Learning to play acoustic guitar is a great adventure which is sometimes spoilt a bit by the chore of having to learn to read music. But for most acoustic guitar players, learning all the symbols and theory connected with musical notation is not really necessary.
Tablature for acoustic guitar has certain points giving it an edge over standard musical notation. Despite the fact that tempo and time signatures are not included, sometimes it’s easier for the guitarist to pick up music from tablature. The ease with which you can learn tablature means that your progress on the guitar is not slowed by such things as the use of alternate tunings.
Acoustic guitar tab is easily written on a computer by way of ASCII code, which makes it easier to email or post on the web.
Tablature shows diagrammatically where finger positions are indicated using numbers representing the guitar’s frets along horizontal lines representing the strings. The note G played on the first (thinnest) string is shown by the number 3 written on the top line of the tablature.
Hammer-ons, string bends, pull-offs and other techniques are shown by symbols. Each tablature writer has his own idea of the best way to show how to play the music, and he usually includes a legend showing his symbols on each tab.
With the aid of guitar tabs, you can learn new music quickly without going to the additional trouble of learning conventional music notation.
A lot of guitar teachers proclaim the virtues of learning to read sheet music. Some even think you are not a “real” musician unless you can read “real” music. But if you look at playing music as a way of each individual expressing themselves in their own unique way, then how you write your music down is not one of the biggest issues in your life!
