Conference napalm::guitar

    Re: .0
    
    It sounds like they are fingering guides.
    
    I.E. the numbers tell you the fret to use, the little "o" means
    open string.
    
    Think about it...C is the third fret on the A string, on the D string
     D is open, E is second fret, F is third....
    
    The letters "i", "m" probably refer to fingers, index, middle, etc.
                                     
    

>>3. If a note has a sharp on it instream (as opposed to key signature)
>>does that note stay sharped everytime it occurs?

        A note may have a "sharp", "flat", or "natural" symbol instream.
	When these symbols occur in this way they are called accidentals to
	indicate that they are not a part of the key signature.   Once an
	accidental occurs, it stays in effect for the remainder of the bar
	in which it appears.

steve

     Thanks gents for the answers..I suspected it was a fingering guide
    to some extent but decided to check to be sure....
    
    re: accidentals, does the accidental effect the same note, different
    octave within the same measure also?                              
    
    dave_isn't_self-instruction_fun?
    

    Oh yeah, short of just doing it all the time does anyone have any
    suggestions for the fledgling sight reader?
    
    thanks
    
    dave

    
    Re: .3 & .4
    
    Yes, an accidental effects all the octaves of a note within a measure
    unless it is altered otherwise (natural sign,  double sharp, etc)
    
    A good tip (worked for me) for sight reading is Read Under Pressure!
    I learned to sight read by not practicing my sight reading lesson
    and having to SIGHT READ it in the lesson. Talk about pressure.
    See if you can get another player (guitar, keys, sax/flute) who
    is more advanced to read with and do duets. It will force you to
    concentrate and keep up your part with the other person.  Another
    suggestion for sight reading is to try and read in several positions
    on the guitar instead of going for tougher music. You can start
    off reading in 2nd position, but should try and move to 5th soon.
    7th and 12th positions should be goals thereafter.  A good practice
    for position playing is to shed major scales in chromatic intervals.
    This forces you to use all the different fingerings, as well as
    cover more area on the neck.  For example, play A major scale from
    the root in 2nd position, Bb from the root in 5th, B from the root
    in 7th, C from the 3rd in 12th, etc etc.
    
    Good luck with the reading DB_II
    
    wjb

    Part of my problem is I know the scales....(some exceptions like
    melodic minor)...I just don't read. I've misplaced a book I had
    called the blues scale that wasn't just the straight scales...that
    one forced me to read rather than just go "Oh A minor?" zoooooommmm....
    
                                                           dbII

    Don't think that the reference in the note title of .5 went by
    unnoticed or unappreciated WJB!
    
    If you can sight read that, you can sight read anything.
    
    	db
    
    p.s.,  one of these days we're going to have to establish a convention
           or standard for folks whose initials are D. B.  It's frustrating
           to read notes like "Yo, db, that was great", or "I can't
    	   believe you're such a jerk, db" and not know for sure whether
           they're talking about me or one of the dozen or so other
           "db"s.

    Hmm I know what you mean, at one time I was gonna get into the stomp
    box business with a friend (we built a great distortion deviceand
    compressor) and I wanter to use the name db systems...unfotunatley
    a stero company out of NH had already established themselves with
    that name....and as things usually go we couldn't raise the capital
    necessary.....                                  
    
    But I didn't get the "black page" pun if that's what dbI was referring
    to...
    
    dbII

    "The Black Page" is an old Zappa tune that has an unusual amount
    of odd things (for rock music, ok tom?) in it like playing 13 over
    5, etc.
    
    Steve Vai's earliest claim to fame was providing the transcription
    for "The Black Page".  In fact, it was on the basis of that
    transcription (I believe) that Zappa hired him to do more
    transcriptions and eventually brought him into the band.
    
    The overall point being if any one tune was picked as the ultimate
    test of sight reading, it might be "The Black Page".
    
    	the "real" db - ;-{)

    
    I like the 27:3 (27 notes over three beats) ratio myself.
    
    The scary thing about Zappa is that sight reading his music is a
    must for a position playing in his band. Its what the auditions
    consist of primarily. Just think the people playing with him can
    READ that stuff?!?!? makes the mind boggle.
    
    

    Some good sources for study would be Frederic Noad's books
    (although they do lean toward classical technique, the info
    on music theory and notation is good), Wm Leavitt's book
    A Modern Method for Guitar from Berklee and, also from
    Berklee, Reading Studies for Guitar.
    
    This last book ( Reading Studies ) is excellent.  It supports
    a previous suggestion to "read under pressure".  The whole
    idea of this book is to provide lots of studies in all keys
    and to READ them.  You shouldn't "practice" them or play any
    single study on consecutive days.  I've found it a great help
    if a little intimidating ( esp if friends or family are within
    listening distance ).
    
    Also, a recent Frets magazine ( last month's? ) had an entire issue
    dedicated to notation and reading.  There was a very basic, very
    clear article by Fred Noad about notation.
    
    Happy reading
    Doug Dickerson
    

I have a question on reading a piece of music in the key of A.  In the 
following diagram, '|' is the beginning/end of a measure, 'n' is a natural
accidental, and '\/' shows two tied notes.
     3rd Str|                     nG | G               |
            |                       \|/                |
     4th Str|                        |   E  E  D  D    |
            |                        |                 |
     5th Str| A     A  A     A       |              nC |
            |        \/              |                 |
     6th Str|   nG        G     G    |                 |

My understanding is that once an accidental appears, it stays in effect 
for the rest of the measure.  First Question: why are there two naturals 
in the first measure above?  This leads me to believe that the 2nd and 3rd 
G's should be sharped.  Second question: how do I tie together the last G 
(natural) of the 1st measure and the 1st G (sharp) in the second measure?
Should I hammer-on?  Help!   - Brian

    Haven't got an axe at hand to see how it sounds, but if standard
    conventions are being used (and you described them correctly) all the
    G's are natural -- redundant accidental notations for clarity are
    common.  If a slur (slide or hammer-on) were indicated in the
    tied notes across the two measures shown, then the notes would be shown
    on two separate bars of the staff (I assume that this was in standard
    notation when you started).  It would then have showed up as a natural
    G to an A flat.  If it was tab in the first place, then conventions are
    less clear, though slides or hammer-ons are usually indicated with an
    "S" or "H" under the tie.
    
    BTW, went to the closet got a guitar and found too little present to
    indicate whether a G# fit or didn't (too my admittedly mediocre ear).
    
    Any onelse got any thoughts?
    
    - Evan
    
    (You could always play it the way you like it best. :->)

    If it's a tied note, then it stays a G natural.
    
    	joe.