• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

which do you like better: sheet music, tabs, or note sheets

which do you like better?- tabs, sheet music, or note sheets

  • tabs

    Votes: 14 28.6%

  • sheet music

    Votes: 30 61.2%

  • note sheets

    Votes: 5 10.2%
  • Total voters
    49
#21
Originally posted by jazzbo
When you learn a song by using tabs (despite it's errors), you've learned a song.

When you learn to play with lead charts, you learn to create, and build a foundation in writing and arranging.

When you learn to play a song by sheet music, you establish a foundation to learn every song, ever written. Ever.
Click to expand...

So true!

I have a better method of writing tabs. If all tabs were written like this, and had the accuracy of mine, they would be great! Considering over half the tabs are wrong and they don't tell you rhythm, i don't use them. I don't even need them.

Anyway, here's my tab layout. I put it as a seperate attached file because this font doesn't align things right and I don't feel like turning on HTML so i can change it. Cheers
 
#23
Originally posted by jazzbo
When you learn a song by using tabs (despite it's errors), you've learned a song.

When you learn to play with lead charts, you learn to create, and build a foundation in writing and arranging.

When you learn to play a song by sheet music, you establish a foundation to learn every song, ever written. Ever.
Click to expand...

Iggzaghtlji! (=exactly, but written in tab...) Tab is very hard to learn and to read.

Sheet music is easier to read and gives the complete picture!

I'm half illiterate, so I prefer lead charts :D
 
#24
I like to remember that Paul McCartney and Wes Montgomery were unable to read music on the page. We'd hardly accuse them of being slouch musicians.

That said, you will never be asked to read tab or note sheets in a serious music context. Western European sheet music is the standard all over the world in nearly every professional context you may encounter.

Everyday I wake up and wish that I could read music as well as I read English. It is an indispensable musical skill.
 
#25
Well, looks like I'll be learning to read music again. For my extended essay I'm gonna be comparing the styles of Jaco & Stanley Clarke, and the teacher suggested that besides just writing I could have some sheet music etc, to show what/how they played instead of putting it ALL in words, and also so the examiners can compare their styles before even listening to the song (assuming they do. I dunno if they actually listen to songs that are named, or if they just assume what you say it true.)
Ah well. Time to go start reading some more music. :D
 
#26
You know, it would be kinda cool if you burned a CD of the example songs, to turn in with the paper. It might make you look really prepared.
 
#28
Originally posted by Sheep Man
Well, looks like I'll be learning to read music again. For my extended essay I'm gonna be comparing the styles of Jaco & Stanley Clarke, and the teacher suggested that besides just writing I could have some sheet music etc, to show what/how they played instead of putting it ALL in words, and also so the examiners can compare their styles before even listening to the song (assuming they do. I dunno if they actually listen to songs that are named, or if they just assume what you say it true.)
:D
Click to expand...

You can finds loads of transcriptions of Jaco's stuff on the web and print this out. I know also that I have seen transcriptions of Stanley Clarke's "Schooldays" . Actually I can't think of any more contrasting example than this, compared with a Jaco ballad - say like "A Remark You Made" from Weather Report's "Heavy Weather".

Or you could go one better and actually play them examples - like the opening riff to "Schooldays" is not that hard and the main melody or at least an extract on bass in the Weather Report tune is again not that difficult.

But you have the harsh, clanging, chordal feel of Stanley Clarke, with his "rock influences showing on this track. And then you have Jaco's ultra "smooth" and tasteful sound, technique and note choice in a piece that shows some of Joe Zawinul's Jazz roots with a slight nod to his Viennese "classical" background.
 
#29
One tiny fraction of a step ahead of you...
I was bored one day and decided to see if I could figure out Stanley Clarke's School Days by myself. I'm pretty sure I got it right. :D

Now...the whole influence thing...THAT I'm gonna have to seriously look into, since I only really started listening to both Jaco & Stanley Clarke recently, so I really don't know all that much about them, besides the fact that I like both of their music. :D

Actually, that reminds me...I should go get some more Stanley Clarke CDs tomorrow. :p
 
#30
Originally posted by fleabass89


I have a better method of writing tabs. If all tabs were written like this, and had the accuracy of mine, they would be great!
Click to expand...
D F F# C 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & G:----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| D:----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| A:----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| E:----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


Thanks for illustrating the point! ;)

To quote a phrase, tabs are bad, m'kay?

And, as is the usual fashion, the question failed to offer the most obvious option of USING ONE'S EARS. :rolleyes:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back