Learning "by ear" versus from tablature...

Gerald Menke · From: Stormville NY, USA

Hello all,

I have noticed that if I figure out something by listening to a CD or LP, or from an instructional CD that has no tab, the music seems to stay in my old sieve of a brain about 10 times better. For example, I have been working with Paul Franklin's excellent speed picking CDs, and can play a few of the solos through from memory, but after trying to learn some songs from Expedition E9, reading them from tab, I am lucky if I can play even one or two pages without going blank.

I have also noticed in my sideman career if I can, or have to learn a set of music without charts, there's a much better chance of my remembering all the tunes than if I am given charts and am told I don't have to be "off-book" for the gig. It's like my brain gets lazy and doesn't bother to try to remember the songs, because I know I will be reading on the bandstand or in the studio.

I was wondering if maybe it has to do with learning music without the added step of reading from a page, that makes it as if things learned by ear just become part of my musical brain more readily.

What's your experience been like?

Thanks for reading my post.

Gerald

Dennis Lee · From: Forest Grove, Oregon, USA

I think it's a combination for me. I learn by listening and by watching. I don't have a lot of music theory behind me, I learned to develop "big ears" which has gotten me through all these years. Repetition seems to ingrain to the brain.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I think that if you have a particularly difficult passage that's stumping you, using tab is fine. But playing a whole song from tab is tedious and crippling.

You have to put aside the cane if you ever hope to walk without it.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Use tab if it stumps you, then throw it away. I've seen players who play off of tab, but they let it become a crutch. Now they couldn't play at all if the wind blew their sheet music of their music stand.
It's ok for a refresher once in awhile.YMMV

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Scott Howard · From: Georgetown, TN, USA

I agree with Donny and James 100 % . Having learned from tab only in the past , It seemed that you learn only the song and I even had trouble moving it to other keys.

I have learned more by leaving the tab put away and playing with tracks and BIAB . I have been trying to play songs that I know and then move the keys all over the place . It seems to help me with the patterns and not just a lick in a song at a exact point in the song.

I agree that tab has a usefull place and I have plenty of it. But I feel it needs a foundation that can only be achieved by playing and experimenting with the guitar . Learning the guitar from hunting something is a lesson you can't buy at any price and it will stay with you longer than a lick that is often forgotten .
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Joe Drivdahl · From: Montana, USA

I agree too Donny. If I learn from tab, then I'm constantly having to revisit the paper to remember. I've discovered the same with lyrics. If I write them down, then I have a hard time memorizing the words, but if I force myself to memorize them right off, then I got 'em. Must be something about the way the brain learns.

Joe

Jaclyn Jones · From: Texas, USA

I find that if I play from a tab is sounds mechanical with less feeling. I think you devlope your own style better without tabs providing you have a good ear.
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Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Methinks there are some people on this thread who both strongly agree and strongly disagree with the notion that playing from written music (tab, score, number or chord chart, or whatever) necessarily leads to "less feeling" - http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=164704

I think it depends on the situation and the player. I do agree that if one doesn't ever get past mechanically following a tab, it's generally gonna be like painting by numbers. One has to get past the written notes at some point.

To me, written music of whatever sort is just a map. It doesn't tell you every little bump or twist in the road, but gets you on the right road. Anything that gets you there is a good thing, but it doesn't obviate the need to grok the music and play from the heart.

My opinions.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

In the early days, aside from Oahu Music Co., there was very little sheet music from which to learn. Thus many of us took the Gibson Guitar course, which lead to being able to transpose piano music to the steel guitar. I've forgotten all I was ever taught.
Today, I use tab to figure out how something was done and nothing more.

The band leader would merely call out the key and a song title and away we went.
Best way in the world to learn!

I've experienced a large number of fine musicians that have excellent formal music training but are totally crippled when it comes to playing music without writing it down first. Modulating to another key creates additioanl problems.

If you know your guitar neck/tunings, you should be able to play any song you like anywhere up or down the neck regardless of what the notes are.

David Doggett · Posted 18 Aug 2009 8:51 am

I think it has something to do with figuring it out yourself. If you learn it by ear, you have to figure that out yourself, and it helps it stick. If you have to write the tab yourself, you also have to figure it out, and that helps it stick. But if you just read someone else's tab, that just doesn't stick very well. But as others say above, if you just use the tab briefly to help you figure it out, then memorize it and don't use the tab beyond that, maybe that will stick a little better.

c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

I agree Skip. I took lessons under the Oahu system and learned alot. My baptism was when I was about 11 or sooner and some older fellows took me to Cal City IL with them and they played music I never had played or never heard. From 1st song on they would drop it on me. I learned more that night than I ever learned any other way. cc

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

A friend of mine plays the piano, provided he has sheet music in front of him. His playing is not bad at all – pop standards, ragtime, classical, whatever... But take away the sheet music – suddenly, he can't even play one bar of Chopsticks!

I, on the other hand, can only read music at a snail's pace if someone's holding a gun to my head. So I've been forced to learn to use my ears, and can play just about any reasonably simple melody on a guitar after listening to it once; and any song I know from memory. Maybe not play it especially well, but I can play it, usually getting the chord changes right the first time around as long as it's not jazz or Lennon/McCartney... Of course, getting two- or three part harmonies on the pedal steel right necessitates a bit more practice... Wink

It'd be fantastic to combine the two abilities (with perfect absolute pitch thrown in, while I'm wishing in vain), but forced to make a choice I would never even consider trading skills with my buddy.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I guess it's just a matter of opinion,when I switched from guitar to steel years ago I knew how to read tab,for guitar,mandolin,bango,etc,I learned songs on steel from tab,would learn the song by tab,THEN would start adding licks or taking away things by ear,would use tab to get the feel of the song and arrangment then play it my way,I agree if you depend on tab alone it won't have the feeling as playing by ear,BUT tab can help in it's own way.DYK?BC.
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Shorty Smith · From: Columbus, Georgia, USA

Playing by tabs make me feel like I'm copying the original player, but playing by ear, I can play the song with feeling, use my own style and still make the song very presentable, Shorty

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Glen Derksen · From: Alberta, Canada

I have respect for musical notation, and I belive it has it's place, but I don't think it should be the sacred cow that some advocates make it out to be. My former psg teacher was a very strong advocate of musical notation, but when I was learning how to read it, I was thinking "Where the heck am I going apply this stuff? Where am I going to arrive with it?" I'm more inclined to rely on tab in my learning stages, but I've always been more of an ear kind of guy.

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

No, Mike – I can't! Maybe I could have, long ago, but to find the time and patience needed to learn to read music nowadays would be impossible. Besides, my cerebral hard drive is getting full... Wink

Charles Curtis · Posted 19 Aug 2009 4:31 am

I like the use of tab. My reasoning is to get it as close as the original. If I pick the song out by ear I have a hard time breaking that "thought process". I think that if I had a strong background in music theory then maybe I could come much closer to the original. So I try to learn new licks from folks like Buddy Emmons & David Hartley. I guess we're all unique in our approach.

Kenny Martin · From: Chapin, S.C. USA

Something i did back in March!
Talks about Tab vs by ear!
Tabs are great but i feel the ear can help you develop prasing that is unique to the player!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovdg0nX-GwM
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Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Just MY OPINION

A pedal steel player who wants to play some gigs is at a serious disadvantage if he/she can't hang in there on most any country song with no more info than WHAT KEY and HOW FAST. Sometimes you won't even get that. A good player can get the tempo from the drummer and read the first chord off the guitarist or keyboard player. A good player also knows what he doesn't know. This means he will not go stepping all over the band when he isn't sure of the progression.

I've been making money playing music for nearly 50 years and have always felt that the experience of playing with others for that long is one of my best assets. I'll do my best to avoid embarrassing myself OR the band.

Those skills are much more important to other members of your band than whether you used the Franklin pedal to play that one little two bar fill in the middle of the chorus. They have no clue -- they only know what sounds good / right to them. Obsessing over playing something JUST LIKE THE RECORD may have its place in your own learning process but NONE of the HUNDREDS of bands I've played in really care whether you nailed that solo note for note off the record. If you play a great solo off the top of your head that works with the song and the progression that's just as good or BETTER.

One exception, for me, at least, is what some call 'signature licks'. The 1511 intro for 'Crazy Arms' or the intro for 'Night Life' are examples. I consider this an homage to great players who came up with an intro, turnaround, or solo that people identify with that song. I will usually attempt to recreate most of those little passages whenever possible.

Never forget: IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT THE STEEL PART --- IT'S ALL ABOUT THE . . . S O N G

I use tab for archiving stuff I figure out. I know that I won't remember everything that I learn through the Forum or watching others play -- or just stuff that 'falls from the sky' while woodshedding. That's the stuff I'll tab out and file away so that I won't have to reinvent that wheel.

Anyone who needs tab on the bandstand shouldn't be playing in a band (IMHO). Anyone who needs tab to learn a song should be developing an ear for the music so that next time it might just 'fall from the sky'. We won't all be Buddy or Paul, but we all have a musical personality that we can share with others. Relying too heavily on some arrangement that someone else thought up and tabbed out will not lead to your developing that musical personality.

Again -- just MY HUMBLE OPINION.
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James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

So well said, Larry B., so well said. Cool

Stuart Legg · Posted 19 Aug 2009 9:05 am

If your playing with a band that plays mostly traditional country music you can just phone it in and sleep through it.
But if the band is playing a lot today's top 40 country it can be a little more difficult.
Sure you can hear it through the verse and chorus one time and be able to trick your way through the rest of it but you may sound like your searching through the first part of the song.
A lot of today's country songs are not just your standard 2 part songs (verse & chores) but have 3 to 5 parts.
It is a good Idea when playing top 40 to write down the info you need in some kind of form that you can quickly glance at it and have a good enough idea what the chords and the structure of the song are like to prevent you from sounding like your searching.
I personally think having a cheat sheet and knowledge of theory are greater tools to have than just a good ear when it comes to helping you fake it till you can make it.
I've heard the best of the PSG players fake it and I've seen a lot of them at times use a cheat sheet including Buddy.

Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

Its great for that. Its just one of many ways to learn. I think figuring out how it is used is paramount because most people inverable will use the same phrase differently. Just last night I was watching David Hartley play Sing Me Back Home here off the forum. Its not tab but its clear where he is getting his notes with the overhead camera. There is a part of the song where he goes up the neck to start a verst at open G (15th fret)I figured out that part of the phrase "Sing me back "home" he went to the 11 fret and lowered the E's then pedaled in using his C pedal. Very cool and unusual to me, something I've never done before. To me the whole song was worth that one position. I know when ever I go to a 5 chord that is a choice I can use if appropriate.

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

I agree 100% with you Ray. That's the way it was. Someone called out a song, gave the key, and away we went. If they were a little high, or low, after the first verse, we adjusted the key. If anyone was unsure of the tune, or has never heard, or played it before, we did what is known as "fake it". Almost never, has anyone in the audience, questioned us about our playing, or the songs. Tab, was unheard of, and there was no sheet music. Just perform by the seat of your pants.
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