Fairly simple question

Here it is: how do I know where the notes on sheet music will lie on the guitar fretboard?

(i.e. First space of treble cleff on bottom is an F. Where would it lie on fretboard? 1st fret of 6th string?)

I know pianos have a, b, c, d, e, f, g, aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, gg, A1, B1, etc. etc.....or however it goes. Is it something simliar to guitar or is it (hopefully) much easier?

I can read the music, know the notes on both staves and can find the note on pianos, however, I have no idea which string the note on the staff will be played. If there's some articles on here regarding this that would be wonderful


Thanks for your time.

Originally Posted by: shaggy_bonezhow do I know where the notes on sheet music will lie on the guitar fretboard?

That is all covered in Guitar Fundamentals 2 Chapter 4 "Intro to Reading Music":

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10272

There is a slightly tricky issue involved if you are trying to play sheet music written for piano and play it on guitar, however. :)

Guitar notation is typically written an octave higher than it sounds at concert pitch compared to the piano (and other standard instruments). This means that the guitar is a transposing instrument, because its notes sound one octave lower than they are actually notated on a score.

This helps in one sense because rather than have to read two staves (bass and treble) like piano music, guitar is usually only written in treble clef. Typically this issue is rarely even mentioned, though. And many times if you will simply play the notes you read on sheet music and play them on guitar it will sound fine.

The lessons in the course linked above will give you all the info you need to reading music for the guitar. Hope this helps!

Thanks, chris

Hey Chris, and shaggy_bonez,
Chris I always thought that the 3rd fret on the 5th string would be middle C, is that basically accurate. Man, just when you think you're starting to figure out this theory stuff.

Does what you said only apply to using sheet music for piano?

JD

Originally Posted by: sixpickerChris I always thought that the 3rd fret on the 5th string would be middle C, is that basically accurate.[/quote]
That is correct when you are playing sheet music specifying the notes are played on guitar. But this is because guitar sheet music is transposed up one octave.

However, the actual concert pitch middle C on a piano is the "industry standard"; and it is written on the "middle C", one ledger line below the treble clef (also one ledger line above bass clef in order to occupy it's very special place in music notation).

And that note is the same pitch on the guitar as the C on the 1st fret, B string.

But, if the guitar was written on sheet music as actually pitched, then the lower C you mention is written in the bass clef! In order to avoid having to read two staves (bass and treble), the music establishment decided to write guitar one octave up.

The piano is better written in two staves not only because it has a much wider pitch range (higher and lower). But more importantly, because it adds clarity to being able to clearly see two separate parts for two separate hands.

Read here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_tuning
[QUOTE=sixpicker]
Does what you said only apply to using sheet music for piano?

It applies to any instrument that is written in concert pitch (piano, violin, flute, etc.) compared to any instrument that is written in a transposed pitch (guitar is transposed one octave, B-flat horns like trumpet are transposed a major second, E-flat horns like some saxes are transposed a sixth, etc.).

Read here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposing_instrument

May I just add that if the music is written correctly for the guitar, then the treble clef will have a small 8 at the bottom of it, denoting that the music is transposed up an octave. This is fairly common in Classical Guitar sheet music, but I wish it was more standard, maybe we start a movement?