Don't understand this tablature sign

Hey,

So I'm learning Johnny B Goode on songsterr and there's this tablature part (I circled it in red) that i simply don't understand. I've followed the guitartricks tutorial on tab notation but I can't find an answer to that.

1) This half circle croissant shape is normally for pull offs or hammer ons, but here the line points to... nothing ! So I'm wondering what I should do here. Does it mean that I should let the note ring meaning here that I play the 7th fret 3rd string (and holding it) then 6th fret 2nd string (and holding it) then play 6th fret 1 st string and releasing the other 2 at the same time ?

[br][br]Thank you for your help,[br][br]Cordially,[br][br]Jake

I want to start by saying that guitar playing can be very tricky & counter-intuitive to notate & read properly. :) Most of what you are asking about is confusing because the standard music notation of marking articulations such as legato is similar to both tied notes & to hammer-ons & pull-offs.

Originally Posted by: Jake_22

1) This half circle croissant shape is normally for pull offs or hammer ons, but here the line points to... nothing ! So I'm wondering what I should do here. Does it mean that I should let the note ring meaning here that I play the 7th fret 3rd string (and holding it) then 6th fret 2nd string (and holding it) then play 6th fret 1 st string and releasing the other 2 at the same time ?[/quote]

Yes, those arcs indicate a "tied note", keep the note ringing while other notes are being played.

Originally Posted by: Jake_22So I'm bending the 5th and 6th string up half a step but then the half circle shape links the notes to.. the same note ? This can't be a hammer on or a pull off... I know an note in parenthesis is a ghost note menaing I should play it softly, but why is it "linked" to itself like a hammer-on/pull off ?

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[p]I'd have to see more of the line to get the full context, but I'm guessing this is another tied note. There is another counted beat being indicated when the first arc returns to the line, then after that counted beat, the next arc starts. Because that note is still being held, the arc crosses the bar line to the next counted downbeat, the 1 of measure 35.

Hope that all makes sense!

Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory

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Hi Christopher,[br][br]Thanks a lot for the detailed answer ![br][br]Got it for the legato sign !

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

Originally Posted by: Jake_223) Again, this half-cricle shape here, but on a slide :

If I understand correctly what you've said, here we'd bend the the 3rd string at the 17th fret and take three beats to reach a full step bend. And the reason we see two arc shapes under the bend curve is meant to say to hold the note for a few beats and play it smoothly ?

By the way, would you recommend trying to learn to read sheet music for the guitar or would it be more confusing than tabs ? I started following your music theory group of lessons here, and I learned that the same notes can be played in different strings ! Which is not the case in piano so I'm thinking it'd already be cnfusing figuring out at which place to choose the play a given on a sheet of music, meanwhile in the tabs, it's pretty clear.

[br]Cordially,

Jake

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Glad my reply helped.

Originally Posted by: Jake_22Do you mean that instead of a regular slide where we'd just play the 6th fret and slide up to the 7th, here we'd also play the 7th after sliding down to it ?[/quote]

No, I mean that the arc is kind of redundant. The act of hitting the 6th fret & sliding up one fret to the 7th (without striking it again) is a legato articulation. So the arc indicates that there is legato. But the slide already indicates that. This is a result of trying to combine the established traditions of music notation to the peculiar & often idiosyncratic nature of tab for guitar. :)[br][br]So when you ask this:

Originally Posted by: Jake_22Since a slide is already smooth by nature, then legato here would mean actually plucking the string once on the 6th fret and then on the 7th ?[/quote]

That's what it seems to indicate, so your thinking is clear! Unfortunately this is one of those cases where notation for guitar is misleading. Hope that makes sense.

Originally Posted by: Jake_22Here it is :

So you play & bend the string once at the downbeat of 1 on m. 34. Then you play the note again on beat 2. Then you play that note one more time on the upbeat (the "and") of beat 2 & gradually bend it until the end of m. 35 beat 1.

As I've noted the only reason for drawing 2 arcs is to indicate the location of beat 3 to keep time.

[quote=Jake_22]By the way, would you recommend trying to learn to read sheet music for the guitar or would it be more confusing than tabs ?

Yes, you should definitely learn how to read music notation. It will help you understand how music works making you a better musician; able to play music better & get more enjoyment from doing it.

But how far you go down that rabbit hole depends on your goals. Many guitarists only know the basics of notation & their playing skills are well beyond that knowledge simply by virute of the experience of time spent playing music.

For example, the solo you are learning is probably something Gilmour played "by ear". He knew from years of exerience playing that style of guitar which notes he wanted to play & when he wanted to play them. But it's not as if he sat down with a piece of blank sheet music & started to write the solo out then learn it & play it. Make sense?

But the more you know, the more you are able to understand & play accurately.

On the flip side of this I've seen many musicians struggle to learn something "by ear" when they could have very quickly learned it had they understood a little bit more about notation & simply read the line on the page.

If you are planning on doing music academically or professionally, then without a doubt, yes, start learning & reading music regularly. Otherwise, it depends on what your goals are.

[quote=Jake_22]I started following your music theory group of lessons here, and I learned that the same notes can be played in different strings ! Which is not the case in piano so I'm thinking it'd already be cnfusing figuring out at which place to choose the play a given on a sheet of music, meanwhile in the tabs, it's pretty clear.

Yes, welcome to the confusing nature of the guitar! :)

I hope you enjoy my theory lessons. Please ask more if necessary!

Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory

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Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

So the arc indicates that there is legato. But the slide already indicates that. This is a result of trying to combine the established traditions of music notation to the peculiar & often idiosyncratic nature of tab for guitar. :)[/quote][p]Exactly what I thought !

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

So you play & bend the string once at the downbeat of 1 on m. 34. Then you play the note again on beat 2. Then you play that note one more time on the upbeat (the "and") of beat 2 & gradually bend it until the end of m. 35 beat 1.

As I've noted the only reason for drawing 2 arcs is to indicate the location of beat 3 to keep time.[/quote] Crystal clear. Thanks.

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegelIf you are planning on doing music academically or professionally, then without a doubt, yes, start learning & reading music regularly. Otherwise, it depends on what your goals are.

I'm still a beginner but I'd like to play things like the solo to Sweet Child O mine by Guns'n'roses, Matchbox Blues by Albert King, Solo to comfortably Numb, SOme Jimi Hendrix like Little Wing and All ALong the watchtower, a LOT of Pink Floyd (Echoes, Time, High Hopes, etc.) So mostly blues and rock and mainly lead guitar (solos). But maybe my interests will expand with time and experience ![br][br]I don't plan on doing music academically, nor professionnaly (for now) but I'd like to eventually have a band and play in bars and for friends, and stuff like that.[br][br]

[quote=ChristopherSchlegel][quote=Jake_22]I started following your music theory group of lessons here, and I learned that the same notes can be played in different strings ! Which is not the case in piano so I'm thinking it'd already be cnfusing figuring out at which place to choose the play a given on a sheet of music, meanwhile in the tabs, it's pretty clear.

Yes, welcome to the confusing nature of the guitar! :)

I hope you enjoy my theory lessons. Please ask more if necessary!

So my question was If music notation was more confusing than tabs since music notation doesn't tell you which of the multiple possible spots for one note you should play ? Whereas the tabs actually tell you the specific spot.

Also, is it faster to sight read with music notation or tabs ?[br][br]Thank you

Originally Posted by: Jake_22I'm still a beginner but I'd like to play things like ...[/quote]

All of that is very rock guitar centered. So tab is a necessity & notation a bonus. The most important thing will be to acquire the physical skills to do those things.

[br]

Originally Posted by: Jake_22I don't plan on doing music academically, nor professionnaly (for now) but I'd like to eventually have a band and play in bars and for friends, and stuff like that.[/quote][p]Having a band & playing the songs you listed above is essentially building a repertoire. Start learning the basic structure of those songs as soon as possible. You don't have to learn every last lick in the song to start getting the basic chord progressions & song form in your mind & fingers.

[quote=Jake_22]So my question was If music notation was more confusing than tabs since music notation doesn't tell you which of the multiple possible spots for one note you should play ? Whereas the tabs actually tell you the specific spot.

Both. It's not either-or. The guitar requires both because tab shows you the location & peculiar articulations of guitar, while notation has the rhythms & traditional universal structure of music.

You'll notice that GT songs (& most tutorials beyond the absolute beginner levels) include both!

[quote=Jake_22]Also, is it faster to sight read with music notation or tabs ?

If I understand what you are asking, then, again it's both. I know it will take extra time to learn both. But just add it to your daily list of things to slowly practice, work through & learn.

You don't have to learn to be an expert at music notation tomorrow or this week. And tab is great but will only get you so far when you are trying to learn music. For example, traditional music notation contains the key signature & notes to immediately grasp the intervals, scales & chords involved.

And to a degree it depends on the musical context. I've encountered situations in which the notation makes it a breeze to understand what's going on, and other situations that the tab makes it easier. But in the end, they both help me to understand how the music is supposed to sound.

I hope that makes sense!