Notes on the E String

To begin learning how to read standard notation, I will use a combination of tab and standard notation to show you which fret to play. Here is the top space (E) and the top line (F) of the staff. Before playing the music, count yourself off like so: “One, Two, Three, Four.” Say each number with a consistent and steady pulse because that will be the speed at which you play the guitar. A common mistake that beginners do is they verbally count quite fast and then when they begin to play it’s a little slower. A trick is to tap your foot while you count “1, 2, 3, 4” and then keep tapping your foot at the same speed. When you play, sync your playing to your foot so that you maintain that same pulse.

These are quarter notes. Play each note so that each one is heard exactly as you tap your foot.

Ties and Half Notes

This next piece of music shows how you can “tie” two notes together. Pluck the E string on beats 1 and 3 of each measure. I put beats 2 and 4 in parenthesis to help you count. Do not pluck the notes on beats 2 and 4. Hold each note on beat 1 “over” to beat 2 and the pluck the note that occurs on beat 3. Hold that one “over” to beat 4. And so on. I also removed the tab as you should know how to play these two notes (E and F).

Another way to write this piece of music is to utilize “half notes”. A half note is twice as long as a quarter note (or two quarter notes tied together). The half note looks similar to the quarter note except it is has an “empty” head. Notice how you can see the line “behind” the F note in measure two?

Whole notes are like two half notes tied together. It is 4 beats and takes up the whole measure rhythmically. Its symbol lacks the “stem”. The “stem” is the line the extends below (or above) the note’s head. It also has an “empty” note head.

The Note G is above the staff and The Down Stroke/Pick Symbol

Musical notes can extend above and below the staff. Look at measure 3. If the top line represents the note F, then the space above that line is G because the note G is the next note up from F. G is on the 3rd fret of the high E string.

Also notice the symbol above the 4 E’s in the first measure. This symbol means that you should pick downwards on the string. You were probably already were doing that. And the reason why only the 1st measure has the down pick symbol is because it’s assumed that you’ll continue the same picking pattern for the 3 remaining measures.

Try These Exercises

Exercise 1. Every note is on the beat. There is a half note at the end where you hold the note for two beats.

Exercise 2. Remember to use the first finger for the note F and the third finger for the note G.

Exercise 3. Quarter notes and Half notes

Exercise 4. Quarter, Half, and Whole Notes

Rests

Exercise 5. “Note Rests” are the way composers tell you to not play anything. Here is “Exercise 4” with the quarter notes replaced as quarter rests. When you see the rest symbol, do not play. Let your foot tap that beat in silence. The numbers above the staff will guide on how you should count each note and rest. I like to indicate rests as a count in parenthesis. Remember to use your first finger for the note F and your 3rd finger for the note G.

Exercise 6. Here is “Exercise 4” with the half notes replaced as half rests.

Exercise 7. Here is “Exercise 4” with the whole note replaced with a whole rest.