Why Is Tablature Bad?

[whatizitman]

Tab requires zero effort to learn. It's basically connect-the-dots for guitar and bass.

I partially disagree. It seems to take more effort for me to use tab to figure something out, than to just listen to it. I typically have to do both, anyway, if I'm going to use tab at all. Tab is a last resort. And even then I only refer to sections I can't figure out just by listening. Tab is really not significantly more efficient for me than notation, to be honest.

Granted, I don't play the most complex stuff in the world. If I were to do jazz or classical I would have to up my notation reading significantly. Not much of a worry since I have really have no desire to do either right now.

 

[D.M.N.]

here's what I used to tell students: "Tab is oversimplified / lazy. It's like changing how we spell to make it easier: Fite v Fight, wethur v Wheather, etc.

Well, at least they're intentionally misspelling words...

 

[blue4]

If learning how to do something that's fairly easy and you can learn for free or for very little money is "elitist," then I'm elitist and proud of it. Methinks these folks crying "elitist" haven't a clue what they're talking about, which is usually the case when you operate from ignorance instead of experience.

Who cried elitist?

 

[JimmyM]

I get what you're saying. I just get a little bent about some of the elitism that goes on around here. I have my opinions about a lot of what is considered "normal" on TB too. Fine, people can do whatever they want. But when one of these guys knocks other musicians for using a "crutch" because it doesn't fit their personal worldview, it bugs me.
Musicians that are a far sight more famous than them didn't need the "crutch" of musical notation, or playing playing covers for a living for that matter.

You ain't them. Most people who don't learn to read end up making zero sense of music. I call that "lottery justification." Those who are famous and know nothing about music theory won the lottery. Not only that, but many of them lie about it just to win "cool points" from the fans.

I'm just as much of a "professional" musician as any of them, and I've pretty good without having to sight read. I have learned how to read western notation, but it isn't of use to me, so I don't use it. I learned how to do quadratic equations at one point too, that doesn't mean I can do it now, or need to.
Sorry for barking at you.

Sightreading isn't what we're talking about here. We're talking about just plain reading, which you can do, so you've pretty much negated your "elitism" argument.

 

[photogdude]

only 13 pages, guess i'll have to add my 2 cents. i'm not saying tabs are bad,, but every time i learn a song not using tabs, i seem to retain it better over time, and also play it better with other people. i'm not sure why, but i've noticed that. my guess is that it makes me think about the theory.

 

[JimmyM]

Who cried elitist?

See my above post.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

If they don't play guitar or bass, then they don't even know what tab is. That includes most arrangers.

There's nothing magical about standard notation, except for two things: 1) It's evolved to cover a large variety of things that can be expressed in written music. 2) If you want your written music to be played, you have to use the notation that people can read.

Agreed - but it's an industry standard that - oh gasp - isn't easy to master. There are those in the rock world who insist on everything be EASY. Sorry - music does not work that way.

 

[blue4]

See my above post.

As my former boss once said, "Oh now you're going to quote the facts at me!??!"

 

[socialleper]

Are you sure? Because western notation has been around for an awfully long time and there's really a whole freaking bunch. There's not a whole lot older than ~400 years still surviving, but there is a whole, whole, whole bunch of music between here and there. Originals and improvs often don't get transcribed, but that was as true for a lute player in the 13th century as it was for the banjo picker I played with this week

Musical notation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eastern and Middle Eastern music predates anything Europe was working on by a good stretch.

Given that this is a bass forum, the vast majority of the music being discussed will revolve around the electric bass and its uses. The Double Bass side might be different, I don't know.
In terms of large pieces with full blown orchestras, of course something far more detailed than tabs is required. The instruments themselves don't lend themselves to crib sheets. But as I've said, you need the right tool for the job. Classical and Big Band is technically superior than modern rock or jazz in terms of complexity, and notation would be a must to keep everyone together. A five piece rock band? No.
For me personally, I will never play classical, I will never play anything besides a guitar or bass, and I don't do covers or session work. I can get around notation enough to understand the theory I need to write and express ideas, but I don't need it that often. I can speak enough Spanish to order food and know when someone is swearing at me. I don't need to know more than that despite living in a state with a giant Latino community. I could learn more, but I don't need to, so I'm not.

 

[whatizitman]

I realize I am probably about to walk a fine line, and hope this comment doesn't come off as an insult to your 15 year old daughter. Please take this as a general philosophical comment as opposed to singling her out for criticism.

Deep breath, here goes: Why not encourage your daughter to learn Green Day songs by ear? It seems to me like a "teachable moment" of: this is what a power chord sounds like, and this is what I-V-vi-IV sounds like, now you can play 1,000,000 songs (and even write some of your own)!

Is TAB how the members of Green Day compose new songs and learn songs by others? (Honest question, I don't know the answer.)

Can't speak for GreggBummer, but in my daughter's case (who incidentally also likes to play green day songs), I learned the hard way that I had to let her own her path for learning. I tried to impart all of my ear playing tricks, and she just wouldn't have it. I know she could understand it from a systemic standpoint if she took the time to think about it and figure it out. But she balked hard. I want her to enjoy playing music. But I almost pushed her to quit completely. I had to step out the way. Now I merely check on her to make sure she is applying what her teacher is expecting. I would like to see more ear training, but I'll take what I can get.

EDIT: Oh yeah. Does Green Day use tab? I sincerely doubt it, since it's all original music, that follows common pop chord progressions and guitar-oriented keys. Once you get those patterns in your head there is little need to transcribe any of it. To learn others? I don't know what songs they learn, or really how technically advanced the guitar and bass players actually are - their recorded music only is what it is.

 

[blue4]

Sorry for barking at you.

No biggie, I just had to remove myself from an off topic thread cause I could feel a rant building up inside.

 

[carl h.]

Can't speak for GreggBummer, but in my daughter's case (who incidentally also likes to play green day songs), I learned the hard way that I had to let her own her path for learning. I tried to impart all of my ear playing tricks, and she just wouldn't have it. I know she could understand it from a systemic standpoint if she took the time to think about it and figure it out. But she balked hard. I want her to enjoy playing music. But I almost pushed her to quit completely. I had to step out the way. Now I merely check on her to make sure she is applying what her teacher is expecting. I would like to see more ear training, but I'll take what I can get.

Kids are tricky. My daughter is the same way. Though she can listen to a tune on the radio and play it pretty closely by ear, she is starting to see the benefit of reading, though she still fights it.

 

[stringtapper]

Musical notation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eastern and Middle Eastern music predates anything Europe was working on by a good stretch.

Given that this is a bass forum, the vast majority of the music being discussed will revolve around the electric bass and its uses. The Double Bass side might be different, I don't know.
In terms of large pieces with full blown orchestras, of course something far more detailed than tabs is required. The instruments themselves don't lend themselves to crib sheets. But as I've said, you need the right tool for the job. Classical and Big Band is technically superior than modern rock or jazz in terms of complexity, and notation would be a must to keep everyone together. A five piece rock band? No.
For me personally, I will never play classical, I will never play anything besides a guitar or bass, and I don't do covers or session work. I can get around notation enough to understand the theory I need to write and express ideas, but I don't need it that often. I can speak enough Spanish to order food and know when someone is swearing at me. I don't need to know more than that despite living in a state with a giant Latino community. I could learn more, but I don't need to, so I'm not.

Luckily your lack of musical ambition has no bearing on the larger question of the relative merits of notation versus tablature.

In other words: cool story bro.

 

[socialleper]

I call BS on this.There is far more sheet music out there than tabs, and it you only count the accurate tabs it isn't even close. Check out IMSLP.

The devil is in the details. That's all public domain music, which means most of it pre-dates the electric bass and therefor isn't applicable to this discussion. The people having this discussion are more than likely playing old classic rock or jazz, not Gershwin or Bach.
I'm talking about being able to walk into an MI shop or go on Amazon and buy transcribed music. The catalog available for anything written in the last 20-30 years is very small, and even smaller for bass.

 

[carl h.]

There are folks out there who will transcribe anything your heart desires, just for money.

And they advertise too!

 

[Humbled]

My kids are way more disciplined and talented at music than I am.

In the the late 1980s I got a call from a fellow named Steve Oliver. He said: "I need a bassist, are you available ?". I told him I was familiar with his stuff, but didn't know if I was talented enough to do it. He replied: "well, do you read music?" I told him "yes, to whatever point it stuck". He said: "great, then you can do this, trust me". I told him I'd consider it and let him know. I talked to my wife and then called him back about 10 minutes later and said "OK I'll try". It changed my life. Reading gave me the opportunity, and then Steve taught me music.

 

[socialleper]

Luckily your lack of musical ambition has no bearing on the larger question of the relative merits of notation versus tablature.

In other words: cool story bro.

Your opinion about my ambition doesn't mean much to the people that buy my CDs, buy my merch, and come to my shows. Seems to be working pretty good for me.
The question is does tab hinder you. Considering the number of professional musicians that don't use standard notation and use either tabs or some other form of communication, no they don't.

 

[carl h.]

The devil is in the details. That's all public domain music, which means most of it pre-dates the electric bass and therefor isn't applicable to this discussion. The people having this discussion are more than likely playing old classic rock or jazz, not Gershwin or Bach.
I'm talking about being able to walk into an MI shop or go on Amazon and buy transcribed music. The catalog available for anything written in the last 20-30 years is very small, and even smaller for bass.

My response was to this quote:

Another grand fallacy that is floating around this thread is the notion that written notation is widely available.
It isn't. Especially for bass.
Only the smallest sliver of available music is ever published any printed form. The internet contains tabs, with varying degrees of accuracy, to fill the largest library. All for free, all without wasting paper.
Another related fallacy is the printed notation is authoritatively correct. I have music books of Metallica and Pearl Jam music that are well documented as being wrong or missing entire sections.

You yourself omitted the detail of being specific to a certain time period. And as I said, all things are possible, you have to ask the right person.

 

[carl h.]

Your opinion about my ambition doesn't mean much to the people that buy my CDs, buy my merch, and come to my shows. Seems to be working pretty good for me.
The question is does tab hinder you. Considering the number of professional musicians that don't use standard notation and use either tabs or some other form of communication, no they don't.

And how are your elitist opinions relevant to everyone else who isn't you? I guess lack of know how makes things better?

 

[40Hz]

if you have the sheet music then what do you need the tab for other than an unnecessary distraction?

Did you bother to actually read very much of the thread? Or at all?