Notation
Two methods of music notation are presented in this book; namely notes and tablature. You need only use one of these methods * , whichever is most convenient (if you are not familiar with note reading follow the tablature outlined below).
*Note readers may need to refer to the tablature to determine the position of an exercise.
Tablature
Tablature is a method of indicating the position of notes on the fretboard. There are four "tab" lines, each representing one of the four strings on the bass.
When a number is placed on one of the lines, it indicates the fret location of a note, e.g.
This indicates the 4th fret of the second string (an F# note).
This indicates the 7th fret of the 4th string (a B note).
This indicates the third string open (an A note).
The tablature, as used in this book, does not indicate the time values of the notes, only their position on the fretboard. You can read the time values by following the count written beneath the tablature, e.g.
In this example the 1st note is worth 1 count, the 2nd and 3rd notes are worth half a count each and the 4th note is worth 2 counts.
The small number in the count is used to indicate where a note is being held or where a rest occurs.
Music Notation
The musical alphabet consists of 7 letters:
Music is written on a staff, which consists of 5 parallel lines between which there are 4 spaces.
The Bass clef sign is placed at the beginning of each staff line.
This clef indicates the position of the note F which is on the line in between the two dots, (it is an old fashioned method of writing the letter F).
The other lines and spaces on the staff are named as such:
Extra notes can be added by the use of short lines, called leger lines:
When a note is placed on the staff its head indicates its position, e.g:
When the note head is below the middle staff line the stem points upward and when the head is above the middle line the stem points downward. A note placed on the middle line (D) can have its stem pointing either up or down.
Bar lines are drawn across the staff, to divide the music into sections called Bars or Measures. A double bar line signifies either the end of the music, or the end of an important section of it.
Two dots placed before a double bar line indicate that the music is to be repeated.
Time Signature
At the beginning of each piece of music, after the bass clef, is the time signature.
The time signature indicates the number of beats per bar (the top number) and the type of note receiving one beat (the bottom number). For example:
Thus in * time there must be the equivalent of 4 quarter note beats per bar.
