Though it has it's shortcomings, such as not being able to show the length of each note, it is fairly simple to learn. Still, I cannot stress enough the importance of learning to read music notation, for music is the only true international language. That fact really hit home recently as I watched André Reiu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra on PBS a few evenings ago. They were playing intricate pieces of music, written hundreds of years ago, with a graceful sleekness. I could not deny its power; both by noting the audience and myself. It made me think of how remarkable it really is that all those intricacies can be recorded in a notated form and read by a musician anywhere in the world.
Originating from lute notation in the 1400s, tablature is a form of notation whereupon each note played is "diagrammed." One way to visualize what I mean is to lay your guitar on your lap face up, tuning keys to your left. This is the viewpoint from which tablature is written. Below are some sources you can check out that have transcriptions you can try:
Online Guitar Tabs http://unplugged.virtualave.net/
OLGA - Read/Write Tab http://www.olga.net/faq/tabbing.html
There is also a newsgroup where you can acquire and learn more about tablature, rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature.
As I said before, this is an excellent way to quickly get acquainted with the guitar and even start picking up on playing styles and patterns. I hope this has helped you to better understand tablature if you've found yourself struggling with it. Like anything else, it takes time and devoted effort to experience proficient fluency, but your efforts are well worth it.
Please write me with any questions or comments you may have. It's been fun hearing from you so far. I can't emphasize enough how much of a cooperative project coming up with article ideas is. Well, until the next article, enjoy playing!
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