Learning Tabs
What is a good site for learning to read Tabs? I always play by the seat of my pants and I have a very good ear. I have a good memory and good time. I never read music but I'm interested in learning to read tabs and music.
Thanks
What is a good site for learning to read Tabs? I always play by the seat of my pants and I have a very good ear. I have a good memory and good time. I never read music but I'm interested in learning to read tabs and music.
Thanks
Why learn tab when you have
Why learn tab when you have a great ear? I think you'll be much better equipped as a musician if you focus on learning how to read and write music "properly".
I wish I had the discipline to learn reading.......
Tabs
On a few occasions when I'm rushed to play a new song, I'll check out a tab for the song if I can find it as a starting point. I typically only do that if its a song that a lot of people will know and which has a distinguishable bass line.
For example, I was emailed on a Tuesday that we'd be playing U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" the next day in "B." I did a quick search for a tab and found one in C# (which is how U2 plays it). Adam Clayton's lines are not difficult, but in a song like that the bass feel is prominent. I used the tab to get a sense of how Adam plays it then quickly moved on and played his groove in "B."
Sounded great. I have to admit though that I prefer creating my own lines, but tabs can be useful in the right context. I don't want to find myself relying on them as the sole source of putting lines together. Tabs may show you fingering, but IMO, they cannot not show you timing and feel.
That said, learning to read tabs is not hard. Many bass instruction books begin with a section on how to read tabs.
Pete
Tab isn't hard, but...
Tab isn't hard, but it also frequently isn't good. Or at least the five versions of whatever song that you find on the web won't necessarily be good. It can be a nice starting point, though.
Tab is supposed to be intuitive, so I don't know how many sites will "teach" you how to read it. Here's the gist in a nutshell.
1. Tablature is set up to represent the strings of your bass as if you were a right-handed player looking down at them. Consequently it might look upside down. But the strings are arranged on the page from highest to lowest (pitch-wise) -- typically G-D-A-E (top to bottom).
2. The numbers are the fret numbers at which you should fret the note on the string that the number appears to be on.
Okay, that's tab in a nutshell, and the simplest tabs on the net will just use those rules. Better tab will have marked measures, an implied sense of rhythm (from the spacing of the numbers within the measure), and symbols to represent techniques like slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs. These symbols can differ depending on who did the tab and may be explained at the top or bottom of the page.
Anytime you can look at standard musical notation along with tab, you're better off because of the depth of information that can be packed into it -- particularly dynamics and rhythms. But tab has the advantage of being instrument specific, and for a bassist can tell you what position to play in (which can affect tone).
Check out BassMasta for a good set of tabs, but always be skeptical of them. Many of the people who write tab know less about music and bass playing than you do. Trust your ear over the tab.
Yes, Definitely Use You Ears...
I agree wholeheartedly with Thor. Your ears are your most valuable resource for learning new songs. It is good to train your ear to hear the notes of song because ear training is so important to improvising and will take you a long way.
TAB is good for learning a song quickly, but I don't rely on tab that much. I do, however, use chord charts when I don't have time to work on TAB or standard notation for a piece.
So I say, exercise those ears!
Low B, or not low B? That is the question!
Bo
You don't love me, you just love my FINGERSTYLE!
Peavey T40; SX/Squier P-bass; Spector Legend 5
Roland Bass 30 Cube
rmmbfaq has some info
The rec.music.makers.bass FAQ has some info on how to read them.
bassplaying.com
Tablature
I agree with Thor. On the other hand, learning to read tab is surprisingly easy, all you have to do is do it for a while, and pretty soon it is just like reading text. Practice makes perfect. I would recommend buying published books with tablature from major publishers, however, rather than relying on the stuff you find on the internet. A lot of the internet stuff is horribly wrong.
However, I tend to avoid it, and prefer to just listen to recordings. To me, it is like this. If I am driving, and trying to get to a specific place, if I follow someone, I'll get there, but chances are I won't be able to find it on my own very easily the next time. If I find it myself the first time, however, I'll always know how to get there.
The way my mind works, reading tablature, or even charts, is like following someone. Listening to a recording, or just playing the tune on the fly along with a good guitar or keyboard player who already knows it is like finding it myself. When I get to the end of the tune while reading one of these, I still don't know it well enough to play it the next time. However, if I play it on the fly, I usually know it by the end of the first chorus.
Just my two cents. Not everyone's thought processes work the same way regarding music, and this is a good thing.
Kelly
There is no substitute for proper technique!
There is no substitute for proper technique!