Should I Go Ahead And Ditch Tabs???

[Benjamin Earl]

TAB is useful to show the position on the fretboard and string intended by the author. I agree that a logical next step is to study standard notation and charts, but there is no reason to "ditch" TAB. It is a skill you now have and can use anytime it is needed. Even if you learn to read and write standard notation, TAB will be useful if you need to indicate the position and string. I use it all the time in tandem with standard notation for educational purposes.

 

[IamGroot]

It's totally fine to not play songs note for note. I know probably a couple thousand songs, and if I had to play the original part note-for-note for all of them, well . . . . I'd know a couple hundred instead of a couple thousand. Some songs require knowing the exact part (metal, but I don't play metal, so problem solved), but most don't. Having an awareness of the chord qualities and appropriate play styles is more useful.

What you're doing is great, trying to play more by ear. I'd use tabs as a reference, or if you're stuck on something. And of course there's no guarantee a tab will help because most of them are awful. But the more you learn by ear, the more patterns you'll start to recognize in how bass lines and songs are constructed. That, along with some basic definitions about harmony, will take you pretty far.

"It's totally fine to not play songs note for note."

Are we talking 1) any old bass line, 2) signature bass line or 3) the musical head of a song?

Not trying to quibble....., but 2 and 3 are very good reasons to learn notation.

Over the years, sheet music corrected my wrongmess. Like Bernard Edwards bass lines

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Hi Everybody,

General question that I asked a few months back, but feel like I have a (slightly) better grasp on playing habits overall vs the last time I asked this…

I’ve been playing consistently now for about 15-16 months and usually practice at least 6-7 hours a week (although that is starting to creep up a bit now that I own a P bass bc MAN is that thing hard to put down)…

Anyway…When I started I had NO clue what I was doing so I was using Songsterr for bass tabs…

Don’t really have the money for a teacher, but I felt at the time that I needed some structure and some context on learning the overall fretboard so I used bass tabs to get me going on playing songs…

Eventually moved to playing the tab and then playing the song afterwards without looking at the tab…

I felt like this was a step in the right direction bc it helped me hear a general idea of the song and I’m a visual learner, so using tabs helped me kind of bridge the gap between being a visual learner and trying to become a better listener when playing along without any visuals…

What I’m starting to notice now-I had two designated days of the week where I would just play along for an hour to music and not worry about the tab or being “perfect” with it…More of a play by “feel” and try to have fun with it…As I’ve played more and done this more often I’m finding I like just playing along to a song…

NO clue if I’m doing it “right” or not-I try to find the kick drum in the song and the overall rhythm/beat and stay in time and then go up or down in pitch depending on where the song goes…

Usually I end up thinking “that sounds about right” when I’m playing…If I miss the right notes I can usually tell if I’m really trying to zero in on what I’m suppose to be playing…

Now that I have used tabs on a few songs consistently it helped me understand my instrument better so now when I play without them I feel like I can generally play to the overall “feel” of the song, but I tend to gravitate to the bottom 2 strings most of the time…

Just wondering if cutting the cord completely on tabs will make me digress in learning…If I go ahead and completely ditch tabs will I run the risk of playing too “sloppy”??? (Is it irresponsible to just play along to songs without actually learning it note by note 100%???)…

I get that a lot of bass tabs are wrong or somewhat incorrect, but I’ve used them as general guidance in the past, but they are starting to feel a lot less necessary…

I probably have more fun and feel more “free” when I don’t use them-Should I be concerned about going backwards in terms of playing progress if I ditch them completely or would you still use them a few times a week???…At this point I’m probably only using them 25-30% of the time in s given week-Just wondering if my playing will fall off if I completely ditch them…

Thanks! \m/

I would very strongly recommend that you stop using 'tabs' immediately. They will do absolutely NOTHING for you. Instead, try to learn songs by ear. Even if it's tedious and frustrating, eventually you will become very good at it. Concurrently, learn how to read music. Notation for electric bass isn't as daunting as say, piano or guitar. I would very highly recommend this book:
[This invalid link has been removed]

 

[Snarf]

I would very strongly recommend that you stop using 'tabs' immediately. They will do absolutely NOTHING for you. Instead, try to learn songs by ear. Even if it's tedious and frustrating, eventually you will become very good at it. Concurrently, learn how to read music. Notation for electric bass isn't as daunting as say, piano or guitar. I would very highly recommend this book:
[This invalid link has been removed]

This is ALWAYS the thing so many posters in General Instruction do: Assume the OP's goals are the same as theirs. Smooth_bass, how have tabs done NOTHING for the OP? Sounds like he's learned a few songs. That's EVERYTHING for someone who's just starting out and wants to have fun while learning music. Goal #1 when picking up an instrument like the bass guitar for the first time should be "Learn My First Song." It's never "Learn The Half Position In Simandl Page 1." You can do the latter in a teaching situation, but never without the former.

 

[MarMar]

Often times, you can get a feel for if a song is "major" or "minor." Then if you watch the guitarist or have him tell you which root notes (or fret number for TABs) he's playing, you can figure out a riff to play from there. Or even better - you come up with the riff and your guitarist writes something cool on top of it. That's how I always did it. To each his own though! I don't know anything!

 

[Topkat13]

The only thing that will make you digress in learning is to practice less.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Tabs are a great tool but their are a lot of crappy ones out there. Keep practicing train your ear use tabs as a jumping off point.

 

[El_Charro]

Thanks to every one who responded so far…

I did learn to read music as a kid when I was learning piano and later in choir as a teenager, it’s just been a VERY long time since I’ve read sheet music (not saying I can’t/shouldn’t give it a shot again, I’m just VERY rusty on some of the ins and outs and I’ve never learned it for a stringed instrument)…

Ultimately my goal is to (eventually) start a Metal band, but it would be more for fun as a weekend hobby, so no I am not looking to turn professional and tour or anything…I just don’t wanna completely suck once I get around other people…

Where I get a bit…Conflicted-I notice I tend to want to play most notes on the E string bc it usually sounds “better” to me especially if I don’t know the song…It’s not that I never venture out from there, it’s more of a “I wonder if I’m doing this wrong” when I do this…

I did make myself learn the fretboard notes for standard tuning…

Granted occasionally I will have to stop and think for a second on the D and G strings as to what specific note I’m playing, but usually on the E and A string I’m good on notes especially up to the 12th fret…So in a band setting if someone told me to play a specific note I know I could do it…

Tonight was a good example of why I’m a bit conflicted on if I “need” tabs or not…

Decided to try to jam along to some Pantera (without tabs)…

From previously looking at the tabs before to a few of those songs I know that there is a lot of complication going on in the bass line, but when I was playing along without using a tab I felt like I hit a few of the root notes and was able to land a few of the hooks which sounded accurate, but in the back of my mind I questioned how “correct” I was bc I was mostly playing notes on the E string when a tab might tell me to play the a note on the A string <——(This is mostly what I mean about worrying about if I’m “wrong” when I’m playing just by ear)…

I think learning to play as you listen is important especially since I’m a visual learner and to be frank-It’s a lot more fun to pick up the bass and just play a along and it always makes practice time go by more quickly - I just don’t want my skills to erode if I’m not looking at a tab for a reference point…

Maybe I’m just being paranoid (???)-I’m still gonna keep my goal of practicing at least six hours a week which I’ve done consistently since I started (although I’m starting to find more time on the weekend to play)…

Just trying to figure out the best (and most fun way) to spend that time…

Thanks for suggestions/feedback…

Thanks! \m/

 

[juggahnaught]

Hi Everybody,

General question that I asked a few months back, but feel like I have a (slightly) better grasp on playing habits overall vs the last time I asked this…

I’ve been playing consistently now for about 15-16 months and usually practice at least 6-7 hours a week (although that is starting to creep up a bit now that I own a P bass bc MAN is that thing hard to put down)…

Anyway…When I started I had NO clue what I was doing so I was using Songsterr for bass tabs…

Don’t really have the money for a teacher, but I felt at the time that I needed some structure and some context on learning the overall fretboard so I used bass tabs to get me going on playing songs…

Eventually moved to playing the tab and then playing the song afterwards without looking at the tab…

I felt like this was a step in the right direction bc it helped me hear a general idea of the song and I’m a visual learner, so using tabs helped me kind of bridge the gap between being a visual learner and trying to become a better listener when playing along without any visuals…

What I’m starting to notice now-I had two designated days of the week where I would just play along for an hour to music and not worry about the tab or being “perfect” with it…More of a play by “feel” and try to have fun with it…As I’ve played more and done this more often I’m finding I like just playing along to a song…

NO clue if I’m doing it “right” or not-I try to find the kick drum in the song and the overall rhythm/beat and stay in time and then go up or down in pitch depending on where the song goes…

Usually I end up thinking “that sounds about right” when I’m playing…If I miss the right notes I can usually tell if I’m really trying to zero in on what I’m suppose to be playing…

Now that I have used tabs on a few songs consistently it helped me understand my instrument better so now when I play without them I feel like I can generally play to the overall “feel” of the song, but I tend to gravitate to the bottom 2 strings most of the time…

Just wondering if cutting the cord completely on tabs will make me digress in learning…If I go ahead and completely ditch tabs will I run the risk of playing too “sloppy”??? (Is it irresponsible to just play along to songs without actually learning it note by note 100%???)…

I get that a lot of bass tabs are wrong or somewhat incorrect, but I’ve used them as general guidance in the past, but they are starting to feel a lot less necessary…

I probably have more fun and feel more “free” when I don’t use them-Should I be concerned about going backwards in terms of playing progress if I ditch them completely or would you still use them a few times a week???…At this point I’m probably only using them 25-30% of the time in s given week-Just wondering if my playing will fall off if I completely ditch them…

Thanks! \m/

If you have a really good ear, you'll be fine without TAB. But it doesn't sound like you do.

As you're a visual learner, stick with TAB and begin to supplement it with reading actual music notation for bass. Doing what you're doing is also good - playing by feel and by ear - but if you can't really hear the notes and hear what you're playing, you aren't really ready to get rid of the notation tools.

Try playing along with a song, and record what you played. Then, try playing along with the TAB or the notation, and record that too. Do this for all of the songs that you want to learn. This will show you what gaps you need to fill and how far you are away from your goal.

As you start to get better - since you are a visual learner, as you say - start making your own charts and TAB (and later, move to notation). This can also be a good way to test your ear and what you hear - notating a song can be a good way to learn it. Notating using TAB can help you to understand your instrument and its nuances better, while notating using standard notation can help you understand the actual music better. Creating chord charts can help you better understand the structure of (most modern) songs and how they fit together.

Given where you are, I should state that if you are referring to sight-reading TAB - as in never playing without it and not memorizing songs - you do not need to continue down this path. However, you do want to make sure that you're playing the right notes at the right time.

Keep developing your feel and your ear, but don't give up on the notation yet. In my opinion, you aren't there yet.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi Everybody,

General question that I asked a few months back, but feel like I have a (slightly) better grasp on playing habits overall vs the last time I asked this…

I’ve been playing consistently now for about 15-16 months and usually practice at least 6-7 hours a week (although that is starting to creep up a bit now that I own a P bass bc MAN is that thing hard to put down)…

Anyway…When I started I had NO clue what I was doing so I was using Songsterr for bass tabs…

Don’t really have the money for a teacher, but I felt at the time that I needed some structure and some context on learning the overall fretboard so I used bass tabs to get me going on playing songs…

Eventually moved to playing the tab and then playing the song afterwards without looking at the tab…

I felt like this was a step in the right direction bc it helped me hear a general idea of the song and I’m a visual learner, so using tabs helped me kind of bridge the gap between being a visual learner and trying to become a better listener when playing along without any visuals…

What I’m starting to notice now-I had two designated days of the week where I would just play along for an hour to music and not worry about the tab or being “perfect” with it…More of a play by “feel” and try to have fun with it…As I’ve played more and done this more often I’m finding I like just playing along to a song…

NO clue if I’m doing it “right” or not-I try to find the kick drum in the song and the overall rhythm/beat and stay in time and then go up or down in pitch depending on where the song goes…

Usually I end up thinking “that sounds about right” when I’m playing…If I miss the right notes I can usually tell if I’m really trying to zero in on what I’m suppose to be playing…

Now that I have used tabs on a few songs consistently it helped me understand my instrument better so now when I play without them I feel like I can generally play to the overall “feel” of the song, but I tend to gravitate to the bottom 2 strings most of the time…

Just wondering if cutting the cord completely on tabs will make me digress in learning…If I go ahead and completely ditch tabs will I run the risk of playing too “sloppy”??? (Is it irresponsible to just play along to songs without actually learning it note by note 100%???)…

I get that a lot of bass tabs are wrong or somewhat incorrect, but I’ve used them as general guidance in the past, but they are starting to feel a lot less necessary…

I probably have more fun and feel more “free” when I don’t use them-Should I be concerned about going backwards in terms of playing progress if I ditch them completely or would you still use them a few times a week???…At this point I’m probably only using them 25-30% of the time in s given week-Just wondering if my playing will fall off if I completely ditch them…

Thanks! \m/

If you're trying to learn a song, tabs will get you in the ball park (they usually aren't correct). If you're just playing your bass, do whatever you want to. I tend to just play more than anything. Without a beat, without any structure. Just play. I have all the inspiration I've ever needed inside my own head.

But, when I'm learning a song, I learn the song. I play it how it's most comfortable to me, and I also match the tone.

 

[hrodbert696]

I don't think it's an either-or issue. I think of it this way: TAB is just a way that one player communicates to another how they play the part. I suspect it started off as a teacher's tool, then exploded with the internet because it's easier to type into a forum or word processor and upload compared to getting a specialized app for standard notation. It does what it does and nothing wrong with that. At the same time, it's good to branch out and learn more than just recreating the fingerings you find in a TAB. Learn scales and chord tones, for instance, and then how to construct (or reconstruct) a bass line off a chord progression. Train your ear.

When I started out, I used TAB almost exclusively, and had a big three-ring binder full of pages and pages of songs in TAB. I've since thrown it out and almost always learn songs by ear. But every once in a while there's a part that I can't figure out or not sure I'm doing right. So in those cases, I'll google up a TAB for it and see how someone else does it. If it works, I use it, and if I want to modify it, I'll modify it. But nothing wrong with having checked it.

 

[Mushroo]

From previously looking at the tabs before to a few of those songs I know that there is a lot of complication going on in the bass line, but when I was playing along without using a tab I felt like I hit a few of the root notes and was able to land a few of the hooks which sounded accurate, but in the back of my mind I questioned how “correct” I was bc I was mostly playing notes on the E string when a tab might tell me to play the a note on the A string <——(This is mostly what I mean about worrying about if I’m “wrong” when I’m playing just by ear)…

You can easily answer this question by going on YouTube and watching some live concert videos!

I think what you will discover, is that it's totally normal in rock and metal genres, to play primarily on the E string. It gives a "thick" sound, and it looks cool.

(I don't know much Pantera, so I can't say whether this specific TAB is right or wrong. But that definitely something you should do whenever you are learning a new song: Go on YouTube and study how the original bassist played it. You can of course play it differently if you like, you don't have to copy the original bassist exactly.)

 

[mambo4]

Ultimately my goal is to (eventually) start a Metal band, but it would be more for fun as a weekend hobby, so no I am not looking to turn professional and tour or anything…I

Notation is definitely less necessary for those goals. Heck I'm not even sure how many truly important metal bass lines have notation readily available. But: the theory and music fundamentals remain the same for all styles, and notation will bolster those fundamentals.

 

[matti777]

I wish there had been tab (and YT ) in the late 70's when I bought my first bass and gave up on it for 20+ years.

 

[SoCal80s]

I notice I tend to want to play most notes on the E string bc it usually sounds “better” to me especially if I don’t know the song…It’s not that I never venture out from there, it’s more of a “I wonder if I’m doing this wrong” when I do this…

It really doesn't make much difference where you play the notes, as long as you're playing the right note. If the original player played a B on the E string, but you choose to do it on the A string, that is totally OK.

I hope you understand the "positions" on the fretboard (if not, read up on it). I generally start by picking one position and if it works, I stay there. If not, then I try another position, until I find the one that is simplest for me. A few things to keep in mind:

-Generally, you want to play the note where it will be more efficient. If your hand is near the 7th fret already, then the B on the E string might make more sense than on the A string. Try to stay in, or near, one position as much as possible
-Sometimes, it is easier to play a riff in one position than in another. In that case, use the easier one. If you are struggling with a riff, try it in a different position.
-Yes, sometimes one position sounds better than others. Sometimes a fretted note sounds better than an open string, sometimes not. It's OK to "break the rules" if it sounds better

 

[SteveCS]

It really doesn't make much difference where you play the notes, as long as you're playing the right note. If the original player played a B on the E string, but you choose to do it on the A string, that is totally OK.
...
It's OK to "break the rules" if it sounds better
...

It is OK provided you understand the reasons for, and potential impact of, the decisions you make. I believe that such decisions should be justifiable primarily on musical grounds, not efficiency or simplicity. The timbral differences between B at 2 on an 3rd string and 7 on 4th are significant but workable. The differences in shape and timbre between E at 2 on 2nd and 12 on 1st are huge. The differences beween A at 2 on the 4th string and 17 on 1st are like a different instrument. Of course in music there are not too many binary 'right or wrong' situations, but on the question of where to play a note the electric bass is aswash with opportunities to change the outcome.

YMMV

 

[bassdude51]

You said................"Now that I have used tabs on a few songs consistently it helped me understand my instrument better so now when I play without them I feel like I can generally play to the overall “feel” of the song, but I tend to gravitate to the bottom 2 strings most of the time…"

It sounds like tabs are a good thing for you. (I don't understand the gravitating to the bottom 2 strings most of the time. ???????)

On one hand, I do not read music. And on the other hand I have never learned to read tab. But, I did take bass lessons from a Masters Degree bass music teacher. And through him, I learned basic music theory. I learned how to improvise my own bass lines to most rock n roll, blues, C&W and pop songs.

Most of the stuff I play are ! to 5 chord songs. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to play bass to this stuff. I can usually figure out the bass lines note for note because of basic music theory. If a song is too difficult, I can either not play the song or modify the bass line to something easier.

Youtube has many, many, many note for note bass lines for songs. What a blessing!

Ditch tab? If you can read it and use it, it is a good thing. Learning some basic music theory is even better.

 

[Benjamin Earl]

It is OK provided you understand the reasons for, and potential impact of, the decisions you make. I believe that such decisions should be justifiable primarily on musical grounds, not efficiency or simplicity. The timbral differences between B at 2 on an 3rd string and 7 on 4th are significant but workable. The differences in shape and timbre between E at 2 on 2nd and 12 on 1st are huge. The differences beween A at 2 on the 4th string and 17 on 1st are like a different instrument. Of course in music there are not too many binary 'right or wrong' situations, but on the question of where to play a note the electric bass is aswash with opportunities to change the outcome.
YMMV

Yes! The timbre of the position on the fretboard matters. @El_Charro, this comment by @SteveCS shows one of the reasons TAB is so useful. The string and position may be important enough to indicate with notation and TAB. If the author wrote both, then there is probably a good reason. Take a look at how his comment looks when notated with both TAB and standard notation. TAB is a useful tool no matter what anyone says.

 

[Phil Smith]

If you can't read standard notation there's a whole world of music playing experiences that you will never have.

 

[crazyBassClown]

So pretty much, you have to learn the song before you can use the chord chart.

You can notate bars and rhythms on a chord chart if you want, and most people are familiar with a song they are trying to play.

but pays back 20x what learning tabs will.

Really? I learnt to read standard notation as a kid and haven't used it for 20+ years.

but 2 and 3 are very good reasons to learn notation.
Over the years, sheet music corrected my wrongmess. Like Bernard Edwards bass lines

Finding accurate charts for pop/rock isn't all that easy, so in that arena it may not actually be a good reason.

(I don't understand the gravitating to the bottom 2 strings most of the time. ???????)

I'd say 75% to maybe 90% of what I play on a typical covers gig for rock sits on the bottom 2 strings.