surfer
Joined: Apr 12, 2007
Posts: 428
South Florida
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Posted on Apr 11 2008 07:57 AM
Last night in frustration, I downloaded a tab. I'm usually really good by ear, but just couldn't get a chord pattern that I was trying to learn. My bass player and I just looked at the tab like it was math class, not music, and it struck me just how unemotional tab is, and how real music emotes feeling, as well as the technical part.
Question: Who reads music, who can only read tab, who thinks its all a PITA and plays just by ear.
I vote for the ears only, with the excuse that I am putting my own spin on someone else's masterpiece, so what if its not note for note, I'm expressing my feeling not copying numbers. By the way I went to music school, and can site read, but never do.
— www.cutbacksurfband.com
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Joelman
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1482
Redlands, CA
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Posted on Apr 11 2008 11:21 AM
surfer
Well I use it all. I read <u>and</u> understand sheet music. I use my ears to translate sounds from played music, and I sometimes even use tabs. Stringed insturment music originaly was written in tab anyway.
This has been discussed here several times, and I think they will be many answers. Some will agree with you, and some will be just like mine.
Music written in any form is just a method to communicate with others. A text if you will.
Dont be frustrated, be open minded. Its all just an expression of our feelings anyways.
Heck just look at how many ways the song Mr. moto is played.
Joel
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Ruhar
Joined: Jun 21, 2007
Posts: 3909
San Diego, CA
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Posted on Apr 11 2008 12:08 PM
I vote for the PITA option. 
Most of the time that I look at a tab, it is not correct anyway. I'd rather toil for a bit by ear until I get it because it keeps that skill sharp, which IMHO is a very important skill. Also, when I learn a cover, I'm not overly obsessed in getting it 100% exactly like the original version anyway. I like to put my own spin on it. Just my $.02
— Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
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planish
Joined: Jan 09, 2008
Posts: 473
Sackville, New Brunswick
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Posted on Apr 14 2008 09:20 PM
I can decode sheet music one bar at a time, by counting the lines, recalling "All Cows Eat Grass" and "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge", figure out the timing from the little flags, and so on. I certainly cannot "hear" it in my head as I read it, the way some folks can.
I'll listen to an mp3, try figuring it out by ear, and think "ah - a piece of cake". Then I'll play it it Audacity, at half speed, in very short sections of just a couple of notes at a time, looped to repeat forever -- and I'll find that I got it totally wrong the first time.
Still, it comes out much more convincing in the end. It also rarely comes out like many of the free tabs that are readily available. I'll go with what _I_ heard. You get what you pay for, I guess.
— I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing.
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Spud
Joined: Jul 23, 2007
Posts: 666
Oz
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Posted on Apr 16 2008 07:50 AM
I'm with Joel on this one, use any and all means to achieve your goal.
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Apr 16 2008 10:55 AM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 17:10:51
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2681
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Apr 16 2008 11:28 AM
I'm with Zak, use your ears and eyes when possible. I've learned a bunch by watching Wronski closely. I find it only takes minutes to learn most surf music . If I listen a few times I can usually have a song learned before I pick up the guitar. I can read music slowly but only for classical pieces and I gave up on that. Tabs I never learned so I fear them. I've played with people who can only read music and are incapable of improvising and that is no fun at all.
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surfer
Joined: Apr 12, 2007
Posts: 428
South Florida
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Posted on Apr 16 2008 12:45 PM
Zak, Stormtiger...exactly, usually when I'm about to learn a new song, if I listen to it enough, I can visualize the pattern first. I tried to cop out and download a tab, but got bored trying to count. It came much quicker by just listening.
— www.cutbacksurfband.com
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