Using Tabs With a Knowledge of Theory

[danjl131]

ok so i have been playing bass for a year and a half and guitar for 4 years (but I like bass better ). I understand music theory, I know a lot about chords, scales, modes, etc. I can read music but quite slowly, and I have been working on developing my ear. However, I do use tabs and Guitar Pro. People say tabs are a crutch and it's just playing off a diagram mindlessly, but I look at the tabs as notes, not numbers, and I actually understand how it all works. Even though I know music theory, are tabs still bad for my playing?

[Blown Cone]

It really depends on if you want to learn the song by ear, which takes time, but so much more rewarding because not only have you learned the song, but you've also improved your ear.

However if you've only got a couple of minutes to learn a song (gig situation), it could be very beneficial.

Bleh my two cents.

Personnaly, I ask for a scale and chords, and work my way around (usually just start by pounding the roots, unless I can pick it up by ear).

EDIT: You do know how to spell rain right? Unless I'm missing some inside joke .

[nothumb]

there's nothing wrong with using tabs to learn songs. if the goal is to just learn a song then tabs + a recording are the fastest way in my book, and i can read sheet music too.

reading tabs doesn't require any musical insight or knowledge the way ear training or sheet music do, but if you're just learning an existing part it doesn't matter. just know that it doesn't really add anything to your musical toolbox except for learning to play that particular song. the 'problem' with tabs (if you can call it that) is that people who aren't sufficiently ambitious for the sheet music crowd don't ever go beyond them. but to me that's a matter of personal choice, it's not like there's a moral issue at hand or anything.

[Rudreax]

Most people I know only say tabs are bad for you if either a) you rely on them too much, or b) you don't know how to read. Neither of those seem to be a problem for you, so go ahead and use them if you want to.

[Stumbo]

This topic is discussed on these threads extensively:
do you really have to learn how to read music to be a good bassist?
Two Different Pros. Two Different Opinions.

[Fergie Fulton]

Interesting point about seeing them as notes. I have some friends that speak different launguages, they usually convert it to English to understand it in their heads. So they hear the question in French, translate it in to English to understand. In answering they Formulate the answer in English and then translate it in to French.
But i have one friend who justs hears the lauguage being spoken, with no translation neccesary. But if what you are doing acheives the desired result sounds good to me and stick with it.

[JtheJazzMan]

a good question is why were tabs invented in the first place?

[cnltb]

Tab has nothing to do with notation It changes as soon as the number of strings change.
So as soon as a bassist wants to communicate a musical idea with a pianist ore the player of any other instrument, tab is absolutely useless, notes are not.
Tab is not notes, has nothing to do with notes and is not even a crutch as far as I'm concerned . I think it is are simply a waste of time.
I'd say, invest a little bit of time and improve your reading

[danjl131]

thanks for your thoughts. and blown cone, its an inside joke : )

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by danjl131

Even though I know music theory, are tabs still bad for my playing?

Actively bad for your playing? I dunno if I would go that far. It's not as if tabs could never be of any use at all to anybody anywhere in any circumstances. But IMO tabs are of little value to a musician interested in growing. I'd say keep on working your ear, and when you deal with written music, either to write it or to read, spend your time with standard notation. That will open doors that tab won't.

[lament]

Originally Posted by danjl131

People say tabs are a crutch and it's just playing off a diagram mindlessly, but I look at the tabs as notes, not numbers, and I actually understand how it all works.

It's just as easy to play mindlessly from standard notation as to play mindlessly from a tab. I do that all the time.

Music theory usually does not deal with specific notes. It deals with scale degrees. Neither tabs nor standard notation shows you scale degrees, so in both cases you need to do a mental conversion. When I'm reading music in standard notation, very often I fail to do the conversion (because of laziness, lack of concentration) and then I realize I haven't understood the music at all.

So tab notation is not harmful, laziness is