Let us look again at the example we used in the previous section - the first four bars of "Après un rêve" by Gabriel Fauré:Ĭlearly our discussion of the MIDI-compatible portion of MusicXML left out many things represented in this music.
In this section we describe the main elements used to represent music notation that go far beyond what is represented in MIDI files. MusicXML represents this information, making it much more useful than MIDI for interchange between notation programs. Stems and beams are best, but I don't see how to do that in text tab.MIDI represents musical performance information, but leaves out a great deal of information about music notation. I'm just trying to show one way to indicate timing.Īnother is to write 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & below the tab, indicating the count for each note. I'm writing this without banjo in hand, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the tab. But it does help, by showing what happens on every count of an 8-note measure (assuming a 4/4 tab written as eighth notes). I think the easiest way to indicate timing in a text tab is to create measures using the vertical line character and to use an "X" to indicate either an eighth rest or the empty space following a quarter note. I haven't figured how to do that in a post, but I always include it in hand written tabs. I do agree with the need for timing in a tab. So this is what I'd consider an easy-to-read tab (apart from the missing 7 after 'spike at' ): I always write with 'stems and flags' to make timing visible. Which is making me dislike the 'through the lines tabs'īecause I'm also a 'hand writer' I always put my numbers on rather than through the lines.Īlso I think, tab is not complete without any right hand directions (t-i-m-h-p-sl- etc.) under the staff.Īnother thing that makes tab very confusing, as in both examples above, is lack of timing signs. It's when you write a 0 through a line it could be mistaken for an 8 and more numbers getting hard to read, If I want to put something in a post here, I find this: I don't have a tab writing programme, but when I write them by hand, I use the spaces. Your playing should be creative - your tab should be the readable standard. Some current writers Like Dan Levenson are following Pete's wonderful lead there. If it is written without rhythm - throw it out - or better yet don't buy it in the first place.īTW How To Play The 5 String Banjo is the only banjo book I've ever was able to use. And if it is written with rhythm it is really all the player needs. Fretted instruments have a complication, it that there is more than one location for all but the bottom (and very top) few notes in the range. Music notation is logical and (for other instruments) simple.
TABLEDIT HOW TO MORE SPACE BETWEEN STAFFS MANUALS
The 16th Century lute manuals I've looked over were similar.
TABLEDIT HOW TO MORE SPACE BETWEEN STAFFS MANUAL
Pete Seeger wrote what was probably the first manual for "folk" instrumental style: How To Play The 5 String Banjo, and he used tab that was pretty much an adaption of music notation in style with fret numbers for content. It is a sign of character - and I failed the character test every time I tried. I applaud anyone who can actually learn from them. Every author had at least one "unique" way of writing tab and most of them were pretty illegible. I remember new students coming to me with those accursed unreadable Oak Publications. One of the things I like best about computer tabs is that they make it so bad handwriting is no longer a factor. I kind of miss that distancing but I doubt anyone else does. Instead I dropped the 5th string notes down below the staff, which helps make it clearer when the 5th string is actually used. I never used the lowest space (between the 4th and 5th lines) in hand written tab. The first string was Above the Staff, 2nd string between the 1st and 2nd line, third string between the 2nd and 3rd line, fourth string between the 3rd and 4th lines. I used ordinary Staff Paper to write my tab. I think the use of the spaces might fade away as more people adopt computer printed tablature. The lines are more natural since they "represent" the actual strings.
When I switched to Tabledit I discovered immediately that it was completely readable with the numbers on the lines and that is what I now use. I've always found handwritten tab that uses the lines to be hard to read, and consequently have always used the spaces.