Playing Basic Melodies (Notation)
Preface (skip if this isn’t your first time here):
THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW ANYTHING USEFUL ABOUT THE GUITAR!
It’s because no one either showed them anything useful or they never found out the basics of playing guitar.
DON’T BE LIKE THEM!
Here we are going to talk about those guitar basics in bite-sized chunks.
Hopefully, this will give you everything necessary to understand how to play the instrument, fix any flaws in your playing, and form ideas on how to change things up in your technique.
Today, we’re going to combine some ideas that we’ve already talked about: Notes Names, Musical Notation, Rhythm, and that wonderful guitar in your hands.
We’re going to learn every single note in the base position for the guitar on every string. AND!!! By the end of this you’ll be able to read and play all the notes on the guitar using these simple tools and techniques.
Let’s get started.
Above, is what I call a “Guitar Cheat Sheet.” Remember kids cheating is good as long as you benefit from you and you don’t get caught.
The numbers circled above the notes, tell you what strings to play those notes on. For example, the 6th string (the one closest to your face) has the notes E, F, G. Now isn't that special?!
Make sure you understand what notes are on what strings before you move onto the next part.
Another helpful tip, the strings are separated by these things called “barlines.” When you reach a barline, go to the next string.
O.K. now that you know what notes are where, it’s time for understanding the numbers that are left uncircled. Those numbers tell you what fret that particular note is on.
Let’s go back to my favorite note, the F on string six.
How do you know it’s on string six? There’s the number circled above that tells you so.
Now how do you know what fret it’s on? There’s the number next to the note that tells you it’s on fret one.
Easy enough? Well then try playing every note on each string, starting with the low E/6th string and ending with the high E/1st string. To help you further, say the notes that you’re playing while you play them.
So we can read the Guitar Cheat Sheet backwards, forwards, sideways, diagonalways, and all-ways. It’s time we actually apply it to some music.
The song below is called “Hot Cross Buns.”
Use your Guitar Cheat Sheet, to help you figure what all the notes are. If you need to, print out the cheat sheet and any of the music here. Write down the notes before you play them. Then try playing the song while saying the note names as you go along.
If you feel good with this, try out these two songs as well:
“Snake Charmer”
“Blues Time”
