ras52 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Not the usual tab vs dots question... but I noticed in another thread that people keep referring to TAB - in capitals - and I'm wondering, why? It's short for tablature, so why not just call it "tab", or if one's being finickity, "tab."? Or is it a secret three-letter-abbreviation that I'm not aware of? #puzzled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [IMG]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/vinnybassist/tab_zpsyfzhrckt.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 It should clearly be "TAB" in uppercase out of exclamation that folk actually use such a system when normal musical notation is available and far more descriptive through its design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 So we have two more variants: [quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1467884707' post='3086938'] [/quote] "TaB"? [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1467885175' post='3086944'] It should clearly be "TAB" in uppercase out of exclamation that folk actually use such a system when normal musical notation is available and far more descriptive through its design. [/quote] TAB!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [url=https://postimg.org/image/n0tor2ulf/][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I suppose because I grew up in the pre-tab/Tab/TAB world, I have never seen the point in it. A lot harder to learn and apply than standard notation for me. I have to stop and think about which string I am supposed to be hitting and THEN which fret. Almost think writing out the letters for each note would be easier to follow quickly. Can you guys seriously sight read tab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1467886032' post='3086954'] I suppose because I grew up in the pre-tab/Tab/TAB world, I have never seen the point in it. A lot harder to learn and apply than standard notation for me. I have to stop and think about which string I am supposed to be hitting and THEN which fret. Almost think writing out the letters for each note would be easier to follow quickly. Can you guys seriously sight read tab? [/quote] Same here. It was dots and ears for me. What I have seen of TAB, lacks in info, regarding a performance of Rhythms and articulations. Maybe it's there and I just don't understand the way it works. But hey ho, if it works for some and helps towards the goal, good luck with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1467884707' post='3086938'] [/quote] Blast from the past!! Was this the drink that you pushed through the "tab" at the top rather than have a ring pull? Also, anyone remember the Hubba Bubba cans of pop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1467886032' post='3086954'] I suppose because I grew up in the pre-tab/Tab/TAB world, I have never seen the point in it. A lot harder to learn and apply than standard notation for me. I have to stop and think about which string I am supposed to be hitting and THEN which fret. Almost think writing out the letters for each note would be easier to follow quickly. Can you guys seriously sight read tab? [/quote] I've never seen the point either. It's like reinventing the wheel. There's already a tried and tested method of notation that has developed over the few hundred years or so. It enables people playing a huge variety of instruments to play a lot of ridiculously complicated music. So why faf with something that doesn't impart enough information for a performance, and you have to use in conjunction with a recording of the piece. Like I explained in another thread earlier though, I came to bass in a kind of backwards way. I've always thought it was TAB though, but no idea why really. Edited July 7, 2016 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1467882842' post='3086901'] Not the usual tab vs dots question... [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 ive never had the chance to learn musical notation. so standard sheet music is useless for me, where as tab (or TAB it really doesnt matter) i can sight read fairly easily though havent needed to do it for ages as i play mostly by ear but in just a lowly covers player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1467886032' post='3086954'] [b]Almost think writing out the letters for each note would be easier to follow quickly[/b]. Can you guys seriously sight read tab? [/quote] It's not, I've been there. I can almost sight read tab (but don't need to), certainly much more easily than I can trad notation and I'm old enough to have been around before the advent of tab. It was a godsend to me, as was GuitarPro later and more recently youtube demos and lessons. Each to their own. I'm not playing in bands that require sight reading, in fact it would be rather frowned upon in a live situation so I have to commit it to memory anyway so it's just a matter of finding a system that gets it in there quickest and most reliably [i]for me.[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1467890179' post='3087031'] I'm old enough to have been around before the advent of tab. [/quote] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablature: [quote][color=#252525][font=sans-serif]The first known occurrence in Europe is around 1300[/font][/color][/quote] Blimey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) I was taught that it's Tiny (E&B ) Average (G&D) Big (A&E) when i was first shown it in school. Would explain why some people see it as an acronym rather than shortened verson of Tablature. *edited for failure to remember basic English. Edited July 7, 2016 by LiamPodmore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1467890511' post='3087035'] I was taught that it's Tiny (E&B ) Average (G&D) Big (A&E) when i was first shown it in school. Would explain why some people see it as an abbreviation rather than shortened verson of Tablature. [/quote] That sounds like a backronym! (And although tab can provoke religious wars, I hope none of them end in A&E ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1467890179' post='3087031'] I'm not playing in bands that require sight reading, in fact it would be rather frowned upon in a live situation, [/quote] Depends on the gig I guess. Both of my last weekend's gigs involved sight-reading with charts on a stand. Every member of the band was reading, even the drummer, though for her it was just for the structure. Each to his own anyway. I don't see any point in discussing it. My favourite gig at the moment is actually totally improvised, and pretty much untranscribable using tab or standard notation. Edited July 7, 2016 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Yeah, I was going to add 'in the context of what we are generally discussing here' but I thought it too early in the day for the die hard pedants to be out and about to bother... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 How can you sight read tab? All you are doing is playing along to a backing track quickly be it recorded music or a live band, If the whole band had never heard the song before and they all had tab they wouldn't have a clue where to begin! Sight reading to me would mean giving a piece of music to two people who have never heard the piece before and both giving a very similar rendition from it, it's a useful tool but useless without the track playing in your head or along with another player that either knows the song or is actually sight reading from notation. Anyway surely it should be tab' then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) [quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1467886032' post='3086954'] I suppose because I grew up in the pre-tab/Tab/TAB world, I have never seen the point in it. A lot harder to learn and apply than standard notation for me. I have to stop and think about which string I am supposed to be hitting and THEN which fret. Almost think writing out the letters for each note would be easier to follow quickly. Can you guys seriously sight read tab? [/quote] Sight reading tab is easy! I don't understand your argument at all, it's as if you're arguing for the wong side. The whole point of tab is that you don't have to think about which string and fret to go for. Musical notation is a lot harder to learn and apply as you have to go through several extra layers of thinking: Tab: - 8th fret on the A string, BAM! - I don't even care what note that was, I've already played it. Next! Music notation: - Ok I've worked out that dot means an F - Where are all the Fs? - Which one is nearest to my hand and will work best considering what notes come before and after? - Eeny meeny miny mo Granted tab is useless for conveying rhythm. But it's also very difficult to get right via traditional notation so I just listen to a recording and get it instantly without having to decode marks on a page. Of course in some musical situations, such as a bunch of musicians all needing to play a piece they've never heard, if they have the reading skills, notation is king. But if you're trying to learn Sex On Fire to play down the Dog and Duck, the vast majority find it much simpler to just listen to the track and look at the tab. No need for musical snobbery. Edited July 7, 2016 by dannybuoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1467892266' post='3087060'] Sight reading tab is easy! I don't understand your argument at all, it's as if you're arguing for the wong side. The whole point of tab is that you don't have to think about which string and fret to go for. Musical notation is a lot harder to learn and apply as you have to go through several extra layers of thinking: Tab: - 8th fret on the A string, BAM! - I don't even care what note that was, I've already played it. Next! Music notation: - Ok I've worked out that dot means an F - Where are all the Fs? - Which one is nearest to my hand and will work best considering what notes come before and after? - Eeny meeny miny mo Granted tab is useless for conveying rhythm. But it's also very difficult to get right via traditional notation so I just listen to a recording and get it instantly without having to decode marks on a page. [/quote] Knowing what position to start playing something at comes with experience. It's also why I like playing a 6 string, I can play everything from a fretted low E up to a high A (10th fret C string), in one position. The first thing to do when playing a part of a chart, is to quickly scan through it anyway, so if you're playing a normal 4 string bass, you'd generally have a good idea where to start. You look out for the lowest note that you have to play, and the highest etc. Rhythm is annotated perfectly with standard notation, even very complicated and syncopated rhythm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I like using guitarpro or similar, take the rhythm from the score and the positional information from the tab. I can sight read quite complex pieces like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 when I used to write out tab I'd mark the beats and place the numbers in the relevant positions to indicate the proper rhythm. That's how my teacher used to do it too I've often seen it written TAB but it's short for tabliture isn't it? Not an acronym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydog Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1467892266' post='3087060'] Tab: - 8th fret on the A string, BAM! - I don't even care what note that was, I've already played it. Next! Music notation: - Ok I've worked out that dot means an F - Where are all the Fs? - Which one is nearest to my hand and will work best considering what notes come before and after? - Eeny meeny miny mo[/quote] Addressing the OP, it should strictly be "tab." or "Tab." being an abreviation ! I think it's a slippery slope if one doesn't care about the sense of what one is playing, in terms of key and scale location. Then the memory becomes mechanical or visual, and if one slips up somewhere along the line it can be tough to recover. Also tougher to improvise or vary. I don't mean it's better to think "F" either in dots or in tab, but better to think in terms of key and scale position, or not think at all. Strictly ! Just my 2p worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Guitarists use tab, bass players use notation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r16ktx Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1467892266' post='3087060'] Of course in some musical situations, such as a bunch of musicians all needing to play a piece they've never heard, if they have the reading skills, notation is king. But if you're trying to learn Sex On Fire to play down the Dog and Duck, the vast majority find it much simpler to just listen to the track and look at the tab. No need for musical snobbery. [/quote] +1 Tab is a supplement to recorded music used in order to skip transcription for those without the skill or time, or inclination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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