Tab ?

Rawb

How accurate is licensed store bought tab? Not the internet stuff !

It just seems to me, that there is always an added note or two some place that drives me up a wall. Till I figure out it ain't me and or give up trying for absolute note fer note, then just start going by my ear! And adlibbing.

It ain't no big deal. Just wondering if others have noticed this, or if it is just me! Probably me!

That is, if any of you gifted players still use tab or remember when you did.

iliace

Many tab books are inaccurate. There are a few artists that review theirs to ensure accuracy, but even then they might miss a thing or two. I've never bought one.

Don't even get me started on Internet tabs. :evil:

shredd

I agree - internet tabs are lame-o. I'm right now trying to acquire a tab for a Toad song, and I've downloaded about ten that all suck. They can be a good guideline/starting point, but are usually pretty inaccurate. I doubt book tabs are tons better... :?

iliace

I must admit that I am excited about the new Greg Howe book coming out. His web site claims he reviewed every single note. I'm finally going to learn to play like him!!!! YAY!

BlackIbanezRG270DX

only tabs i trust now are guitar pro and thats only because i can press play to decide if it sounds right. granted you still might have to look for easier ways to play a note. i dont trust any tabs anymore. ive bought tab books and they either leave out whole sections of a song or make them overly difficult to play. best thing to do since youll be spending so much time on fixing tabs is to just get a free program called audacity that lets you slow songs without changing pitch or destroying sound quality. the program can also change pitch without speed. now you can keep one tuning to at least learn songs. id say give it a try, then theres only yourself to blame if you cant get a song down.

Rawb

\BlackIbanezRG270DX\ wrote:

or make them overly difficult to play. .

Ya! That's another one, I look at somethings and just shake my head.

But shred said it, atleast it is a starting place. Where as some things I don't have a clue where to start :oops: Hopefully I can get this guitar thing down before Aurthor Rightous gets to bad :shock:

Rawb

Ok so the store bought tab books also have the written music printed with the tab! If you can read music, is that accurate?

shredd

\Rawb\ wrote:

is that accurate?

Only as accurate as the person who transcribed it. And that ain't no shore thang. :?

Rawb

\shredd\ wrote:

\Rawb\ wrote:

is that accurate?

Only as accurate as the person who transcribed it. And that ain't no shore thang. :?

So your saying the sheet music ain't always righ either? The written music in tab books is that the original sheet music or is it just witten music of the tab that's presented?

AndreLenoig

On a 24 fret electric guitar, except for ten notes, all the rest of the notes repeat themeselves somewhere else on the neck. So when I'm trying to figure out a song I try to play where I think the guitarist is more likely playing on the neck. I may not always be right. I try in two places sometimes.

shredd

\Rawb\ wrote:

\shredd\ wrote:

Only as accurate as the person who transcribed it. And that ain't no shore thang. :?

So your saying the sheet music ain't always righ either? The written music in tab books is that the original sheet music or is it just witten music of the tab that's presented?

Not really. Even if the transcription is \"tonally\" correct, it may not reflect - or even sound like - the way the song was written or played. Like you said, any particular note can be played all over the neck, in different ways. Chords can be formed a dozen ways; and when playing rock/popular music, the \"classic\" form usually won't sound like what the guy actually played.
Often, when you get sheet music, it's been transcribed by someone with academically proper musical training, but might not know rock music from rock candy.
I recall buying the official book of sheet music for Boston songs, and when played like it was written, it sounded like Muzak. :shock:

BlackIbanezRG270DX

i dont know why you think that sheet music would be anymore correct than tabs when its comming from the same source. i wouldnt learn to read sheet just to see either

Rawb

\BlackIbanezRG270DX\ wrote:

i dont know why you think that sheet music would be anymore correct than tabs when its comming from the same source. i wouldnt learn to read sheet just to see either

I don't think nothing! That's why I'm asking! ... :shock:

shredd

Think? Is that anything like practicing scales? :oops:

iliace

Tabs can be inaccurate in two ways: just the notes, or position differences from how the original artist played it. Many of these are done by ear and then arranged (I was actually offered a job doing that one time).

The standard notation could only have wrong notes. That is, barring enharmonic equivalents - which plague the world of popular music, but most notation software takes the key into account when making this decision.

Rawb

\shredd\ wrote:

Think? Is that anything like practicing scales? :oops:

Is it? mmmmm So practicing scales enough will also give you the meaning of life? Very interesting! I wonder why I don't have the answer to that question either! :shock:

Tal Rules

I've seen this tab vs. standard notatation come up, time and time again..

A lot of Lute music is written mostly in tab, but they do give the tab a rhythmic sense..(Like 1/4, 1/8 note notation along with the tab..)..

Unlike most guitar tab I've seen that give no sense of rhythm. However if the song you are learning is familiar, rhythmic sense may not be necesary.

I have seen several players in my day, that you can set a sheet of standard notation, in front of and read it perfectly the 1st time.. Takes a special talent, but I can assure you it can be done..(I've seen it...)
Sight reading is one of those things you can teach yourself to do. I used to be pretty good at it, but I have let that skill deterioriate, during my layoff..

Tommy Tedesco, (One of the greatest sight readers to live,) said if you read something more than 3 times you are memorizing and NOT reading..
He suggested reading unfamiliar material every day, and to even read scores backwards...

I have never seen anybody sight read tab, 1st time through mistake free. Can't say it can't be done...I've just never seen it...

Although, I will admit, when I go to a jazz or blues show, I don't go to watch the guys read.. I go to watch them Play...

iliace

The way most software handles tabs now, there is an option to have the duration stems, dotted notation, slurs, etc. In fact, when I write tabs (using Finale) I always do this, in the event I need to print the tab without the standard above it. Most magazines now don't even publish standard notation, just tab with stems.

This, however, still doesn't help folks who don't know how to read durations in standard notation, so they have to go back and listen to the song anyway. Then, if there is a discrepancy between the tabs and what you hear, you'll be running into problems.

jimiV

I agree - internet tabs are lame-o. I'm right now trying to acquire a tab for a Toad song, and I've downloaded about ten that all suck. They can be a good guideline/starting point, but are usually pretty inaccurate. I doubt book tabs are tons better...

I hope this doesn't sound lame-o but what works for me everytime when a Tab or by ear doesn't do the job, I try to find a live video of the song and actually watch the technique being used. I dunno, it does seem to help me.

JV

Tal Rules

For the ultra bad A S S sight readers...

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/5795/faeriesaireanddeathwaltvd5.gif

shredd

\Tal Rules\ wrote:

For the ultra bad A S S sight readers...
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/5795/faeriesaireanddeathwaltvd5.gif

Holy CRAP. :shock: :shock: :shock:

\"Insert Peanuts\"??? :?

Rawb

\shredd\ wrote:

\Tal Rules\ wrote:

For the ultra bad A S S sight readers...
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/5795/faeriesaireanddeathwaltvd5.gif

Holy CRAP. :shock: :shock: :shock:

\"Insert Peanuts\"??? :?

Wow! I just want to play music I like correctly, not delve into rocket science! .... LoL

I can just barely read, uh notation that is! I have an old song book from way back when ( before they started printing tab ) problem is I don't have any music to listen too that's in the book. But I have been working out an Animals tune we gotta get outa this place thats in it. thought it would be easy! Even reading that gives me a sour note. Now I don't know if it is me not reading it right or if the song actually hits that F# I have nothing to compare it to but my memory. So I just play the F cause it sounds right to me. This is just one example of what I am asking/talking about. (Not the reason I started this thread )

So if them sight readers just read and play, then they have to trust the music their reading....... So why can't I?

Sorry Tal for bringing up, a used up topic. :oops:

Tal Rules

Check out Tommy Tedesco's book..
\"Confessions of a Guitar Player\"..

http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Tedesco-Confessions-Guitar-Player/dp/0931759714

This is a guy who could read fly crap on paper..
He also said the difference between a begining reader and an accomplished reader, is the begininng reader will try to play note for note, even if he's not technically capable of pulling off the lick.

An experienced reader, when he gets to those parts, kind of plays around them.. He claims most conductor, arranger types never notice...

And that's coming from the 1st call studio musician, in La and Hollywood for decades..
Ever hear the theme's from Bonanza, Green Acres, The Godfather, Deerhunter, and thousands more...

That's Mr. Tedesco, in the studio, where time is money, usually reading on one take...

(P.S.. He was just a fantastic guitarist as well..)..

BlackIbanezRG270DX

i always figured that reading sheet music would numb your playing skills, making the guitar more mechanical than soulfull. im with shredd, the guitar is a living thing and speaks through a person, i dont feel it should be a tool but rather an extention of what a player is feeling. i know people can play sheet music with feeling but i always thought that just because someone could play a song note for note with the same feel as the composer doesnt put them in the same class as the person who wrote it. if you can play tears in heaven perfectly does that make you as good as the guy who wrote it? maybe im just against it because i cant do it.

Tal Rules

Like I said earlier in the thread...
Performance wise, I don't ever remember going to see somebody read..LOL..