[tomasrojo]

Originally Posted by Malice

While I agree to an extent with the rest of your post, guitar tab doesn't tell you where to put your fingers, it tells you what notes to play, just like standard notation. See below for a screenshot from a post I made on a different thread:

Both of the notation types above are displaying a combination of D# and E notes and neither is saying you must use your index finger for this note or your ring finger for another.

I am of the opinion that guitar tab is a very useful tool that shouldn't be relied on to the detriment of others but at the same time should not be dismissed incorrectly.

D sharp and A, rather than E?

Your example indirectly highlight the problems with tab, though tab is useful, especially for beginners:

1. The tab contains no information about note duration. You have to read the standard notation to get that. If you have to start adding note duration notation to tab, you're halfway to standard notation anyway.

2. The tab may not be dictating which particular finger to use, but it is dictating which fret and which string to use; the beginner following the tab is also completely unaware of what note he or she is playing. It's better to give the pitch value and let the player decide where to play it, as standard notation does. At the same time, editorial suggestions of position are usually added with standard notation, and frequently suggestions for fingers to use on the fretting hand, and even occasionally suggestions for fingers to use on the plucking hand. If you don't like these suggestions, it's quite easy to write over them and modify them, since you don't have to move the note on the stave. Modifying tab can be messy, since you have to change the fret number and the string line it's on, and continue doing so on until the end of the sequence you wish to change.

The main disadvantage of standard notation for guitar music is obvious though: it takes a lot of practice to master it, since you have to learn where all the notes are. However, this is obviously a good thing if you're trying to master an instrument.

I do remember learning to read music on the guitar, and dreading the six-note chord in seventh position coming down the stave towards me!

[Malice]

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

D sharp and A, rather than E?

Yes, that's notation for a 5 string bass. In normal tuning the strings are G, D, A, E, B high to low. I suppose for clarity I could have used a more better screenshot but I was in work at the time and that was the easiest way of making my point about tab not describing finger position .

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

1. The tab contains no information about note duration. You have to read the standard notation to get that. If you have to start adding note duration notation to tab, you're halfway to standard notation anyway.

While I agree that strictly speaking that is a drawback, I've never found it to be that much of a problem. If I'm trying to learn to play a song then I will generally be listening to it at the same time as reading the tab so note durations and time signatures will come naturally.

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

2. The tab may not be dictating which particular finger to use, but it is dictating which fret and which string to use; the beginner following the tab is also completely unaware of what note he or she is playing.

I don't understand. How can they not know what note they are playing?

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

It's better to give the pitch value and let the player decide where to play it, as standard notation does.

But tab isn't fixed like it's been engraved on a stone tablet or something. It's perfectly possible to move things around if required. I'm sure we've all been in the situation of having to modify or extend a badly-written tab off the Internet.

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

Modifying tab can be messy, since you have to change the fret number and the string line it's on, and continue doing so on until the end of the sequence you wish to change.

It doesn't have to be that messey. Using Guitar Pro for example you can highlight sections and use Alt with Up or Down to shift up or down a string and Shift with + or - to move up and down a semi-tone. Of course if you're just using Notepad or something the write tab then it's definitely going to be a pain .

[Monsieur Folie]

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

Modifying tab can be messy, since you have to change the fret number and the string line it's on, and continue doing so on until the end of the sequence you wish to change.

Not really. At first it can be difficult, but if you've been playing for a while you become familiar with the fretboard and know exactly how many frets you need to move to get the same note on a different string!

Sheet music is much too daunting for a beginner, especially if they've no grounding in music theory. While I agree that it would be beneficial to be able to read sheet music and apply it to guitar, it's a lot of hassle for the beginner, who just wants to get playing! If they are interested further down the road, the option to learn more is always there.

I don't get why people condemn tabs. They are extremely useful and have the guitar a much more accessible instrument!

Most people can get the rhythm by ear, but struggle with the pitch of the note. Tabs provide the note, but not the rhythm. If you are the kind of person that likes to sight read music that you've never heard before, the chances are that you are also the kind of person who prefers sheet music and therefore there won't be a problem.

Learning with tabs is not going to doom the person to being a beginner forever. Those who are interested in learning more will learn more and those that aren't are perfectly entitled to continue jamming along to their favourite bands songs in their bedroom, and there's nothing wrong with that!

[tomasrojo]

Fair points. The inflexibility of tab I'm referring to is really for people downloading ASCII tabs, not Guitar Pro files or the like.

I don't understand. How can they not know what note they are playing?

Because the instruction: "fourth fret on the fifth string" contains no direct information about pitch value.

Similarly, a chord written in tab requires you to visualise the fretboard to name the chord. Any trained musician, on the other hand, can look at guitar music in standard notation and see what's going on instantly. And apart from the vertical, in the horizontal you can see the rise and fall of phrases in standard notation, which don't come across at all on tab.


I'm not condemning tab at all. Tab has a long and distinguished ancestry: lute music was written on a form of tablature. That doesn't mean that standard notation isn't better, despite its steeper learning curve. Though I don't think either of you are arguing that tab is better.

[Malice]

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

Because the instruction: "fourth fret on the fifth string" contains no direct information about pitch value.

I suppose that's true but I would hope that whatever tab I was reading would have tuning information on it so I'd know if 3rd fret bottom string on a six string guitar is meant to be G or F# or whatever.

Originally Posted by tomasrojo

I don't think either of you are arguing that tab is better.

I'm not anyway. I'm of the opinion that tab can be a useful guide to a song, certainly has it's drawbacks but isn't as bad as some people make out.

[tomasrojo]

Originally Posted by Malice

I'm of the opinion that tab can be a useful guide to a song, certainly has it's drawbacks but isn't as bad as some people make out.

Very well put.