Opinions On Tab

[Rex Hart]

How many feel as I do that learning to play an instrument by tabliture is going down the wrong path. I have seen so many newbies lose interest because their teacher has insisted they learn to play by tab instead of learning to accompany themselves. I feel that tab leads down a one way street that never encourages improvisation and it takes all of the "artist" out of the equation and makes it more like learning how to use a tool instead of a an extension of yourself. So.... you learn how to play the melody of say....The Old Home Place in the key of G and at the jam they kick it off in A. Where's the tab for that ?

[John McGann]

A few thoughts.

You might try the search function; there have been many spirited discussions about this topic.

[Mandolin Mick]

I respectfully disagree. Those who say you should only play by ear, only play tab, or only by musical notation are trying to push one way to the exclusion of other methods. But, these are all tools to help you learn music. I use all of the above. These all have their place and pro & cons.

Most of the time I learn by ear. But, sometimes the song on CD is so fast that I use tab to help me. Sometimes I use musical notation from a hymnal like today when I worked out the melody & harmony for sacred music that I'll use for the Rescue Mission here in Milwaukee next Saturday.

I learn songs in tab and then transpose them on the spot when needed because I understand theory and play by ear as well. Tab doesn't work against improvisation for me; it works with it.

[AlanN]

My heart's breakin'
Tablature's takin'
Me on a 1 way trip
on down the track...

[JeffD]

One should never read notation or tab to the exclusion of learning by ear. Or learn by ear to the exclusion of learning to read some kind of musical transcription. They are two skills that are both needed to be a complete musician.

When chosing between reading methods, I think John McGann really says it well.


Its not that one excludes tab when reading musical notation - its that once you read musical notation, the need for tab diminishes an ultimately goes away.

In my experience there is only one occation where tab is indispensible. And that is when learning to play in alternate tunings. I have some old timey tune books that give tunes in alternate tunings with notation and tab, and for those I need the tab. The notation gives how the tune sounds, and not how it can be played.

[farmerjones]

Tabulature would've never lasted as long as it has, if not being of value to someone.
Banjer tab clicked for me, but tab for instruments tuned in 5ths never has.
Do-re-mi is so intuitive to me on an instrument tuned in 5ths, that i've only used notation to puzzle out a tune, only a few times. In fact, i can't watch somebody's hands either. My eyes lie to me, more so all the time. But the answer is: "Whatever it takes."

[JEStanek]

It has value as a learning aid as does standard notation and learning by ear. Depending upon your goals, Tab alone may be quite suitable. There is much more music available in notation format, and even more availabel by ear.

Jamie

[MikeEdgerton]

How many feel as I do that learning to play an instrument by tabliture is going down the wrong path

Well, count me as another that doesn't feel the same way you do.

As for the spirited previous discussions, there are a few. Here is one.

[mandotopia]

Generally, notation is woth the extra time it takes to become proficient. Notation allows you to play any sheet music rather than trying to find a mando tab version. Tab might be easier at first but if you plan to become a serious player, notation will take you further. A friend of mine who plays baroque lute makes a good case for lute tab. On a lute there are many different ways to voice any combination of notes and tab does tell you which string and fret you should use. Notation does not give this info usually. On a mandolin, there are not too many ways to vioce anything so this advantage does not exist for mando tab. Unless you have a real good reason to chose tab, you should learn notation IMHO.

[Doug Hoople]

I feel that tab leads down a one way street that never encourages improvisation and it takes all of the "artist" out of the equation and makes it more like learning how to use a tool instead of a an extension of yourself.

The only person who can take the "artist" out of the equation is you.

Tab is great.
Playing by ear is great.
Standard notation is great.
Theory is great.

Knowing how to use any and/or all of the above in real time is fantastic.

Knowing what you want to say on your instrument and getting there by any means necessary is the essential mssing piece.

I don't know anyone who has any of the skills listed above who would want to give them back in order to become a better musician. And I know a lot of people who wish that they had taken the time early on to acquire these skills, especially faced with examples of someone using them effectively.

[rgray]

As I read the original post, I immediately thought of John McGann's website. Imagine my surprise to see that he was the first to respond with the very webpage I had been re-reading just this past weekend.

As a beginning musician, tab, combined with recordings, allowed me to jump right in and play. For now I have made a personal decision to stay at the tab-reading (primarily), tune-playing level due to competing interests for my time. That attitude may change but for now I don't foresee losing interest in playing because of it. My mandolin is both a tool and extension of myself in that the tool allows me to enjoy music on a more personal level than merely listening. My tune preferences and the little phrasing I can add when playing also serve as an extension of myself. I don't consider myself an artist, but maybe just a hobbyist/craftsman.

But I did say "primarily" tab-reading so I am probably not the best proponent of pure tab. When I first started playing a year ago, numerous sources to include Mr. McGann's webpage indicated to me that standard notation would be of benefit. I can and do read standard notation just enough to get an idea of the rhythm. The sheet music I favor has both standard notation and tab to which I concentrate on the tab and refer to the standard notation the same as I would a recording of the tune. Who knows, maybe on a subconscious level I am learning standard notation enough to eventually read and play using just that. For now, I am having fun.

[woodwizard]

Just another tool ... to me.

[Gelsenbury]

One should never read notation or tab to the exclusion of learning by ear. Or learn by ear to the exclusion of learning to read some kind of musical transcription. They are two skills that are both needed to be a complete musician.

I'm with you on that. As a beginner, tab is useful to me because it helps me check whether my fingers are in the right places when playing from printed music. Because I can read music, however, the notation gives me a much better idea of the piece. And neither of these methods of bringing music to paper should supersede what a friend of mine calls the "messing around" with music and the instrument - that's the creative element of playing mandolin or any other instrument.

[250sc]

Is the OP refering to tab as a generic term for written music, wether it's tab or standard notation?

[Doug Hoople]

I think the real problem with all these tools is that each one is its own Mt. Everest.

They're all a pretty big commitment to learn, so learners tend to see the early part of the curve where everything's hard, and not the later part of the curve in which everything is much easier.

Each skill is a big enough commitment that it can take years to achieve real fluency. Tab is the least of these, which is probably why tab gets adopted early.

Take standard notation, though. The basics can be mastered fairly quickly, especially if they're taught effectively, but fluency takes years, and real mastery is a lifetime skill that few achieve. In the early going, it all seems impossible, and it certainly doesn't feel musical. And everyone can point to some poor paper-trained musician who can't play a note without a piece of paper in front of them, which leads to those ridiculous myths that learning standard notation will make a poor musician out of you.

Faced with the whole task of learning standard notation, it can seem very intiimidating, and the benefits remote and slim.

And let's not even get started on theory, in which it quite often takes a year or two just to start making sense of it.

For a casual player, this can all seem like a massive amount of work just to be able to play tunes a bit better (or, in the beginning, much worse).

And, if you decide to be a complete musician, and dedicate yourself to a complete set of all the major skills (ear playing, standard notation, theory, tab, improvisation), if you don't have the dedicated time of a college music major with which to acquire these skills, the whole undertaking can seem completely overwhelming.

Over time, we do specialize and work within the limitations of our whole musical experience. You have the rote players who can only play what they know, the notation slaves, the tab slaves, the ear players who are stuck on the wrong chords, the improvisors who can't get through a set form once through, and the theory geeks who will talk your ear off but can't play a lick.

A lot of that reflects that we have a limited amount of time to acquire a seemingly infinite level of skills.

But, if you've achieved some level of fluency with any of these skills, there are moments when it's like magic, and that's when it really becomes worth all the effort. You can read a piece of music you've never heard before and find what you've played beautiful. You can snatch the right chord out of mid-air. You can jump into somebody's tune and have things to play that are just right. You can lay out lines that are meaningful and satisfying for a lead sheet that someone just put in front of you for the first time.

If you've ever experienced even a hint of those bits of magic, then these skills become totally compelling, and all you want to do is figure out how to get better at them.

[Rob Gerety]

How many feel as I do that learning to play an instrument by tabliture is going down the wrong path.

I totally 100% agree. There is a huge danger when you start down the tab road. It is addictive. Like a drug. I suppose if you are able to discipline yourself and spend most of your time learning and playing by ear then tab is just a very useful tool. But I can't seem to do that. Not too long ago I swore off tab and I think it was the best thing I have ever done for my musical life. I was addicted. No doubt about it. But I have to say that in my personal experience most self taught players in the intermediate category are just like I was. Totally addicted to tab and terribly limited as a result. I think sometime down the road I will be able to take a drink from the tab again - but right now I'm afraid to do it. I'm afraid I'll fall off the wagon and descend back to the depths of tab addiction. Someday maybe.

[Ravenwood]

In my experience there is only one occation where tab is indispensible. And that is when learning to play in alternate tunings. I have some old timey tune books that give tunes in alternate tunings with notation and tab, and for those I need the tab. The notation gives how the tune sounds, and not how it can be played.

I would disagree with it being indispensable. I play guitar in three different tunings, but have never used tab so I think it depends on the person. I can see where it would be useful though. It's probably a time saver in working out the new fingering pattern.

[Manfred Hacker]

I agree with 250sc.
The OP apparently wanted to know whether it was wrong to use written music instead of playing by ear.

Being able to play by ear is certainly desirable. My musical ear is not too bad.
- However, without the ability to read notation, I would not have been able to go through a host of tune books and pick out the tunes I liked. I would only have a fraction of my current repertoire.
- Not everyone has a jam or session around the corner where you are required to know and play fiddle tunes by heart and improvise to what others are playing.
My 2 cents on notation versus tablature: It's like the difference of analog and digital watches: If you look at a standard notation sheet you see at a glance what a piece of music is all about. This is impossible with tablature.

[JEStanek]

I think if your goals are to be able to play some tunes at home by yourself for your own satisfaction and don't aspire to or want to play with others and improvise or learn your neck or theory (and I'll make no value judgements against those who have either sets of these goals) then Tablature is fine. It will get a person who doesn't know that the 3rd fret on the A string is a C the fingerings to play a tune or song.

Some folks who play, play only to relax and unwind. There's no need to make anyone who learns this way feel bad about themselves or their goals. If a time comes where they begin to feel limited by Tab only, making the leap to those other learing tools will happen, with their associated growing pains of leaving old habits.

Jamie

[Rob Gerety]

However, without the ability to read notation, I would not have been able to go through a host of tune books and pick out the tunes I liked. I would only have a fraction of my current repertoire.[/B]

I just don't understand this. All you have to do is listen to music on your iPod or home stereo or computer, hear something you like and and learn it by ear. If you do this a lot it gets easier and easier. It now takes me about a half hour to get a fiddle tune under my fingers at a slow pace and I am no great player - I'm a real intermediate hacker struggling to find my way. I know people that do it after one time through (amazing but true). The best part is that most people find they remember the tunes they learn by ear much better than tunes they learn from the written page.

I agree Jamie for some folks tab is fine. But, if you want to be able to sit down with people and play tunes together then you MUST develop your ear and get to the point that you can play along with something you have never heard before. You need to hear the chord changes and have a pretty good idea what the chords are going to be.

[John Flynn]

As the old joke goes, "How do you get an old time musician to stop playing? Put sheet music in front of him. How do you get a classical musician to stop playing? Take the sheet music away."

When I visited the music musuem in Paris, I was interested to learn that tab actually pre-dates notation for plucked string instruments. I have read that lute tablature goes back to the 1300's. Lutenists were figuratively "dragged kicking and screaming" into using staff notation in the 1700's when they started to play in orchestras. They felt it "took the feel of the instrument out of reading music." Now the purists are arguing that reading tab "takes the feel of the music out of playing the instrument." Go figure.

[Manfred Hacker]

Well Rob, I am a real Hacker, too.

[Rob Gerety]

You got me!

[John McGann]

Whether you read notes,

tab,

or none of the above,

it's better to play than not play!

[JeffD]

I play guitar in three different tunings, but have never used tab so I think it depends on the person. I can see where it would be useful though. It's probably a time saver in working out the new fingering pattern.

Playing in alternate tunings drives me batty. I can do it. I have one mandolin that I use for cross tuning. But its crazy making. You store up years of experience to know what should happen when you fret this here, and then it doesn't. Ahhhh