Tab Forum Guidelines

Bruce Lindfield · #1 08-22-2002, 10:50 AM

While Hategear's initial instructions for posting in this forum are very good in terms of outlining how to "help your self" in this forum, I just wanted to say that it really doesn't go far enough.

I think it's probably pretty obvious to everyone now that most requests are not getting replies with Tab and basically there isn't a team of "closest tabbers" just sitting there waiting for someone to post a request.

I mean - people come here for leisure and while they are eager to help, nobody is going to put themselves out that far.

My view is that we should be honest with people who are new to this facility and I can see two ways of doing this :

Basically we say - straight out - you are very unlikely to get things tabbed especially and if they are not in the archives and you haven't found them with a search engine, you stand very little chance of - as it stands there is a sort of "implicit promise" in the forum that you will post a request and some TBer will go away and beaver away tabbing it out - it isn't going to happen!!

Secondly I think we should be honest and say that the way the vast majority of people learn things and progress as musicians is by learning things by ear and outlne how to do this and an approach for ear training and transcribing. Surely this has got to be better than tidying away these requests and sweeping them under the carpet?

Isn't it a better aim to help people in the long term; to help them become better musicians and learn valuable skills, rather than being effectively "dishonest" and just opting for an "easy life"?

[PS I have started this here, as I think it is a valuable topic to discuss, in terms of musical education etc. and Paul said that this was the only appropriate forum for this. If I had known/realised this before I wouldn't have started debates along similar lines elsewhere]

Bruce Lindfield · #2 08-23-2002, 11:15 AM

No views on whether we should be helping people more in terms of real musical education?

**rickbass** · #3 08-23-2002, 12:09 PM

If I was "tab dependent" I'd just get MusEdit or some other software that does bass tablature and be done with it........(it couldn't be any more inaccurate than the couple of tab offerings I tried a long time ago!).

**john turner** · #4 08-23-2002, 12:12 PM

my my, you sure are concerned about the tab forum, bruce. is there something you're not telling us?

**rickbass** · #5 08-23-2002, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by john turner
my my, you sure are concerned about the tab forum, bruce. is there something you're not telling us?

I'll say it again as I did when the forum was created - "Make Bruce one of the Tab Forum mods".

I have to take it less seriously - when I began learning bass, no one felt any sense of "duty" or "mentorship' for my development including some of my instructors....the "cream rises to the top"....(and I don't consider myself much more than 2% milk).

Bruce Lindfield · #6 08-23-2002, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickbass

I'll say it again as I did when the forum was created - "Make Bruce one of the Tab Forum mods".

Well I would be happy to do something like this, but only if I was allowed to be honest and say what I really think - e.g. that you would be better off trying to transcribe that and learn it by ear - that if you learn about chord structures and commonly used chords in the genre you like, then it all becomes much easier - that ear training is vital to getting better as a musician - things like that.

What I don't like is having to lie - just to keep the peace - and having to say things that I know are not in the best interests of the people concerned just to keep it "tidy" !!

**rickbass** · #7 08-23-2002, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
...What I don't like is having to lie - just to keep the peace - and having to say things that I know are not in the best interests of the people concerned just to keep it "tidy" !!

I have always had the utmost respect for you there, Bruce. Your spirit is more truly "punk" than all the sellouts currently on the scene.

CS · #8 08-23-2002, 01:45 PM

I have said it beforeand I'll say it now...

There is a big difference between someone asking for a tab and asking if tabs are useful.

My eldest shown has shown an interest in bass. Last night he starting saying "I'll look at some tabz"
So this evening I got the bass out and got him playing 4 to a bar 8 to a bar triplets and attempted 16ths. BTW he has been playing drums in a punk band most of this year. So I got some dots out and "this line is a G" and "that black dot means one beat".

Playing music is more than just reading it and I intend to show him the reasons behind what is played instead of what to play regardless of how it is written.

The reason for this rant? My son asked me to teach him bass and thought that one used tabz to do it. I have caugt him early. I hope you can get some conversions but good luck.

Bruce Lindfield · #9 08-25-2002, 04:32 AM

Well my point is not about whether Tab is good/bad/indifferent and I think people are misunderstanding me as usual

and are assuming they know what I'm saying without actually reading it through.

The point is that - given people aren't going to get the Tab they ask for in most cases - and the evidence is there for all to see - then surely it is better to actually help them, however we can, rather than just tidying their requests away into a corner where we can ignore them?

CS · #10 08-26-2002, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AcousticBass

Can't we all just get along?

I like Bruce and I like arguing with him. It's harmless nobody got called names and we are discussing something that could be beneficial to Talkbass.I still think he's wrong though.

thrash_jazz · #11 08-30-2002, 09:53 AM

While I have nothing against the use of tabs, I do think that it should be stressed that learning the song by ear is more useful, if at all possible.

Still, as Bruce said - there is a difference between pointing this out and TaB bAsHiNg.

How about a link to some of the tab debate threads, so that people at least get to hear both sides of the coin?

One thing to think on is that some people who use tabs (NOT all of them by any means) are probably thinking them to be the only viable method - they should at least know both sides of the argument IMO.

And Bruce - I hope I didn't offend you in your other thread; I was just having a bit of fun rattling your cage.

cassanova · #12 09-26-2002, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
?

Isn't it a better aim to help people in the long term; to help them become better musicians and learn valuable skills, rather than being effectively "dishonest" and just opting for an "easy life"?

Brad,

I agree 100% with everything you stated, I think the goal here should be as you say, to make people better musicians, hone thier skills, and whatnot.

But that old saying comes into play here, "you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink" if people dont want to muster up the discipline and take the time that its requires to learn right way, then theyres nothing we can do about it. Alot of us have tried stearing people in the right direction by being brutally honest with them, and unfortunatly, they dont care. Its sad really, but hey, the bright side is, when the ones who do listen and turn are getting gigs and making money, compared to the ones who dont wanna take the time to learn, then they have nobody to blame but themselves.