Who else here is confused by tab (in multiple ways)?

[vindibona1]

I know I'm showing my age, but when I started playing guitar and bass tablature didn't even exist, or if it did, wasn't in wide use yet. And so I learned to read standard notation to the point where it's in my DNA and I can look at a piece of music in standard notation and actually know what it's supposed to sound like, pitch, rhythm and style.

Tab? I was looking at Dr Cheese's post with Dua Lipa's song with the tab notation running through and I was pretty much clueless as to how it sounded (were it not for the recording playing during the illustration). At least the tab shown included a semblance of rhythmic notation, but still, mentally I was totally disconnected. And while I can S L O W L Y work my way through a tab score, to me it is a lot like paint-by-numbers rather than actual music. I can't see the theory within the tablature, only hand positions.

Right now I'm rehearsing for a musical production with standard notation and I can sit down and sight read all but the most complicated scoring. In the entire book, I think there are three sections that I have to practice to get down and up to speed. But for the most part, I could almost sight read the show.

With tab, my eyes simply glaze over as I try to figure out which fret, which string which fingers. Like learning language, I may be too old to effectively learn it, and for the most part, is there really a reason to? Now, if you put a lead sheet in front of me with chords I can usually put something together, even if it isn't a note-for-not carbon copy of someone else's bass lines. Anyone else here in the same boat?

 

[Mushroo]

In my experience, standard notation and TAB go hand in hand, one above the other. Musical information such as rhythm, dynamics, etc. is communicated by the standard notation, and the TAB is just there to show you where to put your fingers.

Like this:

The other group of people who can really benefit from TAB is players with good ears. If you are good at learning songs by ear, then the TAB just fills in a little bit of missing information, to help you "map" what your ears are hearing onto the fretboard.

Finally, the group of players who both can't read standard notation AND also can't play by ear? I agree for players with that specific and unfortunate skill set, TAB is not very useful.

 

[DWBass]

Tab was around when I started playing and it was used as a tool to help connect the notes to the fretboard. Not bad when done professionally. Most of the crap found on the interwebs are crap and incorrect.

 

[vindibona1]

In my experience, standard notation and TAB go hand in hand, one above the other. Musical information such as rhythm, dynamics, etc. is communicated by the standard notation, and the TAB is just there to show you where to put your fingers.

The other group of people who can really benefit from TAB is players with good ears. If you are good at learning songs by ear, then the TAB just fills in a little bit of missing information, to help you "map" what your ears are hearing onto the fretboard.

Players who can't read standard notation AND also can't play by ear? I agree for players with that specific skill set, TAB is not very useful.

I agree. I'll use both at times, but usually not necessary for me on bass. On guitar I've worked up a couple Tommy Emmanuel pieces and having both was essential because the stuff is so complex. Even then I had to watch his videos to figure stuff out. I guess tab/standard will be helpful as I move into more chordal elements of bass playing. But still, from a sonic standpoint tab only tells me where to put the fingers, not how the music is supposed to sound.

 

[BassChuck]

I'm really unable to deal with TAB at performance speed. I'm a pretty good sight reader and am often hired because of it. I own a good number of books that have SN and TAB. (it miffs me that the books are twice the size, and certainly more expensive because of the space that TAB takes).
Generally I read the SN and then see if my choice of string and finger placement is the same (curiosity). I'd have to say that about 60% of the time, if there is a viable option, I've picked something different than the TAB. It seems that the editors writing the TAB make a general choice of open strings and low positions. I don't always agree. All that is to say there are options, and I'd venture a guess that most players who heavily rely on TAB don't bother to scope out other fingering options, and by disregarding options, inhibit their learning.
Any reading of standard DB or Cello books show fingering above the notes, usually as 'helpful hints', but I've not seen any TAB in standard orchestral, musical theater, or other professional publications. I really don't see why editors of Electric bass methods can't just put in fingering and perhaps string suggestions the same way.

 

[Mushroo]

It seems that the editors writing the TAB make a general choice of open strings and low positions.

I can tell you for a fact that the TAB is usually written by the author, not the editors, and that I'm pretty sure some of our authors just auto-generate the TAB in their music notation software like Finale (because the authors are are anti-TAB, but TAB is required by the editors) which would indeed default to open strings and lower positions.

Any reading of standard DB or Cello books show fingering above the notes, usually as 'helpful hints', but I've not seen any TAB in standard orchestral, musical theater, or other professional publications. I really don't see why editors of Electric bass methods can't just put in fingering and perhaps string suggestions the same way.

The one that was really challenging was a jazz bass method we wanted to market to both electric and DB players. So we tried putting the DB fingerings above the staff in the classical style, and TAB for electric bass on a separate staff below the standard notation. It was a big mess and turned out very confusing in my opinion.

The other big problem with most electric bass TAB is that they often presume "one finger per fret" which of course is controversial.

 

[vindibona1]

I'm really unable to deal with TAB at performance speed. I'm a pretty good sight reader and am often hired because of it. I own a good number of books that have SN and TAB.

I'm not a good sight reader- yet (pretty good on trumpet though), but am hired because I can read well enough to get by at initial rehearsals and need very little practice time thereafter. My hands just need more experience finding their way subconsciously when reading. I tend to use Guitar Pro which has both SN and Tab.

Generally I read the SN and then see if my choice of string and finger placement is the same (curiosity). I'd have to say that about 60% of the time, if there is a viable option, I've picked something different than the TAB... All that is to say there are options, and I'd venture a guess that most players who heavily rely on TAB don't bother to scope out other fingering options...
Any reading of standard DB or Cello books show fingering above the notes, usually as 'helpful hints', but I've not seen any TAB in standard orchestral, musical theater, or other professional publications. I really don't see why editors of Electric bass methods can't just put in fingering and perhaps string suggestions the same way.

I agree. When I look at SN I'll often write in the suggestions for starting position at a lick. In an example I posted in another thread, I have a low F in a few places. The second time it arises it's more convenient to play it on the 5th string with my 4th finger. So I'll just write a "4" above it to remind to play it on the 6th fret with my 4th finger. That way I'm looking at phrases and "chunking" my fingering strategy rather than relying on the "script" of tab telling me where to put my fingers, note for note. I think tab makes my brain add an extra process or two; first how to take the individual tab structure, turn it into fingerings- then translate it to actual music (sound). I suppose for others who have not learned to read SN, that SN probably does the same thing, having to look at the graphic, determine which note it is, figure out where that note is on the fingerboard, then figure out how to finger it, then subsequent notes. I guess I could say I admire those who can read both systems well.

 

[Lobster11]

The other group of people who can really benefit from TAB is players with good ears. If you are good at learning songs by ear, then the TAB just fills in a little bit of missing information, to help you "map" what your ears are hearing onto the fretboard.

That's me, but there's one more crucial component: a chord chart. I never look at tab until I've learned the key and chord progression. Then I'll look for tabs to confirm or correct the "rough draft" of the bass line I've already created by ear.

 

[mambo4]

Anyone else here in the same boat?

I can decipher notation far more quickly than tab.
When play I think in chords, intervals or note names - which is how notation "thinks"
not encoded fret /string coordinates, which is how tab "thinks".

 

[Mushroo]

That's me, but there's one more crucial component: a chord chart. I never look at tab until I've learned the key and chord progression. Then I'll look for tabs to confirm or correct the "rough draft" of the bass line I've already created by ear.

Huh. Today I learned, lobsters have ears.

Seriously, though, great suggestion to learn the song's chord progression. Even if you are just thumping away root notes in your bass line, knowing the full chord qualities will give you a deeper understanding of the song, and help you "look ahead" so your bass lines have a sense of direction and purpose. For example if you can hear the difference between major triads vs. dominant 7th chords, you'll hear how songwriters use dominant 7th chords to signal a musical transition, which will help you not get lost in performance.

 

[LBS-bass]

That's me, but there's one more crucial component: a chord chart. I never look at tab until I've learned the key and chord progression. Then I'll look for tabs to confirm or correct the "rough draft" of the bass line I've already created by ear.

I also primarily learn by ear. I can look at either tab or videos to get confirmation of note choices and alternate fingering patterns but since I have problems with my left wrist and thumb I often need to move about the fretboard to keep my hand from cramping, so will often choose unconventional movements instead of the "box" most people seem to play. Staying in one position for more than a few seconds at a time leads to a lot of pain for me, so it's imperative for me to move out of the box as much as I can. Still, though I don't always change the way I play, I've gotten some great ideas by looking at these alternatives. There's always a way to work smarter.

 

[Biggbass]

tablature has been used for hundreds of years. And many believe it predates notation. It was first used for transcribing organ music to the written page in the 1300s.

 

[vindibona1]

I can decipher notation far more quickly than tab.
When play I think in chords, intervals or note names - which is how notation "thinks"
not encoded fret /string coordinates, which is how tab "thinks".

"Coordinates". I like that term to define tab. I think of it as "painting by numbers" as I cannot discern anything musical until I figure out where the "coordinates" are, put them all together, then innately shape how I move between these coordinates, then make music out of it.

tablature has been used for hundreds of years. And many believe it predates notation. It was first used for transcribing organ music to the written page in the 1300s.

Yeah... But in terms of modern music, particularly guitar and bass playing it was prevalent until the last few decades. Can you cite any modern tab publications that preceded the 70's? 80's? If they existed they were sparse, and it appears largely shunned for a time.

 

[fretlessbass]

Well then, Vindibona 1, I guess I'm showing my age too:
I began learning to play guitar, then bass---by ear-- in the mid--60's.
Wore out a whole lot of records, needles, and later on, cassettes, in my quest.
Perhaps I'm lucky---to this day, there's really nothing I can't figure out accurately by ear---which is made all the easier by today's programs that slow down and transpose material.
However, along the way, I taught myself to read, write, and arrange music--which greatly expanded my future opportunities--something that TAB NEVER would have done:
It's simply NOT the lingua franca of the rest of the music world.
As others have already pointed out, it's easy enough to put fingerings and/or positions on standard notation; add in the more contemporary markings for string bends, tapping, etc, and everything you need is pretty much on the page--save for your unique interpretation.
As in any other field, more knowledge is better: today, you may only want to play one style of music, which may not require SN; but tomorrow--who knows?
If you start learning SN now--at your own pace, while you don't yet need it--you'll be ready, should you decide to change musical direction.
At 65, I'm a full-time bass player, doing a crazy variety of gigs--due in large part to my reading/writing abilities--and enjoying being a musician more than ever.
Yes, I find TAB confusing.
However, if you find TAB helpful, no reason to stop using it; after all, it may just be that we older guys have a hard time learning anything new!!!

 

[Pilgrim]

It seems that the editors writing the TAB make a general choice of open strings and low positions. I don't always agree. All that is to say there are options, and I'd venture a guess that most players who heavily rely on TAB don't bother to scope out other fingering options, and by disregarding options, inhibit their learning.

This gave me a chuckle, because it appears to me that the exact opposite is true. Most of the tab I run into seems to make it a point to avoid open strings, the first through third hand positions, and simple fingerings. Seems like if there's a way to play it above the 5th fret, tab tends to favor that - even when it's totally unnecessary.

But most of the tab I've seen appears to be created by Joe Average bass player who is willing to spend the time to sort it out, and I appreciate their going to the trouble. I end up simplifying most of it, as I have no aversion to playing open strings and lower hand positions.

 

[MonetBass]

I'm not confused by it, but I'm not a fan of someone telling me the most efficient fingering for a certain piece. Standard notation has so much more information in it, anyway (at least for me).

 

[vindibona1]

Well then, Vindibona 1, I guess I'm showing my age too:
...At 65, I'm a full-time bass player, doing a crazy variety of gigs--due in large part to my reading/writing abilities--and enjoying being a musician more than ever.

That's the thing... If you want to continue playing with others late in life, the quickest entry (IMO) into various opportunities is to be able to read.

Yes, I find TAB confusing.
However, if you find TAB helpful, no reason to stop using it; after all, it may just be that we older guys have a hard time learning anything new!!!

Yeah... Learning anything new with any complexity at an older age is a struggle. When I was 56 I studied Russsian relatively seriously for 4 years. At 60 I studied, and continue to study Spanish. While I've become conversant in both languages I will never be fluent, no matter how hard I try. Music? I can still play trumpet concertos from memory that I learned as an older teen. But the music that I've had to learn after 45, I could never in my life memorize it. Heck, I play bass in a worship group and while the tunes are different from week to week, I've probably played them all 40 or 50 times... and yet still need to rely on lead sheets to keep me "between the lines". Yeah... Getting old sucks (in so many ways).

 

[StatesideRambler]

to me it is a lot like paint-by-numbers rather than actual music. I can't see the theory within the tablature, only hand positions.

Paint-by-numbers is the image in my mind WRT tabulature. I believe it was Guitar Player magazine in the seventies that launched the trend toward popular publication of tab. They kicked off that practice by publishing a Terry Kath solo that would’ve been nearly impossible to notate or read in standard notation. Before GP did that I rarely saw it in magazines, never in music folios or books and I can’t recall anyone I played with in those days who even brought up the subject. Our thinking was that we all wanted to “learn music, not cartoon dance lessons, stepping on footprints laid down on the floor.” Those who played entirely by ear (there were and are many) didn’t bother with written notation at all.

My take: I use tab only for certain etudes where it is really valuable but I never use it to learn a song. For example tab tells me nothing about the key nor the ones rhythm. There's nothing helping the reader to discern intervals or accidentals, it rarely has dynamics noted (this last being the composer’s doing, not the nature of tab).

I’ll stop laboring it now. It’s a useful tool that, like many useful tools, is much misused.

 

[Mushroo]

"Coordinates". I like that term to define tab. I think of it as "painting by numbers" as I cannot discern anything musical until I figure out where the "coordinates" are, put them all together, then innately shape how I move between these coordinates, then make music out of it.

This is probably the best comment in this discussion thread, thanks for putting it so poetically.

I think it's safe to say, the majority of people who are good at reading standard music notation, they can look at the sheet music and "hear" in their head what it's going to sound like. Even if it's written for a different instrument; for example I can't technically/physically play the clarinet, but I can read standard clarinet notation. I can imagine what that clarinet part is going to sound like in my head, without actually owning a clarinet.

I don't know many people who can visualize in their mind what TAB is going to sound like, and I don't know anyone who can do that with TAB written for a different instrument that they don't play.

 

[fretlessbass]

tablature has been used for hundreds of years. And many believe it predates notation. It was first used for transcribing organ music to the written page in the 1300s.

That's really interesting--and begs the question: When it first came on the scene, did SN have its naysayers?