Am I a tard at learning tabs?

[Jaggybass]

O.k. I always had a short term memory thing. . .err . . problem that is :-) . . but jeez . .It's taken me like three weeks (probably 30hrs) to learn G 'n' R Sweet child of mine. . .I don't really know the song that well but heard it and thought. . wow that bassline rocks. .

For those that know the song: how long did/would it take you to learn?

So the question is. .am I a complete tard? and if so what's the best way to learn?. . . .I generally download the guitar pro tab and try to play along, hopefully a bit further each time . . . but with songs with all different lead ins I forget where they are :-)

[beelzelboss]

It would probably take me a week or two if I sat down daily for an hour or so. To be able to play it proficiently would take a couple of more weeks, but I'm not that great of a bass player... My problem is that I have to do it so many times until I memorize it, and then I have to do that over and over and over again until I get the entire song.

It could just be how you are learning. For me, I still need to learn how to study correctly for college (I'm a senior in High School), and for that matter, study for anything.

You're not a complete tard.

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by Jaggybass

am I a complete tard?

No. I've been playing for over 20 years and I can't read tab at all. Would probably take me just as long as you.

what's the best way to learn?

well the sad truth is don't use tabs.
Learn notation or figure it out by ear.

Tab reading is of limited value in the long run. Both notation and figuring it out by ear will be frustrating difficult at first, but both will force you to develop skills of tremendous long term value to a musician. If you are willing to put 30+ hours into learning a song, you may as well step up and learn.

[manbearpig97]

Tard is slightly offensive my friend

[plangentmusic]

Try to learn by ear. Use the tab for a note or two you're unsure of. In the long run you'll get better. I actually had to learn that tune for the fist time not long ago and it took about 45 minutes to get it down. (Since I've heard it so many times, it was easier than hearing it for the first time). But I've been playing for more years than you're alive. It's all relative.

[dalkowski]

Originally Posted by mambo4

well the sad truth is don't use tabs.
Learn notation or figure it out by ear.

Tab reading is of limited value in the long run. Both notation and figuring it out by ear will be frustrating difficult at first, but both will force you to develop skills of tremendous long term value to a musician. If you are willing to put 30+ hours into learning a song, you may as well step up and learn.

This +1,000. Toss the tabs.

[colcifer]

Tabs won't make it easy to learn anything; use score.

[waidonchasaisew]

depends on how much you practice. there are a lot of fills in the song, but I got the intro down in 30 minutes. i stopped practicing after that, mostly because during/after the guitar solo, its kinda boring...

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by mambo4

No. I've been playing for over 20 years and I can't read tab at all. Would probably take me just as long as you.


well the sad truth is don't use tabs.
Learn notation or figure it out by ear.

Tab reading is of limited value in the long run. Both notation and figuring it out by ear will be frustrating difficult at first, but both will force you to develop skills of tremendous long term value to a musician. If you are willing to put 30+ hours into learning a song, you may as well step up and learn.

+1 With this, notation and ears, ears especially for your uptake skills.

That OP title man? Think about it.

[David1234]

Learn (by ear) to sing along with the bass part. Okay - the bass part up an octave or two. *THEN* find the notes thta match what you've learned.

Tabs are for people who can't, or haven't learned to, do the above.

[jazznfusion]

[quote=mambo4;10366452]No. I've been playing for over 20 years and I can't read tab at all. Would probably take me just as long as you.


well the sad truth is don't use tabs.
Learn notation or figure it out by ear.

Im new to playing, but have been tought this by my instructor. Who emphasizes transcribing and reading. Not only that but what if these tabs are not accurate ?

[funkybassinator]

yeah just learn it by ear. it's really not a complicated line, pretty much all diatonic.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Jaggybass

O.k. I always had a short term memory thing. . .err . . problem that is :-) . . but jeez . .It's taken me like three weeks (probably 30hrs) to learn G 'n' R Sweet child of mine. . .I don't really know the song that well but heard it and thought. . wow that bassline rocks. .

For those that know the song: how long did/would it take you to learn?

So the question is. .am I a complete tard? and if so what's the best way to learn?. . . .I generally download the guitar pro tab and try to play along, hopefully a bit further each time . . . but with songs with all different lead ins I forget where they are :-)

same here....but if i learn it by ear it seems to get into the long term memory faster .....just keep, at it one phrase at a time

[banditcosmo]

Question for everyone that always say to learn by notation or by ear:
How do you find notation for 50 different songs ? It's not like there is a notation web site where you can find them all and learning 50 songs by ear would take me a hell of a long time.
Who write's these notations ? And are notations 100% accurate ?

I just joined a cover band and had to learn 50 tunes within a month so I do use tabs but I don't take them as absolute. I do use my ears and changes parts that are wrong in the tab's and may play in different positions from what is listed in the tab. I also looks at Youtube cover versions which can help on some tunes.

I had to learn Sweet Child too and it probably took me about a solid week to remember it. It's not a hard song to play just took me some time to remember it. The intro took no time as it's easy to remember it's all the little fills that took time for me and I still don't play it exactly the same.

[Skitch it!]

Horses for courses. Your ears are your uptake imo, I have done 27 (by a band I don't particularly dig that much) songs in 3 days to pay the bills before now, by ear and simple footnotes. If I'd chased tabs/notation, it would have been impos. What's good for the goose, may not be good for the gander, ymmv ; )

The benefit of this? I can listen to a standard pop/rock track and map it pretty much before I've picked up an instrument, that's the pay-off ; )

[chadhargis]

I typically learn a song by ear. If I'm not familiar with the song, I work on playing over the changes, then go and back and add in the parts I'm missing.

I will refer to notation if there is a part I can't figured out by ear.

I don't care for tabs becuase they give you fingerings for a four string since that's the most widely used bass. I play a five string, so I like to decide where I play the note.

I struggle with reading music, but the more I do it, the better I get...as with anything.

[jmac]

Originally Posted by manbearpig97

Tard is slightly offensive my friend

The pc police do not have any jurisdiction on talkbass.

[SteveFreides]

Originally Posted by manbearpig97

Tard is slightly offensive my friend

+1 - thanks for speaking up.

-S-

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by jmac

The pc police do not have any jurisdiction on talkbass.

Ymmv ; )

[Jim Nazium]

To the OP, one thing I would suggest is to keep in mind the "80/20" rule. That is, you can learn 80% of the bass line to most songs in 20% of the time that it would take you to learn the entire line. Learn the intro or any signature riffs, learn the roots of the chords, and that will get you through the tune. Then you can decide how important it is to learn all the fills note-for-note.