A beginner guitarist does not always know musical notation well. Chords and their sequences are especially troublesome. In order to make life easier for musicians who did not receive musical education, tablatures were invented - a special system for recording chords, when not the pitch is indicated, but the position of the finger on the fretboard.
It is necessary
- - guitar;
- - tablatures;
- - determinant of chords;
- - Chord Sequence Chart.
Instructions
Step 1
Consider tablature. You will see in front of you not five rulers, as in the notes, but six or seven, depending on the type of guitar. A strip of rulers is crossed by transverse lines, between which there are Roman numerals. Such short stripes indicate the sills between the frets, and the numbers - the frets themselves.
Step 2
Fret numbering starts at the headstock. The fret, which is next to the head, is designated by the number I, followed by II, III, IV and further, up to XII, XIV, and on some guitars even higher. On the fretboard, some frets are indicated by dots, stars, or serifs. Usually these are the fifths, seventh, tenth and twelfth, but sometimes they also denote the third and fourteenth.
Step 3
Remember the string numbering. It begins with the thinnest one, which is usually denoted by the Arabic numeral 1. All the others are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The numbers of the strings on the tablature are placed opposite the long rulers.
Step 4
Learn the finger numbers. Guitar numbering is somewhat different from piano numbering. Number 1 denotes the index finger of the left hand, number 2 - middle, 3 and 4 - respectively, ring and little fingers. This order works both in tablatures and in sheet music. The thumb is practically not used when playing a six-string guitar, therefore it does not have a number. In the seven-string tablatures, however, you can find chords that are played with it (the neck rests on the palm of your hand, and the thumb goes on the string from above). The thumb is indicated by a cross. Now this technique has begun to be used by some virtuoso six-string players, so it is possible that this designation will also appear in tablatures for six-string guitar. Finger numbers on tablatures are indicated in squares or circles that you see on long rulers.
Step 5
Once you understand the recording system, try playing a chord. Find the right fret. See which strings are clamped with which fingers on this fret. Spread your fingers. See which strings to play at different frets. Place the remaining fingers in the right places and slide your right hand over the strings. The sound should be clear, not rattling or dull. Try reading a few more chords.
