Originally Posted By: MarioD
Originally Posted By: Planobilly
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A Guitarist can play middle C on five of their six guitar strings. Therein lies the big problem with sight-reading sheet music. Which "middle C" do you play? It is why Tab was created.

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Billy


Only guitarist who can read music know about middle C being played on 5 strings. Good for you!

The problem I see with Tabs are that guitarists, mostly young guns, rely on them. They take a song they know then look for the Tabs for it, ignoring notation completely. At least back in our day when we tried to play what was on the record we were developing ear training!

Remember the old Mel Bay guitar books? They would put a small number next to the first note of a riff indicating the starting fret then you had to figure out the rest. You learned the easiest way to play in various positions while learning notation.

YMMV


Hi Mario,

Yes I remember the old Mel Bay guitar books.
Standard notation sheet music is great but it does not tell where on the neck to play. Tab is great but it does not tell you anything about the duration of a note or the rhythm pattern. Nashville notation is pretty cool if not criptic musical short hand. Only really useful for professionals who play together all the time.

Billy


“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”