Why is Note Reading on Guitar So Difficult?

Most guitarists dislike note reading.

But what makes it so challenging to read standard notation on guitar?

1. Little Visual Relationship

When looking at staff notation, there’s little visual relationship between what you see on the page and the neck of the guitar.

Staff notation seems to make more sense on the keyboard, which is linear, rather than the guitar neck, which is two-dimensional.

This is why so many guitarists gravitate to chord charts and tablature, which visually relate to the neck of the guitar.

How to overcome this?

If you want to read staff notation well on guitar, mentally associate the dot you see on the staff with a specific string and fret on the neck of the guitar. Each time you see that dot, visualize or play that note on the guitar.

2. Multiple Locations for Notes

There are multiple places to play almost every note on the guitar.

This can put the brain into paralysis, struggling to make sense of the options for where to play each note.

How to overcome this?

Imagine there’s only one place that each note can be played. Usually this means playing each note as close to first position as possible.

Play each note in that place unless it’s impossible to do so. This facilitates sight reading.

Then after you’re able to play the notes in one location, you may want to explore more places each note can be played.

3. Chords

When you see a stack of notes on the staff, it may not be immediately obvious where the chord will work on the neck of the guitar.

If you try to play certain notes of the chord as close to first position as possible, you may find the other notes of the chord are impossible. Then you have to try the chord again in a different location on the neck.

How to overcome this?

Learn common fingering shapes for chords and how they fit on the neck of the guitar. Start to recognize chord patterns in the notation and what the options are for that particular type of chord.

Keep making music!