Reading Tips and Tricks

Now that you are starting to read here are some reading tips:

Name, Find and Finger

It’s good practice to name the note, find the note on the fretboard and know which finger you are supposed to use. Practising this process will help you internalise the notes quickly and also make sure you are playing the notes correctly.

Stepwise Motion

You can also be aware of where your next note is in relation to the one you just played. For example, if you just played an E (open first string) you might notice the next note is going up by step, so you could play the next note up even if you may not be exactly sure what the name is. The pieces you are currently learning use the notes of the B to G scale so you will need to use that as your reference scale.

Scale Patterns

you might notice lots a group of notes going up or down by step. These would add up to a scale, for example playing D, E, F, G you are playing the B to G scale starting on C. This will be an easier read than if you are just looking at one note at a time.

Here’s an example from Little Bird: