Is Reading Sheet Music Required to Be a Good Guitarist? Bohlinger on How He Explores Melody & Tone

[@premierguitar]

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[@burnsy55]

I get what you're saying John, but there's so much value in having the ability to both listen and follow the music as you describe, and to read. I think we should be careful about implying that ignorance to it is better. I didn't really learn to read until I hit my 40s and had been playing for 30 years. Even as a fairly advanced player, reading unlocked a lot of not only musical, but rhythmic knowledge as well. Things I could often feel and play, but reading and understanding it allowed me to apply it more easily and make things more interesting. It also helps you see deeper harmonic relationships to apply to other ideas. The initial learning curve is steep, but it doesn't take long for it to pay you back

[@jgbirds]

I’m working on reading now, after thirty years of not reading. I’m wise enough at my age to finally agree with you, and wish I had just put in the work sooner.

[@NickGranville]

For me it’s an essential skill that I use every day. It’s literally how the pro’s at the top level communicate - via written notation. Try talking to a pianist about tab! Wanna play with Orchestra’s, theatre shows etc etc. Then reading is a must!. And sure some get away without having to read for a while, and sure some gigs don’t require it, and that’s fine. There is literally no harm in learning to read - it’ll make you a better musician, period.

[@alfredschubert1657]

I'm watching just to hear the guitar. Together you're great!

[@paulsterner8190]

Great job John. And one of my favorite Nashville guitar players. I follow Aaron the drummer. Love to see you guys together the best 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Paul.

[@Jason-cm6uh]

I used COVID as an opportunity to learn the piano and sheet music. I spent 8-10hrs a day, everyday, on music. Also learned some drums and massively improved my guitar and bass playing. Yeah, I was single.

[@vayabroder729]

Great playing and sound from John, my favorite interviewer as well.

[@premierguitar]

Wow, thanks!

[@gregoryguarneri8473]

Definitely doesn’t hurt. As a lifelong musician, not practicing reading and remembering how has created boundaries for me. Especially in the realm of song writing and knowing theory as well

[@1loveMusic2003]

OMG! That Switch Master is unbelievable!

[@rareform6747]

Good Call John ! " ROCKS "

[@ToddTheJoker]

Very interesting discussion and I love that guitar John!

[@bluesrocker91]

When I was 16 I dropped out of music in high school after I refused to submit notation or tablature for a song I had written ahead of an exam... The teacher wanted to know exactly what I was going to play in the guitar solo on the day of the test, several weeks in advance. I explained that the solo was different every time I played it, depending on how I felt in the moment, and I pretty much never played it the same way twice... He lost his temper and said something about that being "impossible," and it quickly escalated into a blazing row about the very nature of musical expression... I dropped out a couple of days later. I hated that teacher, and have avoided sheet music and notation ever since. 😂

[@superblondeDotOrg]

Losing perspective: illiteracy.

[@bluesrocker91]

@@superblondeDotOrg I have no use for written notation or tabs. Hum me a tune and I can play it.

[@superblondeDotOrg]

@@bluesrocker91 you might be able to play by ear for notes and rhythms you are familiar with, but you will not be able to play things you can't already count by ear or hear tonally by ear. Rock music has not included modulations for example for exactly this reason, because illiterate musicians in general won't be able to follow it, and those few who do, will take days or weeks to master it. Music becomes more simple every year because of musicians' failure to be literate. Can you recite Hamlet after hearing the play one time and not being able to read it, nope, no way you can. How any musician can argue against my points is simply ludicrous and/or laziness.

[@bluesrocker91]

​@@superblondeDotOrg What's wrong with simple music?

[@superblondeDotOrg]

@@bluesrocker91 you are arguing that illiteracy is okay. Pay attention to what you are saying. Illiteracy is Not Ok.

[@timcoughlin7774]

Love your playing. Alvin Lee played that classical thing too. Our playing is similar and I do not read.

[@CarRamrod-uf2ub]

If you never have, but are curious, it's such a great challenge! You'll be challenged with new fingerings, chords, picking patterns, rhythms, styles, etc. But mainly you'll discover a new appreciation of the craft. You'll be able to communicate better with other musicians, you'll discover how well your ear works by learning what the notes on the page sound like without hearing it. Plus there are still paying gigs like theater work where guitar readers are still needed. Yeah, it sucks to hear yourself suck, but we need that too! If you like a good challenge, find someone in town who can read and work with them. You'll be glad you did.

[@victorvaldenegro4001]

I’ve been playing for about 43 years. In cover bands, I’ll just learn the basics of the song and depending on how iconic the guitar solo is, I’ll try to learn it as close as possible or kind of make it my own. When I was in a Rush tribute, I felt I had to learn every nuance of Lifeson’s playing. Now, I’m in an STP tribute, I’m playing every nuance of Deleo’s playing. Lots of ways to skin a cat.

[@sunberst58]

Years ago i hsd a guitar teacher who hired me for his bsnd. He liked the way i played. But he was a "by the book" guy. Id always be telling him the book is wrong. LoL The book isn't telling you its in open E or G tuning etc. I never did get a lesson from him. We jammed a little before my first lesson which was when he asked me to join his band. The bass player and drummer pulled me aside and we started a trio and the rest is history as far as my playing grew. We ended up being a kick ass blues/rock trio for many years together. Im 59 now and sadly still can't read a note of music.✌🤙👍🎸

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Sheet music for piano makes sense. A note on the staff corresponds to a key on the piano. Totally different for guitar. The same pitch can be played on multiple strings. You should be able to understand chord charts and progressions as a guitar player.

[@superblondeDotOrg]

That is why tablature is used. Even Palestrina used tablature, to play the lute, it is a historical fact.

[@timhall3575]

Hands off that guitar !! You'll only break it!:)

[@davidsummerville351]

Lol, that was so funny the other day. 😁😄

[@Mahdi_ddA]

Love this video its amazing really ❤❤❤😊😊🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸⭐🌟🌟❤️❤️😊😊

[@mikeblue385]

i've learned a couple thousand songs over the last 50 years. i don't read. hate tab. i like recordings.

[@rareform6747]

Most Original

[@garywagstaff7142]

Forty-odd years I almost gave up the guitar because of how terrible “sheet music” was for guitar. Not even close and ridiculous chord suggestions. Even as a kid I knew it wasn’t right. It might be ok if one wanted to sort of strum along, but it certainly wasn’t correct for what the guitar(s) were actually playing. Ultimately I gave up on sheet music and not the guitar.

[@friedrudibega6384]

No, but it doesn’t hurt.

[@tgreenland]

You’re saying there are guitar players who read music!?!? WTF!

[@superblondeDotOrg]

I have written, on staff, many rock songs, including posting the staff sheets on my channel, with all parts complete for 5-piece or 4-piece rock band, including drum tab, and I can't find a single rock musician who can read or is willing to try to read, in order to record or perform my songs as written. Especially rock vocalists can't read and insist on being able to learn songs by ear. This phenomenon is called Illiteracy. I even include guitar tab for jazz pieces, and the guitarists refuse to read the tablature, because they have an ego-elitism psychological problem. I am not going to pay musicians to "put their own spin on" my material, especially by their ear, I will pay them to play my material as written. Drummers especially have a reputation for not reading drum tablature to play the drum part as written and instead have a reputation of creating their own groove, to satisfy themselves, not to be accurate to the part. This attitude is wrong, if it is the composer's intention to have work played or recorded note-for-note. Would an actor attempt to improvise Shakespeare on stage, hell no, they memorize their plays or scripts word-for-word in order to perform the piece accurately as written. 04:58 John says the Nashville number system uses a number for the "tonic" of the chord. This is incorrect. The number designates the Root of the chord. A perfect, stereotypical example of music illiteracy. Even if John knows the correct term ans simply misspoke, someone literate would not confuse these very basic terms. How can any literate composer work with rock musicians if the composer can't rely on the musician to understand the most basic of instructions such as "let's try changing that bridge to play a different tonic" meaning modulate to a new key, or any similarly simple request?