In Defence of Tab!

[Andrew Jones]

Ok, Light 'em Up,flame On!


Ok.... This is not a thread to support on the misuse of a potentially good tool, I refuse to have started such a thing.


This is a thread on how a tool/communication devise has negative associations ( however warranted) the point that people don't realize it's potential or give it the props it deserves.



First I'll start by informing you that I can READ standard notation. I practice it and I can sight read pretty darn well. I'm a "educated" musician what ever that's worth




Well I've concluded that TAB is a tool and when used properly is a effective form of communicating. What does it convey? Fingerings!Positional shifts!





I've been shedding Bryan Beller's transcription of Boogie On Reggae Woman from bass player.Bryan had taken great care in writing the tab to teach fingering and articulations to stress the phrasing. I've been referring to the tab for guidance.It effectively conveys. Now Brian has obviously taken care in the "correctness" of the tab and obviously has allot to do with its value.



Aj

[hunta]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

Well I've concluded that TAB is a tool and when used properly is a effective form of communicating. What does it convey? Fingerings!Positional shifts!

True. Although that can also be seen as one of it's weaknesses. When I learn a tough piece I'll often pencil in some fingerings while I'm working it out (which usually get erased after a bit). Those are my fingerings though, I will frequently play with different fingerings than other bass players might use. The nice thing with using standard notation is you can play it with whatever fingering you want. I would rather do that and be stumped on the occasional fingering pattern (which of course happens less and less the more you read/play standard notation), than have to translate 12 10 9 3 5 6 into notes so I can figure out where I want to play it.

[cowsgomoo]

yeah, it's good for fret position and fingering, and if all tabs out there were written by someone of the ability of Bryan Beller, the world'd be a better place for bass players

unfortunately, most tabs out there were transcribed by a chimp

I can accept tabs like you get in guitar & bass magazines, where you have notation AND tab underneath, because you get the best of both worlds, but tab on its own, you usually get no dynamics, no key, no indication of meter, very ambiguous rhythm...

but you're right,tab does indeed beat notation for fingering and fret position... provided Bryan Beller transcribes it and not the teenage punk rock chimp army

[DocBop]

So with all your experience you can't come up with multiple fingering on your own and work out the best way for you to navigate the tune. The trouble with TABs or even fingering charts is people learn one and stop, they don't try to figure out other ways to finger something. That is the one thing that standard notation does is make you think, "there has to be a better way to finger this". It's the process of looking for another solution we end up discovering multiple things.

[Andrew Jones]

Yes, True it does "take" a portion of the education out of the experience. I will concede as well, that in this art misrepresenting something that your mimicking often leads to innovation. Meaning if you figure how to play a lick but you've figured out the "hard" way that may mutate into something new.



AJ

[Andrew Jones]

Ok, just to play devils advocate, wouldn't reading written music be a form "loss of education". I mean Transcribe it your self you'll get more out of it..........wait, I mean, "no paper" memorize it yourself you'll get more out of it.......


Aj

[*smb]

For some reason I expected this thread to be about the old Monster Magnet EP. I was about to jump in saying "Well it may not have the quality of Spine of God or their newer material but Queens of the Stone Age clearly took influence from it"

Tab is handy in lots of situations. Need to quickly explain a chord type to someone? I wouldn't be drawing notation!

[Andrew Jones]

So with all your experience you can't come up with multiple fingering on your own and work out the best way for you to navigate the tune.

Play nice. If you want respect Give it.



Aj

[lunarpollen]

There's nothing in a tab that says you can't try alternative fingerings for a tune. No one's holding a gun to your head preventing you from deviating from a tab if you want to play the same note on a different string. A rough tab is only a guide, and not a mandate. Even a verified 100% accurate tab just shows exactly which strings and frets the original bassist used when playing the tune on his or her particular instrument, and can help the learner figure out notes that might be hard to discern in the original recording because of the way it was produced. I think almost anyone will mess around with different ways of playing those notes once they learn what the notes are. Listening to that original recording of the tune you are trying to learn the bass line for, and becoming familiar with it in your head, provides most of what a raw tab doesn't provide (dynamics, tempo, etc.). There are fewer extraneous concepts between a bass line and a tab than there are between a bass line and standard musical notation. Sure, standard musical notation will provide a lot more information and detail, and if you can learn it, then great. But tabs are great for people who are ear players and who can't process musical notation.

[905]

TBH I don't see the big difference between tab/notation.
Both are "cheat sheets" to help you play a song.

The advantage of notation is that when you're good enough at it, you don't need to listen to the song before playing it perfectly (some what at least).

The advantage of tabs is that it's a lot easier to understand if you're new. Strings and frets, absolutely no tricks.

[warnergt]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

unfortunately, most tabs out there were transcribed by a chimp

Heh. Sadly, I agree.

The tab I like best is the tab that I've created. And it needs the score above it. There is too much information that tab doesn't tell you.

Sometimes, I'll take a tab and completely redo it just to try to make it better in some way. Sometimes you can make it easier to play (fingers don't have to stretch so far). Sometimes it helps mute the unwanted tones (avoiding open strings).

This is why I prefer looking for MIDI files instead of tab. You can drop it into Guitar Pro or Logic and manipulate the tab all you want and see the score, too.

[dvh]

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

There's nothing in a tab that says you can't try alternative fingerings for a tune. No one's holding a gun to your head preventing you from deviating from a tab if you want to play the same note on a different string. A rough tab is only a guide, and not a mandate. Even a verified 100% accurate tab just shows exactly which strings and frets the original bassist used when playing the tune on his or her particular instrument, and can help the learner figure out notes that might be hard to discern in the original recording because of the way it was produced. I think almost anyone will mess around with different ways of playing those notes once they learn what the notes are. Listening to that original recording of the tune you are trying to learn the bass line for, and becoming familiar with it in your head, provides most of what a raw tab doesn't provide (dynamics, tempo, etc.). There are fewer extraneous concepts between a bass line and a tab than there are between a bass line and standard musical notation. Sure, standard musical notation will provide a lot more information and detail, and if you can learn it, then great. But tabs are great for people who are ear players and who can't process musical notation.

+1 could not have said it better myself. Tabs are a starting point and a helpful tool to learn a bassline you're familiar with by ear.

[Hawaii Islander]

I can accept tabs like you get in guitar & bass magazines, where you have notation AND tab underneath, because you get the best of both worlds, but tab on its own, you usually get no dynamics, no key, no indication of meter, very ambiguous rhythm...

I can see where TABs along with standard notation can be very helpful. It can provide a practical guide to the notation for those who can't read standard notation.

TABs alone also have a function for those that are listening to a piece of music and trying to figure out the bassline. I couldn't use TABs by themselves because of the lack of info on the areas mentioned in the quote (meter, rhythm, dynamics, etc.).

I'm seeing more sheet music available that include both standard notation and TABs. I think it's a good idea.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

Ok, just to play devils advocate, wouldn't reading written music be a form "loss of education". I mean Transcribe it your self you'll get more out of it..........wait, I mean, "no paper" memorize it yourself you'll get more out of it.......


Aj

I would say no, because the idea of reading is to get the music off the paper as soon as possible so you can focus on make it music and embellish it. Reading is more about instant recognition of notes and rhythms so you can think about playing. Like reading a book you see words not indivisual letters. Transcription is an tool valuable tool for learning music and training the ear. They all have their place.

[ireidt]

I dont like tab. that being said, i use it in guitar pro all the time.

Tabs is a good way to learn a song quick and finger positioning, but tabs dont have enough information. I cant sight read ( learning) that well so what I do is spend 5 min, and write the note letter under each note if I have to ( I know the fingerboard well ). But Tab helps me figure out a fingering position, then I mess with it to figure out what I like best.

tabs and music notation are not etched in stone, they are just ways to learn the song real quick.

[jazzbo]

I am a long standing member of Clan TabEvil.

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by ireidt

Tabs is a good way to learn a song quick and finger positioning, but tabs dont have enough information. I cant sight read ( learning) that well so what I do is spend 5 min, and write the note letter under each note if I have to ( I know the fingerboard well ). But Tab helps me figure out a fingering position, then I mess with it to figure out what I like best.

AGREE!

[bassbully]

Gee i disagree. I cant read a lick of music and could care less. Im in a cover band and love it. I have written and recorded original basslines myself...not to tuff. So tab should be perfect for a flunky like me...nope! Why? most of it is wrong on the net,It bass by numbers ala like paint by numbers and i learned nothing but where to put my fingers offen wrong and where not too.

I prefer to know my neck, get the song charted out by chords stops...whatever. A tascam bass trainer and my ears. It has made me a better player and i know my bass and music well due to ignoring tab. I tell any young or new player i meet to do the same dont fall to tab its evel pure evel i say...this coming from a hack like me.

[Andrew Jones]

Ok.... This is not a thread to support on the misuse of a potentially good tool, I refuse to have started such a thing.


This is a thread on how a tool/communication devise has negative associations ( however warranted) the point that people don't realize it's potential or give it the props it deserves.



Aj

[Slax]

I find high quality tabs useful and, for me, quicker to read than standard notation on a known song.

For me though, what I really like is that when I'm figuring out a song or I'm writing something that I don't want to forget and want to get it on paper (text doc... what have you) quick, tabs are an easy way to do so.

...just my 2 cents.