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Request Books with Notation only and no tabs

#21
This has come up before and I still don't understand: Why would you avoid an otherwise good book just because it happens to (also) have tab? As long as it has the notation you want, why can't you just ignore the tab? And isn't it possible that the tab might be useful occasionally as a recommended fingering for difficult passages? What am I missing?
 
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#23
Lobster11 said:
This has come up before and I still don't understand: Why would you avoid an otherwise good book just because it happens to (also) have tab? As long as it has the notation you want, why can't you just ignore the tab? And isn't it possible that the tab might be useful occasionally as a recommended fingering for difficult passages? What am I missing?
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Some people don't trust themselves to not use the tab, and they are probably right not to. It's very very easy to default to what you know.
 
#24
Lobster11 said:
This has come up before and I still don't understand: Why would you avoid an otherwise good book just because it happens to (also) have tab? As long as it has the notation you want, why can't you just ignore the tab? And isn't it possible that the tab might be useful occasionally as a recommended fingering for difficult passages? What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Nothing? There is TAB and there is TAB. In it's most rudimentary form it's almost impossible to clearly indicate rhythm, rests, dynamics, articulation or ornamentation. Some better ones add a single line 'stave' of unpitched notes to solve this problem. Fingering, which is somewhat cumbersome in Standard Notation, is clearly the domain of TAB. I think there is a case for both.
 
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#25
Lobster11 said:
This has come up before and I still don't understand: Why would you avoid an otherwise good book just because it happens to (also) have tab? As long as it has the notation you want, why can't you just ignore the tab? And isn't it possible that the tab might be useful occasionally as a recommended fingering for difficult passages? What am I missing?
Click to expand...

It's not that I would ignore the book outright. At this point in my playing life, I know that I need to sit down and fully commit to sight-reading (I had previously been able to coast on using my ear). But because Tab is unfortunately considered a 'default' for a lot of musicians I didn't trust myself to not use it as a crutch like I had in the past.

That being said, if a book with tabs were the only option for me to learn a song I wouldn't ignore it outright. I'm mainly interested in exploring my options of sheet music without tabs. If worse came to worse, I could just cover the tab section with post-its or something to that effect.
 
#27
lizardking837 said:
Hey guys,

Does anyone have any recommendations for books that feature only standard notation for songs and no tabs? It doesn't have to be genre specific, but classic rock, blue and the like would be ideal. I'm getting back into playing and I can't read for my life.

Thank you in advance
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If you drop in a few titles I might have some individual transcriptions which I'd be happy to share... They will be my versions as I play them rather than verbatim from any particular recording, but if it's just as a learning/practice tool, well it's all just grist to the mill...
 
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#28
SteveCS said:
They are probably right. With most other instruments, kids get involved from an early age at school where they will follow a curriculum linked to the education programmes run by music schools. In the UK that's typically Trinity or the Royal School of Music. They will learn to sight-read as part of those lessons...
The RSM does not offer a graded syllabus for electric bass. Trinity does offer electric bass in it's 'rock and pop' programme, and all of the materials include TAB alongside standard notation... Go figure!

In the absence of mandatory reading tuition at grass-roots level, publishers are probably right to have low expectation of people coming out of those programmes, even the early-departing that come back later, having sufficient reading skills to buy books without TAB.

As a mildly interesting observation, even in it's classical programme, Trinity does not mandate any theory pre-requisites, whereas with RSM, to take an instrument exam above grade 5 the student needs to have passed the theory exam at grade 5 or higher.
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that is the issue, there is no ensemble other than jazz bands for students on bass guitar to read at a young age. (Besides in my classroom! I proudly teach my advanced students guitar or bass guitar as a second instrument in the public school where I teach.)

I was thinking if i put something together my target audience could be beginners who want to read notes on their own, or more likely the private lesson teacher who wants a method without tabs. I don't claim thats the way it "should be," just that I think if the material is properly sequential and presented well by the teacher, learning to read can become less daunting and more of a step by step process, as it would be for my cello students in school.
 
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#29
groooooove said:
that is the issue, there is no ensemble other than jazz bands for students on bass guitar to read at a young age. (Besides in my classroom! I proudly teach my advanced students guitar or bass guitar as a second instrument in the public school where I teach.)

I was thinking if i put something together my target audience could be beginners who want to read notes on their own, or more likely the private lesson teacher who wants a method without tabs. I don't claim thats the way it "should be," just that I think if the material is properly sequential and presented well by the teacher, learning to read can become less daunting and more of a step by step process, as it would be for my cello students in school.
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Indeed. Kids in those other programmes learn to sight-read by osmosis. It's never a separate topic.
 
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#30
SteveCS said:
I have a Rick Laird book called 'Improvising Jazz Bass' that is all standard notation...
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Way back when, I bought these 2 books on the same day-
Jazz Riffs For Bass - Rick Laird
Rock Riffs For Bass - Tom Wolk

I am assuming your Laird book is different that what I have.
Anyway, knew Laird from the MO...at the time, I did not know Tom Wolk.

Of the two books, I really got nothing from the Jazz Riffs book. IIRC, scales, modes all pretty much in 1/8th note exercises. Not the stuff I could practice...I liked playing songs.

Wolk's Rock Riffs, though...kept my interest. It was a quick study of various Rock, Jazz, & R&B/Soul players. The music was a sampling of stuff in their style.

Just a walk down memory's lane because, honestly, there were not too many electric bass books available at the time.
 
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#31
JimK said:
Way back when, I bought these 2 books on the same day-
Jazz Riffs For Bass - Rick Laird
Rock Riffs For Bass - Tom Wolk

I am assuming your Laird book is different that what I have.
Anyway, knew Laird from the MO...at the time, I did not know Tom Wolk.

Of the two books, I really got nothing from the Jazz Riffs book. IIRC, scales, modes all pretty much in 1/8th note exercises. Not the stuff I could practice...I liked playing songs.

Wolk's Rock Riffs, though...kept my interest. It was a quick study of various Rock, Jazz, & R&B/Soul players. The music was a sampling of stuff in their style.

Just a walk down memory's lane because, honestly, there were not too many electric bass books available at the time.
Click to expand...

I know of him from MO also. The book is this one...
20190821_223748.jpg

And it contains this...
20190821_223934.jpg

The content is more about giving tools to think for yourself than what to do, but it is certainly not song-based!
 
#33
Lobster11 said:
the tab might be useful occasionally as a recommended fingering for difficult passages? What am I missing?
Click to expand...
You are not missing anything!
It's just "different strokes for different folks".
If someone needs to sight-read RIGHT NOW and record, perform that track, then TAB does not provide (almost) any value, but...
If someone is LEARNING(!) - and that is the audience we are talking about - the TAB notation - ALONG with standard notation is very helpful (in my personal opinion (humble)).
You've mentioned a difficult passage - that's your level of experience.
For beginners, amateurs, etc... - the Majority of the TAB forum attendees - even a simple bass line could sound "difficult".
 
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#35
SteveCS said:
If you drop in a few titles I might have some individual transcriptions which I'd be happy to share... They will be my versions as I play them rather than verbatim from any particular recording, but if it's just as a learning/practice tool, well it's all just grist to the mill...
Click to expand...

My friends have always told me that the songs I've sought to learn are 'schizophrenic.' Specifically, anything from London Calling (Clash), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Sir Elton), The Kick Inside (Kate Bush), 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by Thelma Houston, 'Heart of Glass' by Blondie and anything that you think would be good for sightreading practice. Anything is appreciated!

JimK said:
Way back when, I bought these 2 books on the same day-
Jazz Riffs For Bass - Rick Laird
Rock Riffs For Bass - Tom Wolk

I am assuming your Laird book is different that what I have.
Anyway, knew Laird from the MO...at the time, I did not know Tom Wolk.

Of the two books, I really got nothing from the Jazz Riffs book. IIRC, scales, modes all pretty much in 1/8th note exercises. Not the stuff I could practice...I liked playing songs.

Wolk's Rock Riffs, though...kept my interest. It was a quick study of various Rock, Jazz, & R&B/Soul players. The music was a sampling of stuff in their style.

Just a walk down memory's lane because, honestly, there were not too many electric bass books available at the time.
Click to expand...

I'm totally going to look for the Rock Riffs book. Thank you!
 
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#37
lizardking837 said:
My friends have always told me that the songs I've sought to learn are 'schizophrenic.' Specifically, anything from London Calling (Clash), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Sir Elton), The Kick Inside (Kate Bush), 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by Thelma Houston, 'Heart of Glass' by Blondie and anything that you think would be good for sightreading practice. Anything is appreciated!



I'm totally going to look for the Rock Riffs book. Thank you!
Click to expand...

Have a go at these two.
'I Wish I Didn't Miss You" is really just a pair of repeating figures - one for verse and one for chorus - that you can use as a nice foundation for some tasty fills and licks.
'It's Too Late" includes a solo. Look out for the clef changes...
 

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#39
lizardking837 said:
Hey guys,

Does anyone have any recommendations for books that feature only standard notation for songs and no tabs? It doesn't have to be genre specific, but classic rock, blue and the like would be ideal. I'm getting back into playing and I can't read for my life.

Thank you in advance
Click to expand...

If you don’t want to peek at the TAB, a roll of blue painters’ tape can fix that right up for you.
 
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