
so in that book you recommend me, you learn to read sheet music , that include chords and advanced things? I dont want to buy a book if im not going to get what i am looking for.
thanx anyway
-
You could also just get a Real Book. Tons of songs that will keep you occupied for years to come, a huge variety of melodic lines and all the chords you could think of in many different keys, and transposing the tunes to different keys will give you 12 times the work. Tunes range from the simple to the most complex, and you'll get the obvious added benefit of learning tunes as you go along to build your repertoire.
-
thnx extrapolation for the idea
anyways i got a book called A modern method for guitar. Method Berklee press by william leavitt
for those who have tried it; can it be a good substitute for the mel bay book?
any opinion?
-
I have not seen or used the Mel Bay books, but it seems to be 7 separate books that you have to buy. And that does not seem either very economical, or like the sort of "one-stop" modern tutor that JazzFan-1 will like.
I do not know of any single book (or a DVD) aimed at teaching modern electric guitar players (eg in Rock, or Fusion or whatever) how to sight-read notation in a really complete and comprehensive way (ie as opposed to just the very basics). In fact if I did know about a book like that, then I would have bought it myself long ago.
The book I’ve used is David Oakes Music Reading For guitar (ie this book David Oakes: Music Reading For Guitar - Guitar Instrumental Tutor - Tuition Books - Musicroom.com ). That’s pretty good and quite comprehensive. But although it has masses of classical stuff to play through (most of which is really nice), there is no modern song material in it at all.
But one thing you can do, which I did, is - get a good TAB/Notation Songbook with some of your favourite guitar songs and learn to play several songs note-for-note using the TAB. Then try to play the same songs purely by reading from notation in the book. The advantage of that is you already have a good idea of what each group of notes is supposed to sound like. So my suggestion is to do that, combined with practicing and studying from the book by Oakes as your basic guide.
-
Originally Posted by Extrapolation
This year I've read, Real Book I, Real Book II, Real Book I again, and I'm now about 1/2 way through the New Real Book I.
-
I personally feel the Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt is a great place to start. It is what I used to learn to read notation, and it worked very well for me.
-
Originally Posted by metalmike31216
-
Originally Posted by setemupjoe
-
Originally Posted by metalmike31216
To be honest i never thought i could read music (or would want to) but after about 6 months i can now work my way through any Real Book tune (albeit slowly). It is my favorite part of practice now.
-
In my mind Mel Bay and Leavitt are pretty different in terms of scope and pace. The Leavitt books can be overwhelming. Why not get book 1 of both and check 'em out. I think they're both pretty inexpensive anyway. If you're really new to reading music, the Mel Bay book may be an easier starting point. I'm pretty sure that the first 2 or 3 Mel Bay books don't take you to the difficulty level found at the end of Leavitt's book one.
Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 10-08-2011 at 08:21 PM.
-
The William Leavitt books are not for the faint hearted. They are serious books best studied with a teacher that knows how to guide a student through each exercise. Sometimes the books lack any explanation but that's where a good teacher comes in. They are an excellent resource though and well worth the time and patience. I went through all three volumes and it was an invaluable tool.
-
Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher
-
I will agree that the first Modern Method book can be a bit overwhelming, since it really doesn't have much instruction or explanation in it. I went through the book as the main reading text for level one at the Atlanta Institute of Music's guitar program. Having a great teacher really helped to cement the information into our heads and have us understand it. I don't think it is impossible by any stretch of the imagination to go through the book without a teacher, but it will be a tough journey. Well worth the effort though. Well worth it.
After going through the first two modern method books and the melodic rhythms for guitar book I was able to comfortable sight read out of the omnibook with very little problems.
-
Originally Posted by jazzfan1
-
Originally Posted by IanX
-
Originally Posted by metalmike31216
Anyways i thinki i need to try it first
cause at the same time, i will be studying music theory from many sites and software, so if i find some topics i dont understand on william's book, i will manage to learn them using music theory books.
I hope this works
-
Originally Posted by jazzfan1
-
Understand that learning to read (interpret) music notation and sight reading are two very different things. I can read notated chords, but I can't sight read them, and I don't care. I learned to sight read chord symbols, because that's what you find in guitar charts 99% of the time. Also, rhythmic notation is the real challenge in music reading, not pitch. A lot of time can be wasted focusing on the wrong stuff. What are your goals? To study charts, or perform from charts?
-
Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
-
Originally Posted by setemupjoe
-
Yea as Cosmic was saying learning to read is one process. In the end you become aware of...
1) rhythm... everything is either on the beat or off the beat, up or down.
+ 1 or 1+... any subdivision. You basically recognize rhythmic figures, (there are only so many), in common or duple meter, groups of two... and also compound or groups of 3. triplets etc...
So anyway you become aware and recognize rhythmic figures, which lets you concentrate on the...
2) pitch(s)... the same process happens with pitch... you recognize pitch collections, scales arpeggios, patterns etc...
Now you able to actually look ahead of what your playing, because you recognize the rhythmic patterns and also the pitch collections. Usually at least one of the two is recognizable... and again your able to sightread ahead of what your actually playing.
So to get to that point... you practice reading all you can... to teach and train yourself to recognize rhythmic and pitch patterns and be able to read ahead of what your actually playing.
To practice sight reading you need new material all the time.
For learning to read, the part where your simply memorizing patterns of notes, rhythm and where they can be played on your guitar... It's a good idea to practice each aspect separately as well as together. Many use drums or percussion books to work on rhythms. For pitch patterns... use them all, but be aware that your learning to recognize patterns etc... not just one note at a time.
Years ago we, guitarist were not used very melodically, as Cosmic said... lots of chord charts or piano parts. For the last 15 or 20 years and very much so in the last 5 years... the guitar has become a very melodic choice for composers and arrangers. I rarely see changes anymore. I'm usually used with sax sections and many times get put on top of tutti sections with melody or doubling contrapuntal grooves... reading well is required. Even in small groups, I usually play melody or harmony.
I'm a product of Berklee, I graduated in 70's even though I read and was playing gigs before I went... Berklee cleaned up my act. The difficulty is you need more than simply the books... There's more implied...Reg
-
Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo
Apart from Leawitts "Modern method" there is his three sightreading practice books (Also from Berkley). The first, "Reading studies for the guitar" is mostly focused on pitch and less on rhythm. For the relatively inexperienced reader that can actually be an advantage. Some reading practice books try to cram pitch and complicated rhythm in at the same time from the beginning, which can be intimidating and decouraging. It was for me, and I liked the Leawitt book for not doing that. After going through the Leawitt book, I turned to other books more centered on rhythm. Louie Bellsons book is good and dirt cheap.
I sometimes curse my mother. My grandma wanted to buy me a piano when I was a child on the condition I took lessons and learned to play it. But my mother said we had enough noise from the radio, so no thanks. If I had learned to read and play piano as a child, music would have been a lot easier for me as a grown. Instead I learned to read at a mature age, and then it was much harder.
When I first started to read, I used the Danish "Højskolesangbogen" which is a songbook commonly used in schools, high scools etc. all over the country. It contains hymns, psalms, "national" songs - i.e. the songs we all learned in school. The melodies and rhythms were usually simple, and it was a good starting point for me.
Grant Green, What is This Thing
Today, 01:59 PM in Ear Training, Transcribing & Reading