tablature

Marvin Stegall · Post by **Marvin Stegall** » 5 May 2006 8:10 pm

how many out there learn anything from tab?or all of us just trace what somebody else has tabed out. do we look at what they did or do we just want to learn what someone else has done, and there for we have not learned anthing at all.???

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 6 May 2006 6:15 am

YES and NO!!

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 6 May 2006 6:23 am

Maybe.

What?

What do you want to buy? I missed it.[This message was edited by Dave Zirbel on 06 May 2006 at 07:26 AM.]

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 6 May 2006 7:39 am

Dave, see the other "Marvin" threads and you'll understand.

Well, actually, you won't. Neither does anyone else....

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 6 May 2006 7:52 am

Tabs? Is he talking about Window Pane?

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 6 May 2006 7:59 am

That, Dave, would explain a whole lot (although my expert diagnosis would be orange barrel sunshine.)

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 6 May 2006 8:04 am

Maybe he was the guy at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969 that got ahold of the "brown acid" that was circulating.

James Sission · Post by **James Sission** » 6 May 2006 8:07 am

Marvin, I think a lot of people become overly reliant on tablature at times. I think that is especially true in the beginning stages of steel playing when the new player really wants to play something that sounds musical. That said, I found myself doing that and I got some help from Reece Anderson. He has a course called "Smart Tab." It basically takes a song completely apart and teaches you step by step how and WHY it was played like it was. It is a great learning tool, but you have to apply a lot of time and be willing to do some serious studies. If you have the time and are willing to study, this course is worth every penny of the cost.....James

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 6 May 2006 8:16 am

Orange barrel sunshine....man, I had almost forgot ...the colours, the trails, the...
what were we talking about?

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 6 May 2006 9:26 am

Well done, James - I admire your ability to keep your head while all around you are losing theirs.....

I nominate Marvin for the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame!!!!

RR

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 6 May 2006 10:12 am

To answer your question Marvin, yes.
I sometimes turn to tab if I am haveing too much trouble figureing something out for my self. But I prefer to try and find it on my own. Sometimes I think it helps me when I can see it all laid out on the page and can kind of see how it all relates. That haveing been said, I do think a lot of folks rely too much on tab when starting out
instead of finding the notes themselves. Can kind of become a crutch if folks are not careful.

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73 PROII,8&4, Steelking, Hilton pedal, USA Tele, Fender Twin,Peterson tuner,Tut Taylor Reso's and Twang to the Bone!!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 6 May 2006 11:11 am

Not every player is at the same level. Not every player is able to just sit down and play what they hear on record.

this is not true only for Steel Guitar but every Instrument.

Tab allows players of many types and many abilities to be able to sit and play..with the plan that they will learn positions along the way..

If Tab is not for you..then by all means, don't purchase any...don't read any, don't copy any...

But please don't rain on someone elses parade...

The world is made of many colors..it's not just black and white...

t

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

Bill Mayville · Post by **Bill Mayville** » 7 May 2006 7:45 am

Marvin
Being the only guy on this forum that
posts silly conversation, I think I have an answer to all of your topics.
Please put on the forum an Mp3 of your playing.
As frustrating as you sound ,maybe some of us can help you. Lessons or whatever you need.We are here to help.Please keep posting,also.
Bill

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 7 May 2006 8:38 am

I guess the institution is supplying them with computers these days

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 7 May 2006 8:50 am

Marvin, I started out usin tablature to learn how something was played and where it lays out on the fret board and it was fun to be able to play something that sounded like off a record but to rely soley on tab would be very limiting I think. I can figure out new stuff now a lot easier and it's fun to try and find new sounds and licks now that I have a better road map to follow.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 7 May 2006 10:02 am

Like they said in Lemmings :
Watch our for the Brown Strycnine,
it has acid in it.

Yes TAB is useful to get your bearings and learn some ideas,
but is not the end all be all of playing steel.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 7 May 2006 10:06 am

Tablature gives in my opinion the wrong message to the student.
It is grafical across the strings but along the strings distance shows (bad) timing instead of bar movement. Bar movement is replaced by numbers. Every key looks differente and fret numbering is always relating to the nut... which in most case in unrelated to the key. Therefor repeating movements of music and steel playing playing and chosen "idiom" (comonly "licks" and phrases) do not become immediately obvious to the learning player.
Tab may have had it's value and justification in the times of snail mail communication between steeler but today, in the days of Internet, cheaper video and DVD Tab is out, in opinion.
An other fact to consider maybe is that the greats of our instrument did not learn tru tab.
So, what are the alternatives?
Well, for one "listen", just like the old heroes did, and explore.
If you can't get one-on-one help, buy video or DVD material instead and get comprehensive courses (reading material about music in general too) like Maurice Anderson's "The Missing Link" (other instructors will have similar teachings too, I am sure, but Maurice's is the one I know).
Tab is Ok in my opinion if you can play and can then understand the message just by looking at it.

... J-D.

Post by **Joey Ace** » 7 May 2006 12:00 pm

Any method is bad if you depend too much on it.

This is true of Tab, Standard Notation, Ear, and whatever other method I can't think of now.

These methods are all good when used properly. I wouldn't want to be without any of them.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 7 May 2006 12:22 pm

I respectfully disagree - I don't think you can go far wrong if you figure everything out by using your ears. You'll learn far more in the process.

RR

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 7 May 2006 2:02 pm

You can learn how to drive across town without a road map, but you may find a better route with a road map...

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 7 May 2006 2:10 pm

Do I want to learn what someone else has already done? You bet. Would I want to memorize it note for note, probably not, at this stage. Tab can be a great tool if the player tries not to so much copy the notes but copy the ideas. If the learner can make the connection, I think tab helps to show helpful positions or pockets which gives rise to new, orginal licks or phrases. But, as someone else mentioned, tab is just one of many methods available to the learner.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Ken

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 7 May 2006 4:22 pm

Personally ... I wish everything was written usin' the "Number System".

1, 2, 3b, 3, 4, 5b, 5, 5#, 6, 7b, 7, .. for melody and harmony ...

I, I7, II7, ii7, III7, iii7, IV, V7, VI7, vi7, VIIo (etc) ... for chords.

Save me alot of time ...

If I get tab ... and want to know whats actually goin' on ... I convert it to the NS.

If I get music in standard notation ... I convert it to the NS.

If I try (pathetic attempts usually) record copyin' ... I determine the key first ... then try to figure it out using the NS.

Once I have figured it out & understand it ... I don't look at anything written again.

Once you got it... it's yours ...

Just my opinion ...

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Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 07 May 2006 at 05:25 PM.]

Chas Friedman · Post by **Chas Friedman** » 7 May 2006 4:43 pm

I like to figure out my own version of a tune - I remember it much better that way. But often I hear a really nice lick or phrase or just a few notes I like that someone else has played. I can usually figure out how to play that by hunting for the notes, but it can take a long time, and I'm never sure I have the most efficient and/or melodic way. Tab is extremely helpful in such cases. For an instrument like the piano where there is only one place to play each note, tab makes no sense - standard musical notation already exists and works well. But for guitars (and
especially PSG) there are so many ways to play each note that standard notation can be almost useless; tab shows exactly where to play each note. One thing that has been mentioned already - most tab does a poor job of indicating timing. Some tab (such as some of BE's) has beat markings which is really nice; I wish all tab writers did this.

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 7 May 2006 5:15 pm

I LIKE TO USE TAB FOR A "ROAD MAP" TO BECOME FAMILUAR WITH THE ROOT MELODY. AFTER THAT, ITS SIMPLY , SIT BACK AND ENJOY YOUR TRIP THRU THE SONG, EVEN TAKE A BYPASS ONCE IN A WHILE TO KEEP IT INTERSTING....HELPS TO DEVELOPE STYLE, KEEP DOWN FRUSTERATION, ANGER, ULCERS, AND ECT:
MAKES YOU FEEL GREAT... CHEAPER THAN MIND ALTERING STUFF AND DR. BILLS.......
JENNINGS U PK;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 7 May 2006 6:42 pm

Was that supposed to be a 'pearl of wisdom', Tony?

There's no comparison. Ear training is the key.

RR