In other words, there are two ways that you and I can learn new music.įirst, we can learn by ear. When it comes to the process of documenting, sharing, and learning music, we actually have two input processes that we can use. Also, since tabs could be written out by just about anyone on the computer, and then eventually shared on the internet in text files, tab’s popularity and use quickly spread. Tablature therefore got a lot of new guitar players up and running with songs that they could play, without having that much musical training or playing experience. Tablature gained a strong resurgence in the 1980’s and 1990’s as guitar-based rock music became popular, and new guitar players needed a quicker way to learn the music that they were hearing on the radio. In fact, it is very possible that tablature, or some form of it, was the first method used for notating guitar music. Tablature is not even a new phenomenon, since some forms of tablature date all the way back to the middle ages. Guitar tab, or tablature, is not a bad thing, or something that has hindered or weakened guitar players, as some people may believe. This makes guitar tablature (tab) useful for modern guitar players.

In this article, I’ll explain the pros and cons of tablature, and why tab has been a good thing for guitarists.Īre guitar tabs bad? Guitar tabs are highly useful for guitar players in certain situations, and have several advantages over standard notation. This is probably because tab has unfortunately developed a false reputation as a lazy workaround for learning standard musical notation. Guitarists often want to know if tablature, or tab, is a form of cheating, or if tab itself is a bad thing for guitar players.

Guitar tablatures