Learning Tabs
Hello,I have been trying to learn acoustic guitar for a good while now. I have almost give it up. Until I discovered I could actually play a tune ( Amazing Grace) and several other tunes with Tabs , now I am having fun with it. I have practiced the beginners lessons but after awhile you start to wonder if you will ever play even a simple tune,thus the discouragement factor sets in. My question. Is this a bad way to learn guitar?
# 1
I will quote my Dad here: "Don't get so into the theory that you burn yourself out". What he meant was, theory is nice, but music is supposed to be a joy, and you are supposed to be having some fun with it.
That said, what you learn here will help immensely. For myself, I try to find some balance between the lessons and theory, using what I've learned in practice, and learning new songs on my own.
I don't believe there is a Perfect Way. If there was, somebody would have copy-written it by now. :)
Make sure you are having fun, but also realize that to get really good takes some work. So far I find the lessons in a good order and a good pace to bring you from the bottom up, so to speak.
Regarding Tabs, whichever method is getting you some happiness is fine in my opinion. In my early days I learned to play almost entirely from those thick music books with the chord grids in them above the words.
Good luck!!
That said, what you learn here will help immensely. For myself, I try to find some balance between the lessons and theory, using what I've learned in practice, and learning new songs on my own.
I don't believe there is a Perfect Way. If there was, somebody would have copy-written it by now. :)
Make sure you are having fun, but also realize that to get really good takes some work. So far I find the lessons in a good order and a good pace to bring you from the bottom up, so to speak.
Regarding Tabs, whichever method is getting you some happiness is fine in my opinion. In my early days I learned to play almost entirely from those thick music books with the chord grids in them above the words.
Good luck!!
...so ever since then, I always hang on to the buckle.
# 2
I get a magazine called acoustic guitar and every month they ave about 4 or 5 songs all in tab. Its a nice way to attack a song. Right now I am learning a finger picking song and its tough since i was never a finger picker...the lessons here are helping me with that to take it at a nice slow pace.
In my opinion...if you like playing the guitar...whichever way you are able to learn and get from point A to B is good....
some read music and practice 5 hours a day
some learn by watching others
some learn by playing tab
some only learn by what they fiddle around with and experiment on their own
whatever works for you and fits your goals....whatever gets you to play!
Good luck
In my opinion...if you like playing the guitar...whichever way you are able to learn and get from point A to B is good....
some read music and practice 5 hours a day
some learn by watching others
some learn by playing tab
some only learn by what they fiddle around with and experiment on their own
whatever works for you and fits your goals....whatever gets you to play!
Good luck
# 3
Disclaimer: I am a music teacher by training, but haven't used that training in a while. I'm just now learning guitar.
My philosophy with regard to music has always been this: it's not the destination, but the journey. If you spend all your time doing scales and drills and such, but hate doing them, at the end of the day you're going to associate music with those bad feelings, and move on to something else. If you enjoy learning music from tab, go for it! The love of music and playing music is the most important thing.
That said, there are many important things you will learn from these lessons or a private teacher that you will not learn from tab. I spent about 6 months playing on a Seagull acoustic using chord diagrams and tabs until I found this site. I'm about halfway through Guitar Fundamentals 1, and I've learned more about technique (right and left hand, stuff like muting and parts of the guitar) in those 15-20 minutes of video than I did in 6 months of tab. Has it helped my playing? Absolutely! Are there nights where I don't even touch the website and just plunk around? Absolutely!
It all comes down to how you want to play and how you want to learn. There are concrete and important things you can learn by studying the lessons and improving your technique, but don't let it overwhelm the main reason you're playing - the enjoyment of music.
John
My philosophy with regard to music has always been this: it's not the destination, but the journey. If you spend all your time doing scales and drills and such, but hate doing them, at the end of the day you're going to associate music with those bad feelings, and move on to something else. If you enjoy learning music from tab, go for it! The love of music and playing music is the most important thing.
That said, there are many important things you will learn from these lessons or a private teacher that you will not learn from tab. I spent about 6 months playing on a Seagull acoustic using chord diagrams and tabs until I found this site. I'm about halfway through Guitar Fundamentals 1, and I've learned more about technique (right and left hand, stuff like muting and parts of the guitar) in those 15-20 minutes of video than I did in 6 months of tab. Has it helped my playing? Absolutely! Are there nights where I don't even touch the website and just plunk around? Absolutely!
It all comes down to how you want to play and how you want to learn. There are concrete and important things you can learn by studying the lessons and improving your technique, but don't let it overwhelm the main reason you're playing - the enjoyment of music.
John
# 4
I think that every guitarist should know how to learn a song from tab, if not be able to sight read a song from tab.
There seems to be a negative stigma associated with the use of tablature; some other musicians seem to think of it as an easy way out of learning music. For the guitar I believe it is essential. FYI: Tablature predates the 5 line staff version of musical notation; lute tab is dated back to the 13th century while 5 line staff is set at the 14th century. Not that one is better than the other and I think they both have their uses.
Be aware that there are drawbacks to using tab. Since you may be unaware of the notes or chords you are playing when you are using tab, you may be missing out on information that can be learned from that song.
I personally like using a combination of tab and standard notation. Check out Guitar Pro for examples of this.
There seems to be a negative stigma associated with the use of tablature; some other musicians seem to think of it as an easy way out of learning music. For the guitar I believe it is essential. FYI: Tablature predates the 5 line staff version of musical notation; lute tab is dated back to the 13th century while 5 line staff is set at the 14th century. Not that one is better than the other and I think they both have their uses.
Be aware that there are drawbacks to using tab. Since you may be unaware of the notes or chords you are playing when you are using tab, you may be missing out on information that can be learned from that song.
I personally like using a combination of tab and standard notation. Check out Guitar Pro for examples of this.
# 5
Tab is just one way to learn songs. It can be a very quick way, though the tab itself lacks rhythmic notation, so you have to use your ear to figure out the rhythm or refer to the standard notation if that is also available.
Eventually, you'll want to be able to learn songs by ear and from sheet music. But I agree that if using tab gets you started and keeps you interested in playing, it's fine for now.
Eventually, you'll want to be able to learn songs by ear and from sheet music. But I agree that if using tab gets you started and keeps you interested in playing, it's fine for now.
# 6