Well I guess i really have to start this forum now, that is talking about the music and how it works. Well i shall say that i prefer people to ask questions on what they are interested in. I don't like the idea to speak on my own, always wondering if people do read, do understand and even if they are interested in what i say
... but still, i hope that it will be a good start
So I'll start on some explainations but please feel free to ask questions on whatever you want to know concerning music theory! I'll do my best to answer you.
Well I guess the first step is going to concern different ways to write the music: you can use staves, tablature or chord symboles using letters from A to G (mixed with staves).
Stave is most useful when people want to play exactly a given work. Though musicians are quite stuck with the notes and the rythm as it is written, even if the interpretation remain a large part of the final work.
The working system is you write every played note in type and duration.
Tablature are mostly used with instruments such as the guitare, it has been created a very long time ago, it was already used in the 16 century.
The thing is you draw where the musician has to pluck the guitare strings to give the right sound. So you play without even knowing the name of the notes you are playing, that's a fine and easy way to play, though the musician may not know what chords and harmony he is using! (unless he has a pretty good hearing and can recognize the notes just listening to them)
Chord symbols are the most effective notation to me, cause it is useful to every kind of instrument, it says at the same time, what chord you have to play, what notes are advised... and it still gives a lot of possibily to musician, who can change whatever he wants following a couple of harmonic rules.
Well let's stop here for a first time, hope i am not bothering you with all that jazz