Difference Between Guitar Tabs and Sheet Music for Guitar
The main difference between Guitar Tabs and Sheet Music for guitar is that guitar tabs have only numbers, while Sheet music has many symbols and musical clefs which represent musical pitch, scales visual representation of the music. Learning sheet music or guitar tab is challenging and uninteresting. Lots of notes and rhythmic structures create chaos in our brains. Everyone became familiar with the practices after a few months. In piano, there is a grand staff to read music. For guitar, here is stuff notation and alternately tab notation also. As a result, we will discuss how to learn that musical notation system fast and quickly.
Contents
Clef
A clef can write piano and guitar notes on a music sheet. The piano uses treble and bass clefs to write music. For the guitar, we only use the treble clef. Every clef represents a particular set of notes. Treble clef notes can play on guitars and pianos. Compared to the guitar, the piano has a broader range. A piano is capable of playing higher as well as lower notes than a guitar. If the piano sheet music is in treble clef, it can also play on guitar. Now we can say Piano and sheet music is the same.
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This is a treble clef. The most common notation used to write music is a treble clef. This clef can use for piano and guitar notation.
Since the clef drawing started from the 2nd lower string, G, the treble clef is also known as the G clef.
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The bass clef is basically for bass guitar. Bass notes can play with the left hand on the piano or keyboard. It is the bass note that accompanies the lead note. Treble clef and bass clef together, we called Grand stuff. Piano using grand staff notation. The bass clef is also known as the F clef.
Notes
Guitar notes can write in tab notations. Tab notation is different from sheet music. In tab notation, there are no clefs. Only strings and fret numbers are visible as a note on the guitar. The note values are the same, but the tab notation looks different. If anybody knows how to read tab notations, that person can’t sing sheet music. So the piano sheet and guitar notation are not the same.
Comparing Sheet music and Guitar Tab
Sheet Music
Sheet music is a universal language for the musician to talk about music. A similar note or tune for piano and guitar is needed to compare something.
A simple example would be to say London Bridge. Playing this song on guitar and piano is very simple. Let’s take the piano sheet first.
Our first observation of the notation is two musical clefs. In a treble clef, the lead part of a song is played with the right hand and the bass with the left.
For the first bar of the notation G note, play with the right hand. The left hand must play C and G for bass notes. Further, the notation should be as follows with left and right hand.
Guitar Tab
The guitar tab allows you to play the guitar from the page. The piano sheet and guitar tab notation are different. On a guitar, treble clef notation can play. But here we are talking about the guitar tab, which has only numbers. So don’t be confused. From top to bottom, the six-string belongs to the guitar. The top string is 1st, and the lowest is 6th.
The fret numbers show on the strings. As I mentioned earlier, if I explain the first bar, it must be like the 3rd string 0 fret, which is a G note. Then according to the notation, a half count.3rd string, 2nd fret, and so on.
Differences between Sheet music and Guitar Tab
| Sheet music | Guitar Tab |
| 1. It has five horizontal lines. | 1. It has six horizontal lines. |
| 2. Those five lines show specific notes, according to clef. | 2. The six horizontal lines show the name of the Guitar’s open strings. |
| 3. It doesn’t show any number to play notes. | 3. It shows the number to play notes. |
| 4. Grand clef shows two clefs for individual two hands. | 4. It does not show any clef. |
| 5. Notes are shown as a circle on the lines. | 5.No circle here to show any note. |
After understanding the differences, we are discussing the advantages of both notations. Notes show as a circle on the lines.
Advantages of learning sheet music
1. A sheet of music means understanding stuff notation is handy for music.
2. It is possible to read sheet pieces visually.
3. Understanding piano sheet music can allow us to play more instruments than tab notation.
4. Every style of music can write by stuff notation or sheet music.
Disadvantages
1. It takes much more time to learn.
2. For a guitarist, it is not essential to learn sheet music.
3. Lots of clefs that can make you confused.
4. Playing by ear becomes more difficult.
5. You will lose your natural ability to play. In other words, the maximum amount of time you can play technically without getting emotionally involved.
Advantages of learning Guitar Tab
1. It is possible to play other string instruments using the guitar tab
2. Musical knowledge does not require playing the guitar tab.
3. The guitar tab can only be played by numbers.
4. Compared to sheet music, guitar tabs are a lot easier to understand.
5. Guitar tabs are essential for learning string instruments.
Disadvantages
1. Tab notation is not essential to learn if you do not play string instruments.
2. Knowing tab notation makes you less interested in musical notes.
3. Understanding music theory will be a lot harder if you only play tab notes.
4. It is impossible to sing tab notation, but it is possible to sing stuff notation if you practice regularly.
5. Numbers cannot express sound in guitar tabs.
Conclusion,
There is lots of similarities and difference between guitar Tabs and Sheet Music for Guitar. Some symbols are the same for both notations. But the two notation systems are different. Both you can learn. But for a guitarist, mandolin player, violin or bass player, etc. The guitar tab will be a lot easier to understand. Some symbols are the same in both notations. A pianist, clarinet, flute player, etc. Must learn sheet music. Sheet music is a universal language of music. Understanding music in written form starts with a guitar tab and is more accessible than sheet music, tab notation, or manuscript. You can not remember everything so learn how to read music.
Thank You.
