| Many people will tell you it is ... so here's a few | | | | (b) Do you simply want to copy others? Yes or No |
| thoughts to help you "pin your ears on straight" | | | | (c) Do you only want to play music that has been |
| before you make your own mind up. | | | | played on the guitar? Yes or No |
| Hotel California Solo Amp Settings | | | | If you answered no to question number one and yes |
| Many people tout TAB as the newest approach to | | | | to questions two and three, then TAB is for you. |
| playing guitar. But contrary to popular belief TAB or | | | | There's no need to read any further and I wish you |
| finger notation has been around since the 1500's. | | | | all the best with your guitar playing. |
| Early examples can be found in Italian, French and | | | | But if you want to learn more about your options, |
| German lute tablatures. | | | | read on ... |
| The lute is a six stringed instrument and predecessor | | | | The guitar player who only reads TAB has to |
| to the guitar that became the favorite instrument of | | | | contend with the following issues : |
| Western Europe during the Renaissance period | | | | This player can only play songs that have been |
| TAB can also be found as a form of communication | | | | played on the guitar. |
| amongst various "fringe - dweller" stringed | | | | Remember, TAB is a way for guitarists to |
| instruments, such as the banjo and the pedal steel | | | | communicate ideas among themselves, so one of its |
| guitar. | | | | major drawbacks is that it only works with guitar. |
| So don't be fooled by TAB. It's not new and it's not | | | | In short, it's a closed world a sort of 'guitar only' club. |
| the answer to every guitarist's needs. | | | | Since other instruments (piano, saxophone, drums, |
| What is TAB ? | | | | etc.) do not use TAB, the "TAB only" guitarist is |
| TAB or Tablature is a method of writing down music | | | | limited to playing music that has been exclusively |
| played on guitar or bass. Instead of using symbols | | | | performed on the guitar. |
| like in standard musical notation, it uses ordinary | | | | Another issue to consider is that anything you write |
| numbers. | | | | in guitar TAB will not communicate anything to |
| What TAB will tell you ... | | | | non-guitarists. For example, a pianist will have no idea |
| TAB will tell you what notes to play - it will tell you | | | | what you have written since a piano doesn't have |
| which string to play and which fret to press the | | | | frets! |
| string down at. | | | | Best Hotel Finder Click here |
| TAB will sometimes give you an indication of the | | | | A third problem is that you don't know which TAB |
| rhythm of the piece i.e., it may tell you which notes | | | | version is the correct one? |
| are long notes and which notes are the short notes. | | | | Since there are many different ways of playing the |
| However it will not tell you exactly how long or how | | | | same musical idea on a guitar, how do you know |
| short they are. | | | | which TAB version is the correct one you are hearing |
| What TAB will not tell you ... | | | | on the recording ? |
| TAB generally will not tell you the duration of the | | | | Let's face it. If we typed in the song "Hotel |
| notes - so in most cases you will "have" to listen to | | | | California" into any TAB site we would be confronted |
| the song yourself, with the TAB in front of you to | | | | with at least 21 different versions of the same song. |
| work out the rhythm of the notes. | | | | Keep in mind that many of these TAB versions have |
| TAB will not tell you which finger you use to fret | | | | been submitted by players with very little musical |
| each note. | | | | experience. Suffice it to say that can be |
| Tab usually will not tell you anything about picking and | | | | disappointing. There's certainly room for improvement. |
| strumming - you will have to decide for yourself | | | | O.K you can see that the "Truth about TAB" is that, |
| where to use upstrokes / down strokes and so on. | | | | taken by itself TAB is neither good nor bad. |
| Should you rely on TAB? | | | | However, if it's the only way you receive information |
| To read or not to read...that is the question. | | | | about the guitar it can be extremely limiting. |
| Should you learn to read TAB or standard music | | | | I do recommend learning how to read standard music |
| notation? There's many a valid argument for and | | | | notation? Ultimately it does have many advantages |
| against reading TAB or standard notation. The | | | | to someone who plans to play the guitar well on a |
| answer rests entirely in the following questions and | | | | long-term basis. High speed reading and recall of |
| how you answer them: | | | | standard music notation is just one of the essential |
| (a) Do you want to know what you're doing? Yes or | | | | skills the advancing guitarists needs to acquire. |
| No | | | | |