As both a guitar teacher and student I have experienced a constant debate between guitarists as to whether sheet music is needed to be a modern guitarist or whether we can now just rely on tablature. Both have their pros and cons, but both are still used greatly throughout the guitarist community. 

For those of you that may not know what tablature or sheet music is, here is a quick rundown.

Sheet Music: Is the traditional, western form of writing music. It is sometimes called music notation and looks like this.

  
 Sheet music works by having different shapes represent different rhythmic values, which tell us how long to play a note. Depending on what line or space that shape is placed on in the musical staff tells us what note to play

Tablature: Also known, as ‘tab’ is a way of reading music, which is specific to the guitar.  It works by having 6 horizontal lines, which represent the guitar strings and numbers being placed on these lines, which represent the note that needs to be played. It looks like this.

Tablature is the more common form of reading music known amongst guitarists. This is because it is easier and can often be learnt quickly unlike sheet music, which can take a number of years to learn. 

Even though it can be easier to read tablature, there are some disadvantages. Some of these include things such as the fact that tablature does not show rhythmic values so it can be hard to figure out how long to play certain notes for. Tablature also doesn't allow us to visually see harmony (chords and how they work), which helps when it comes to composing. 

Even though reading sheet music helps us in many ways, some of the greatest guitar players have admitted to not being able to read music notation. One of these includes Jimi Hendrix, who is heralded as ‘the greatest guitar player of all time’.  In addition to this much of the way we learn songs is through listening to the music and seeing what the guitarists fingers are doing. This form of learning the guitar has also become very accessible with things such as ‘Youtube’, where a student can watch what a guitarist is playing note by note.


So is sheet music important and necessary? 

In my opinion, yes it is and so is tablature. Many players today can shred the meanest guitar solo you may have heard but cannot tell you where a ‘c’ note is on the guitar.  Even though reading music notation can be more difficult than reading tablature, once you understand it, all aspects of your playing including technique, improvising and composition will improve. To make the process of learning to read sheet music easier, you might try combining it with guitar tab, For example you might learnt the main riff using sheet music, but the solo using tab.  Remember that even though it can be tricky to learn to read music, in the end it is very rewarding.

Alex

Hello, Hello, Hello,   This is the final stage of our warm-up routine. 

Ex. 3   Ex 1 got the blood down to our hands, and Ex 2 gave our hands that tingly feeling. In this exercise we’re going to do something a little different.

Step 1, We start with our left hand thumb. Open the palm of your left hand and have it facing you, at about a 45° angle, whatever feels natural, then take your right hand, going under your left hand that is facing you, and grab your left hand thumb. The index finger, and thumb of your right hand should be closer to you and your right hand pinky should be furthest away, and your knuckles will be pointing towards your chest in a line.

Step 2, Gently pull your right hand down towards the ground, away from your body until you feel the fleshy part just below your thumb start to stretch. You want to feel a gentle tug, nothing more, then count to five, and let go.

Step 3, Take your index finger, and grab it in the same manner you did your thumb. Again pulling the index finger down towards the ground, away from your body. When you feel that stretchy feeling, stop and count to five, then let go. Carry on and do this for the middle, ring and pinky. Step 4. The first time you do this, your hand may feel a bit funny, so make a fist with your left hand, and squeeze gently, then release to an open palm, and squeeze back to a fist, and open again a few more times. Repeat this whole process for the right hand, using the left hand to stretch with.  

Congratulations, you are now ready to go and practice that great Country and Eastern tune you’ve always wanted to get down. 

cheers
charles

Every child in Australia deserves access to education in the arts.

As many of you are aware, I work with the charity organisation ‘The Song Room.’

The Song Room is a national not-for-profit organisation that brightens the futures of Australia’s most disadvantaged children with tailored, high-quality music and arts programs, delivered in partnership with schools across the country.

I work with children in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Sydney. I attend their school once a week and expose them to music, dance and drama. Many of the children I work with are at risk youths. Many are refugees or children from unstable homes. They can suffer from behavioural and emotional issues or suffer mild to severe disabilities. Our aim, through the use of music and other art forms, is to expose these children to a form of expression, where they are free to explore their emotions and creativity while also further developing their numeracy and literacy skills.

My role is also to provide professional development to the teachers and other faculty and teach them how to integrate arts into their everyday classroom and lesson plans. The goal is that when I leave the school the staff are then skilled in arts programs so that they can continue the work of ‘The Song Room.’

On average, I spend 18 months in any given school. During that time, I build relationships with hundreds of children and their teachers and I must say that it doesn’t get any easier whenever the time comes, for me, to have to leave one of my schools. However, over the past 2 years I have been able to expose over 1000 children to arts, and hopefully, have inspired and exposed teachers to the importance of the arts in every child’s education.

The Song Room vision is that all Australian children have the opportunity to participate in music and the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement, giving them the best possible start in life.

As Education Minister, Peter Garrett, funded a 3 year study into the benefits of ‘The Song Room’ Programs, the results were astounding.

● 100% of children achieved literacy rates above the national minimum standards
● 65% lower absentee rates in schools
● 45% of children reached the highest levels on Social Emotional Well being index 

● Analysis of NAPLAN tests prove that children’s literacy jumped an entire school year with The Song Room

‘The Song Room, pays for the cost of the entire program in every school they attend across Australia. That’s 15,000 children, every week, that have now access to arts education as a result of their mission.

Now here is the scary stuff:

● 3 in 4 Australian Children have no access to music education. That’s 1.4 Million Children.

The Song Room is an organisation that I am extremely passionate about. I believe in their values and I am compelled to help them with their mission as it is one that we share at Kalinda Jade Studios.

The Song Room relies on donations, grants and government contributions to provide an absolutely vital aspect of every child’s education that is lacking in most schools in Australia. 

It is for all of these reasons that we have chosen ‘The Song Room’ as our nominated charity for next years ‘Rock Of All Ages’ event. We are currently running many different fundraising programs to ensure that we raise as much money as we can for ‘The Song Room.’

I ask that when you consider, about whether or not you are able to help us with our fundraising efforts, to think about the impact music education has had on you and your children; how vital it has been to their personal and social development and how by nurturing their creativity and sense of self expression we help to inspire greatness. Help us to provide that opportunity to the 1.4 million Australian children who currently do not get the privilege of music education..  

Kalinda Jade

“The fact that children can make beautiful music is less significant than the fact that music can make beautiful children.”  - Cherly Lavender


“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” - Jimi Hendrix