I am not saying that an experienced and knowledgeable guitar player doesn't know his (or her) sheet music as well as a Piano player. I just mean that beginner guitar is not learned the same. Most run of the mill guitar players can't even tell you what note the clef is on anyway. Guitar sheet music is set up like the guitar is played. It indicates not what NOTES to play but what fret and string to finger. In this way your learn exactly how to PLAY the song not to READ the the song.



Guitar sheet music is shown in a general layout. It is not specific as "how to Play" but what to play. The player has a lot of leeway and can decide what finger to your and strumming. The pace or beat is also set by the player. The sheet music that you see is meant for accompaniment.

Most guitar music gives a lot of flexibility to the individual musician in terms of how to play a song. The chords are fixed, the fingerings are often spelled out, but the strumming pattern is up to the individual performer. This is one of the great things about guitars.

Another cool thing about guitars is the ease with which you can find guitar sheet music. Guitar tabs, in fact, are all over the Internet. This is the most common way to learn guitar. You can take guitar courses or look at more formal guitar sheet music; however most people like to just play along with the songs that they hear on the radio.

With a guitar you can join or form a band and meet chicks. All girls go for the guitar player. How cool is it to be up front on stage strumming for the applause.

Being creative, you can write your own songs and lyrics and play them too. The crowds will love it. Who can tell? Maybe you will be the next Keith Urban.

Learning popular songs, after all, will teach you how to play guitar as surely as learning music theory will. The important thing is to play every day, and to immerse yourself in the music you love. Guitar sheet music is part of this, but the most important part is to play. Whether you take lessons or teach yourself from guitar sheet music, you should try to pick up your ax every day if possible. After all, practicing every day for 20 minutes is much better than practicing for three hours once a week. So learn to play the guitar.