Do you have to read tabs?

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Spud1$

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I have been trying to learn beginning finger picking but everything I look at seems to involve reading tabs. I don't know how to read tabs? Must I learn tabs to learn fingerpicking? Sorry if this is a typical beginner question and probably answered before but I couldn't find it upon searching. Thanks
 
Do you have to? Well, you don't Have to do anything. :) This is Your journey.

But, let me encourage you to spend the short amount of time it will take to understand tab.
It's not like learning how to read music notation. Tab is Extremely easy to absorb. Go for it - then it will
open up much more material for you to learn from.
 
Ok... Sigh I have issues with transposing numbers but ill give it a shot! Thank you
 
Do you have to read tabs? No. There are two other alternatives.
1. If you have a good ear for music, then you should be able to listen to the music and figure out the finger picking.
2. I can explain the notes and their order of picking:
pick open C string twice, now pick the E string twice while fingering the third fret, pick open A string twice, pick E string once with finger on fret 3,
follow with E string twice with first fret, follow with open E string twice, now C string twice with 2nd fret. Now finish with C chord once ( C Chord is 0003 ).

3. Is the Tab of the 2nd alternative.


A------------------0--0------------------------------3---------------------------------
E-----------3--3----------3---1--1---0--0------------0--------------------------------
C----0--0------------------------------------2--2----0-------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------0--------------------------------


Have you figured out the melody and the easiest alternative to communicate?

Huckleberry
 
Huckleberry said:
Do you have to read tabs? No. There are two other alternatives.
1. If you have a good ear for music, then you should be able to listen to the music and figure out the finger picking.
2. I can explain the notes and their order of picking:
pick open C string twice, now pick the E string twice while fingering the third fret, pick open A string twice, pick E string once with finger on fret 3,
follow with E string twice with first fret, follow with open E string twice, now C string twice with 2nd fret. Now finish with C chord once ( C Chord is 0003 ).

3. Is the Tab of the 2nd alternative.


A------------------0--0------------------------------3---------------------------------
E-----------3--3----------3---1--1---0--0------------0--------------------------------
C----0--0------------------------------------2--2----0-------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------0--------------------------------


Have you figured out the melody and the easiest alternative to communicate?

Huckleberry
Click to expand...
Twinkle twinkle little star, yes and thank you!
 
Spud1$ said:
Twinkle twinkle little star, yes and thank you!
Click to expand...

You know what else really helped was putting the gCEA by the strings instead of the numbers, don't know why I didn't think of that, I feel so much better. Thanks a bunch!
 
UkeKiddinMe said:
Do you have to? Well, you don't Have to do anything. :) This is Your journey.

But, let me encourage you to spend the short amount of time it will take to understand tab.
It's not like learning how to read music notation. Tab is Extremely easy to absorb. Go for it - then it will
open up much more material for you to learn from.
Click to expand...
I totally agree. :)

Spud1$ said:
Twinkle twinkle little star, yes and thank you!
Click to expand...
And there you go! See, it's not really that hard. Just takes a little practice and you'll get the hang of it in no time.
 
Awwwwww, I got it wrong....thought it was Baa Baa Black Sheep ;)
 
Great way to show tab! Seems that I've seen books that take up a few chapters just to illustrate what you have shown. Very easy to understand. I could just see what the melody was without touching my uke though.
 
If you have a song you want to learn I'd just do it by ear. But if you're just looking at random tabs just to learn some stuff learn tabs. it will probably take you like 5 min to learn how to read them. But don't end up depending on tabs. I think to much people do that. Train your ear so you can learn any song you want. It will make learning songs a lot easier later on
 
Great explanation and fun thread!
 
No, but it's quicker to learn to read tabs than it is to seek out and learn an alternative.
 
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