Use of Tablature

[James Sission]

Richard, I am obviously not a pro steel player, but I can play 6-string fairly well. I NEVER used tab to play 6-string. I learned not only scales and modes and chords, but I also learned how to phrase them and make them sound the way I wanted them to. My answer to your question as a 6-string instructor would be, you haven’t spent enough time with the instrument yet to learn what is about to happen BEFORE you do it. When you have enough time with it, you should have a really good idea what the guitar is going to say before you make it say it. Take Russ Rickmann as an example. He can listen to a song, and then tell me what the steel player did before he does the same lick himself. The reason for that is, he knows the instrument well and knows what it is going to do before he executes the move on it. I do understand that becoming that familiar with a steel takes a lot of time, but I also knew that going into it. I really think tab is a basic learning tool, an advanced player, which I am not, really should not need tab to play a melody line. I went to one of Russ’s gigs one night and he was gracious enough to allow me to pull a chair up next to him on the stage. Much to my amazement, he playing the steel and was talking to me about what was about to happen before he even did it. I even recall that on one song, he leaned over to me and said, “Ok, now here is that major scale you learned first,” and then a repeated what the singer had just said with his steel, like he was answering the singer. He knew before he played the line what it was going to sound like. At first I thought maybe he just knew the song, but I later found out he only played with that band that night as a favor for a friend. Knowing the guitar that darn well is something to strive for, as far I am concerned. That is just my opinion of course, but it worked well for me on my approach to six string......James<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by James Sission on 15 February 2006 at 06:58 PM.]</p></FONT>

[Richard Gonzales]

Thanks Dan Beller and James- Yes, playing in a band hearing the singer does allow you to hear and learn some of the melody. I also believe if everyone in the band stopped playing and wanted you to finish the melody,that it would be a problem without improvising. This is providing you never heard the song before.
When learning alone in your music room I do not believe you can learn a song without TAB unless you learn from a CD which I feel is the longer road .
There is some excellent written Tab that has the notes above the TAB with timing notations, chords and etc. You are also correct there is TAB that is only helpful if you know the song. Thanks Guys!