Guitar tablature is fine, as long as we have music written that way. But if we want to read from “ordinary” scores or want to understand the rhythmic values of the notes, we have to learn how to read standard notation. This will be very important if we want to arrange our own guitar music. And we also have to understand a little bit of music theory: how scales are made and formed. We’ll also master the advanced technique of playing more than one melody part at the same time an integral part of classical guitar technique.

“Standard music notation” is more common. Believe it or not, notation is not hard to learn,and once mastered it will speed your learning of new music. Any system that has survived for centuries and is used to record all types of music must be a valuable one to learn!

music is written in standard notation for the guitar. We learn about the musical staff and how it differs from the one used for tablature. We see how notes are written on the staff and also above and below it, and we relate this to rising and falling pitch.Tones and half tones are discussed and related to the frets of the guitar. Then we put theory into practice and start actually playing from notation, with easy examples of notes on each string.

A full bar in guitar parlance is not a crowded tavern but a valuable technique that involves placing the left-hand first finger across all the strings. This facilitates the playing of full chords that can be moved as a pattern around the fingerboard.

Learning this new skill is an important step, since it distinguishes the experienced player from the novice. If done correctly, it is an easy and comfortable device; if done wrong, it can cramp the hand and offend the ear.In this chapter we learn to do it the right way.

We’ve seen in our previous study that the first finger of the left hand is sometimes used to cover more than one string, as in the F chord, where it is used for two strings. When the finger goes across all the strings this is known as a full bar. Somewhat illogically, anything less than a full bar is known as a half bar.

Beginners tend to find barring difficult until the left hand has acquired a degree of strength and control. However, if the bar is done correctly it is not necessary to use great strength. As with the half bar, it is far more important to find the right position for the finger so that all the notes can sound clearly with only moderate pressure.

A key is a structural device of music. It is derived from a major or minor scale, which in turn creates the chords that belong to that key. In terms of our experience of music, keys are a fundamental aspect of the way we hear and organise it in our minds. A key is a tonal center, with the key note and key chord at its core. Whenever we land on the key chord (chord I), it feels as though we have reached “home”, or the center of the music or, to use a physical analogy, regained our balance. In a major key, this is usually a satisfactory, secure place to be; in a minor key, it will feel sadder.

Even within one key, the progression of chords represents a departure from the center. To use a geographical metaphor, the chords within a key are like the different districts of your home town, with happy and sad associations.Changing the chord within a key is like making a short journey. By analogy, a key change is like a visit to another county or state, which could be nearby and therefore have similar terrain, or distant and have a very different landscape. A key change is called a “modulation”.