Frustration - Bass Tabs that aren't quite right!

[paul_c2]

After tootling around reading music and playing some of the songs I used to in the past, I decided to learn a completely new song to me (Smooth Operator by Sade). So, with the wealth of info out there on the internet I thought the place to start will be Googling bass tabs for it. Some don't have any rhythm notation at all, some have a bizarre pseudo-simplified rhythm, and all are ever so slightly wrong, or missing main bits of the song.

This:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxtRgu3pg2k[/media]

is the best help I've found so far, even without music at least I can clearly see the fingerboard and make out what she's playing. On close inspection (and closely listening to the original song) there's a few wrong notes but I'll forgive her!!!!

Currently 1 minute into the 4 minute song, re-writing it out properly (in actual musical notation, like what the rest of the western world use) and learning it. Once learnt on the fretted bass, I'll practice it on the fretless.

[musophilr]

Most of the published tabs I looked at didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, and failed to tell me what I was trying to find out. Tab is crap anyway, just like painting by numbers. I can't read it like dots. When you work out what notes it's asking you to play you can usually find a far more efficient fingering anyway. If you could download proper dots (at eg 99p a throw) like you can download songs one at a time with iTunes it would be worth paying for so long as they were accurate.

[Truckstop]

I think someone could make a bit of money by providing a catalogue of accurate tabs, dots and notation scripts via some sort of app for iPad. Charge £0.79 a song and you're laughing!!

Get on it Bilbo!

Truckstop

[BigRedX]

Use your ears. If you can't hear what the bassline is doing then make something up that fits. If you can't tell no one else will be able to either.

Edited February 27, 2012 by BigRedX

[mep]

Most tabs are rubbish, and I have looked at quite a few. Some suprise me though, but they are rare. I generally have a quick look for a tab when our band is going to do a new song to get the gist, but end up making my own notes or editing the copy I paste into word so I don't forget the notes at first.

YouTube can be quite useful if no decent tab is out there and you can find someone playing a decent version.

I must admit a cheap download of proper 100% accurate notation would be intersting. I have a load of song notations from various guitar and bass magazines that are worth buying the magazine for.

[lowdown]

Lovely looking girl like that - and you are all banging on about Bass Tabs....
Shame on the lot of you.



Garry

[Len_derby]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330380642' post='1556664']
Use your ears. If you can't hear what the bassline is doing then make something up that fits. If you can't tell no one else will be able to either.
[/quote]

I agree with both of these. Training your ears to recognise intervals (eg. one semi-tone up then one full tone down etc.) will pay dividends in being able to learn parts by ear. Almost anyone can do it, it's just practise. Then you won't need tabs.

I sometimes wonder if crappy tabs are posted on the 'net in a lame attempt to avoid copywright infringements.

[jacko]

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1330381994' post='1556701']
I sometimes wonder if crappy tabs are posted on the 'net in a lame attempt to avoid copywright infringements.
[/quote]

More likely the poster hasn't listened to the song properly (as per bigredx's post earlier).

[EssentialTension]

While I share the dubiousness about tabs and how inaccurate they are, I've come across proper notation that was incorrect as well.

[Marvin]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1330384158' post='1556753']
While I share the dubiousness about tabs and how inaccurate they are, I've come across proper notation that was incorrect as well.
[/quote]

So have I, from some rather well known music publishers.

[uncle psychosis]

90% of internet tabs are inaccurate. I use them as a starting point and then use my ears to get it right. Some slow down software (I use audacity) also helps.

[Judo Chop]

The lack of tabs for certain bands was more annoying to me when I first started playing, you'd swear there's only two Stone Roses songs if you went off the number of bass tabs available. If the accuracy bugs you, you could always have a go yourself, it gets really easy to figure them out by ear after a while if you stick at it.

[mckendrick]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1330384158' post='1556753']
While I share the dubiousness about tabs and how inaccurate they are, I've come across proper notation that was incorrect as well.
[/quote]
I've come accross loads and loads.

[GT40Graham]

When I first started playing, there was only sheet music available and that was only for piano with a guitar chord box if you were lucky. You were also lucky if it was in the same key as the record (a record is a pre-cd thing) and if it bore any relationship to the song that you were trying to learn you were mega lucky.

Tabs can be helpful but I have yet to see a really accurate one. I love to see Thin Lizzy tabs that are tabbed in Ab (G#), how stupid can you get?

I knackered many a record by lifting the needle on and off, trying to listen to that elusive part. Thank heaven for cd's and mp3's.

[leezo666]

I always thought tab was more of a simplified guidline rather than it giving you all the bells and whistles like time signitures, rhythm patterns, keys etc.

[chaypup]

[quote name='mckendrick' timestamp='1330397230' post='1556876']
I've come accross loads and loads.
[/quote]

You like notation that much eh?

[ahpook]

i always take transcriptions with a pinch of salt.

if i can i'd rather work it out by ear, as i'm sure that makes you a better bass player...or something

[Geek99]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1330381837' post='1556697']
Lovely looking girl like that - and you are all banging on about Bass Tabs....
Shame on the lot of you.
[/quote]
Absolutely. Focus, people, focus

[chris_b]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330380642' post='1556664']
....Use your ears. If you can't hear what the bassline is doing then make something up that fits. If you can't tell no one else will be able to either....
[/quote]

A big +1

[Mr Lizard]

I like girls that play bass

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1330380671' post='1556666']
Most tabs are rubbish, and I have looked at quite a few. Some suprise me though, but they are rare. I generally have a quick look for a tab when our band is going to do a new song to get the gist, but end up making my own notes or editing the copy I paste into word so I don't forget the notes at first.

YouTube can be quite useful if no decent tab is out there and you can find someone playing a decent version.

I must admit a cheap download of proper 100% accurate notation would be intersting. I have a load of song notations from various guitar and bass magazines that are worth buying the magazine for.
[/quote]

+1 for this - id even go as far as saying that some tabs are actually worse than useless

and while we on the subject a wee youtube bump for marloweDK ! way better than any tabs

[Marvin]

There could be a bitter irony to all this. We may find out that in fact that a lot of these useless tabs have been written out by people who have read threads on the internet like this and thought:

"Right! Those bods on the internet said use me ears. I will, and then write out the tab so people have the correct version".

A cruel twist.

[mckendrick]

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1330419538' post='1556968']
You like notation that much eh?
[/quote]
Where needs must.

But, er..., no, not really.

To be honest if I'm playing a cover, I do it by ear, and if I'm not playing the original note for note but still getting an accurate feel for the tune then I'm happy.

[philparker]

I've recently learnt this piece and downloaded the sheet music/tab (legitimately) from musicroom.com for 99p. It was reasonably accurate, but for some pieces I don't think you need note-for-note transcriptions as you're only replicating what the original bass player thought up at the time and I'm sure that he/she will also change and vary the lines as the mood takes them.

Once you get the key and the general idea you can do the intricacies by ear or add you own variance to suit the line-up you're accompanying. I recently transcribed another piece by ear, fairly accurately, but I was accompanying only two acoustic guitars and the original line didn't suit this set-up, so I changed it to my liking for the better.

It does annoy me, however, how some people can be so inaccurate as to even get the chord structure wrong and I have to transcribe that first to give me a better idea of my next direction.

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330380642' post='1556664']
Use your ears. If you can't hear what the bassline is doing then make something up that fits. If you can't tell no one else will be able to either.
[/quote]

This. I think some people rely too much on being able to read the music. Sure, being able to read music is great but I think it is equally important to be able to learn by ear and memorise a song so that you don't need a sheet of paper in front of you to play it.

Edited February 28, 2012 by EdwardHimself