About This eGuide

Use this eGuide to follow along with our free YouTube series “How To Read
Music For Guitar”. All of the important diagrams shown in the video lessons
are included in this eGuide.

Click here to watch the “How To Read Music For Guitar” series on YouTube.

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 Lesson 1 - The Staff (Stave)

LINE 5 SPACE 4
LINE 4 SPACE 3
LINE 3 SPACE 2
LINE 2 SPACE 1
LINE 1

Lesson 2 - Clef Sign

Treble Clef

Bass Clef

Lesson 3 - Notes On Staff

F G
D E
B C
G A
E F
D

F
D
B
G
E
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

E
C
A
F
FACE

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 Lesson 4 - Ledger Lines

E F
C D
A B
G

D C B A G F E

Lesson 5 - Treble & Bass Clef

F G
C D E
A B
F G
E G
E F
C D
A B
F G
E

Lesson 6 - Notes On The Guitar

B C D E
F G A
C D E
B
F G A
B C D E
F G A
E

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 Lesson 6 - Notes On The Guitar (cont)

𝄞 E

𝄞 F

𝄞 G

𝄞 A
A

𝄞 B
B

𝄞 C
C

𝄞 D
D
D

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 Lesson 6 - Notes On The Guitar (cont)

𝄞 E
E
E

𝄞 F
F
F

𝄞 G
G
G
G

𝄞 A
A
A
A

𝄞 B
B
B
B

𝄞 C
C
C
C

𝄞 D
D
D
D

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 Lesson 6 - Notes On The Guitar (cont)

𝄞
E
E
E
E

𝄞
F
F
F
F

𝄞
G
G
G
G

𝄞
A
A
A

𝄞
B
B
B

𝄞
C
C
C

𝄞
D
D

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 Lesson 6 - Notes On The Guitar (cont)

𝄞
E
E

Lesson 7 - Sharps & Flats

sharp symbol flat symbol

𝄞 ♯
shown as A#
𝄞 ♭
shown as Bb

All the sharps & flats on the fretboard

E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭ D D♯ ♭

E E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭
B C CD♯♭ D DE♯♭ E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A A♯ ♭
B B C CD♯♭ D DE♯♭ E F
G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭ D DE♯♭ E F F ♯♭
G G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭
D DE♯♭ E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭ B C C♯ ♭
D D DE♯♭ E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭
A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭ D DE♯♭ E F FG♯♭ G G♯ ♭
A A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭ D DE♯♭
E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭ B C CD♯♭ D D♯ ♭
E E F FG♯♭ G GA♯♭ A AB♯♭

Lesson 8 - Note Values

Whole Note Half Note Quarter Note Eighth Note Sixteenth Note
1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16
1
4 Beats 2 Beats 1 Beat 1/2 Beat 1/4 Beat

**Based on common time

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 Lesson 8 - Note Values (cont)

Lesson 9 - Beams

= OR

= = =

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 Lesson 10 - Rests

Whole Note Rest Half Note Rest Quarter Note Rest Eighth Note Rest Sixteenth Note Rest
1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16
4 Beats 2 Beats 1 Beat 1/2 Beat 1/4 Beat

**Based on common time

Lesson 11 - Barlines

Lesson 12 - Time Signatures

How many beats per measure (bar)

What note gets the beat

4/4 is the most common time signature in Western music and can also be notated with
a C which means common time

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 Lesson 13 - Tempo

BPM = Beats Per Minute

60 bpm = 60 beats per minute (1 beat per second)

Tempo notation

represents 80 bpm
indicates to play quickly

Italian Terms Examples of More Modern Terms

Largo = 40-60 bpm Very Slow

Larghetto = 60-66 bpm Ballad

Adagio = 66-76 bpm Medium

Andante = 76-108 bpm Med Swing

Moderato = 108-120 bpm Uptempo

Allegro = 120-168 bpm

Presto = 168-200 bpm

Prestissimo = 200-208 bpm

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 Lesson 14 - How To Count

Whole Notes

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Half Notes

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Quarter Notes

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Eighth Notes

1 & 2 &3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Sixteenth Notes

1e & a2e &a 3e &a 4 e&a 1 e &a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

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 Lesson 14 - How To Count (cont)

Example Of Mixed Notes

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 & 4 1 2 e &a 3 4 1 2 3 4

Example Of Mixed Notes With Rests

1 (2) 3 4 1 2 3 & 4 (1) 2 e a 3 4 (1 2 3 4)

**Always count the quarter notes

Lesson 15 - Key Signatures

Key of C Key of B Key of Eb

Key of G Key of F# Key of Ab

Key of D Key of C# Key of Db

Key of A Key of F Key of Gb

Key of E Key of Bb Key of Cb

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 Lesson 16 - The Major Scale & Keys

Major Scale Formula

WS - WS - HS - WS - WS - WS - HS
WS=Whole Step
HS=Half Step

Lesson 17 - Circle Of 5ths

C
BEADGCF F G FCGDAEB
0
Bb 1b 1# D
2b 2#

Flat Side Eb 3b 3# A Sharp Side

(cycle of 4ths) (circle of 5ths)
4b 4#
5b 7b
Ab 7# 6b 5# E
6#

Db/C# B/Cb
Gb/F#

Lesson 18 - Key Signature Rules

Order Of Flats & Sharps In The Key Signatures

Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb F C G D A E B F# C#
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 Lesson 19 - Accidentals

𝄞 ♭♭
double flat
𝄞 ♭
flat
𝄞 ♮
natural
𝄞 ♯
sharp double sharp

Lesson 20 - Relative Minor

C
BEADGCF F G FCGDAEB
A
E
Bb D 0
1# D
1b
G B
2b 2#

Flat Side Eb C 3b 3# F# A Sharp Side

(cycle of 4ths) 4b
(circle of 5ths)
4#
F 5b 7b C#
7# 6b 5#
Ab Bb/A#
6#
G#/Ab
E
Eb/D#
Db/C#
Gb/F# B/Cb

Key of C or Am Key of B or G#m Key of Eb or Cm

Key of G or Em Key of F# or D#m Key of Ab or Fm

Key of D or Bm Key of C# or A#m Key of Db or Bbm

Key of A or F#m Key of F or Dm Key of Gb or Ebm

Key of E or C#m Key of Bb or Gm Key of Cb or Abm

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 Lesson 21 - Minor Scale

F# Natural Minor Scale

WS - HS - WS - WS - HS - WS - WS

F# Melodic Minor Scale (Jazz Minor)

WS - HS - WS - WS - WS - WS - HS

F# Melodic Minor Scale (Classical)

WS - HS - WS - WS - WS - WS - HS (descends with natural minor)

F# Harmonic Minor Scale

WS - HS - WS - WS - HS - WS+HS - HS

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 Lesson 22 - TAB vs Standard Notation

Lines don’t represent strings

Standard Notation

Includes clef, key signature,

& time signature Lines do represent strings
Barlines are the same (6th string on bottom/1st string on top)

TAB

Doesn’t includes clef,

key signature, & time signature

Example of TAB Without Notation

(you wouldn’t know rhythm just by looking at this example)

3 2 2
1 2 2 2 1 2
2 24
4 4
0

Example of TAB With Notation Above

3 2 2
1 2 2 2 1 2
2 2 4
4 4
0

Example of TAB With Rhythmic Notation

3 2 2
1 2 2 2 1 2
2 24
4 4
0

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 Lesson 23 - Dots

adds 1/2 the note value Example = +

= + +
adds 1/2 the note value + 1/4 the note value Example

Lesson 24 - Ties
A tie combines two notes of the same pitch. The pair of notes act as one note by combining their
rhyhmic values. Ties are able to cross barlines.

Example

Lesson 25 - Triplets
A triplet divides a beat into 3 equal notes. The most common triplet is the 8th note triplet.

8th note triplet Same rhythm duration

as two 8th notes

In 4/4 time a set of 4 8th note

triplets equals one bar in duration

How to count 8th 1 trip let 2 trip let 3 trip let 4 trip let
note triplets

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 Lesson 26 - Repeat Signs

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