Guitar lesson: Reading tabs
Above is an example of a regular guitar tablature. Now, the reason why I put a tab there is that I got some feedback from the previous guitar lesson asking how to read and understand tabs. Silly me! How could I forget the most basic lesson of all. After all, that is our preferred method of communication when it comes to learning. So for those who can't read the previous lesson, let's learn more about tabs shall we..
Tabulatures (Tabs or Tablatures in modern music jargon) has been around as early as the 12th century. It was first used in Europe for the Lute and was soon carried over to other instruments such as the archlute, the mandolin, the banjo, the bass and of course, the guitar. It was very popular during the Baroque and Renaissance eras and was the medium used to write a good number of songs during those ages.
Tabulatures are the preferred method of writing these days because of its simplicity. It is more visual and more literal than regular sheet music since it already tells the reader which fret at which string he should fret. But due to its inherent lack of information, most specifically rhythm and timing, modern musicians rely on programs that are able to show and play tabulatures and sheet music side by side. (such as Power tabs and Guitar pro) It is also popular in this day and age because of its compatibility with the ASCII format in computers. Composers can easily write tabs through notepad and share or recieve tabs through the internet.
Now that we have that whole background laid out, let's get to reading..
fig. 1
First off, sit down with your guitar and rest the guitar on your lap with the strings facing up and with the neck on the proper side. (No disrespect to unorthodox lefties out there, but this exercise only works with right-handed or regular left-handed guitar players.)
fig. 2
Now if you're following the lesson, figure number 2 is a close up of the arrangements of the strings on your guitar right now. Now look back at the tab on top of this lesson. Do you notice the arrangement from top to bottom? Well there you have the standard tabulature arrangement! That is as simple as it gets. Tabulatures are read from highest string which is the top line, to lowest string which is the bottom line. And just like on sheet music, the numbers corresponding the frets are sequenced from left to right. Symbols used to represent bends, glissandos, slides and the like vary from composer to composer and are shown by them accordingly.
and there you go. I sure hope I have helped you understand how to read tabulatures. Peace out and keep rockin'!
How can we even eat while watching this sh*t?
I remember standing up in class once and complaining how sh*tfaced Philippine television has become --And I still stand by that statement. So far with the way things are becoming, the TV programming in this country's going to hell. Somewhere along the way, all the integrity and moral ethics upheld by the TV stars went to the crapper. This great divide between networks are causing their talents to take the fight from a business stand point, to a more personal level. I just stand in disbelief with how these networks who claim that they share sympathy over the masses and brag about public service attract their audiences through such an undignified manner. And if it's not them, why do they let their talents run their company's name through the mud?
Im gonna go all out here and be specific this time. (excuse the language) Joey De leon can suck on my right nut for being the brash and unethical bastard that he f*cking is. (And I hope he gets to read this) He stands in front of the camera 6 days a week and all he cares to do is take pot-shots at the other network. Let me tell Joey this: If taking pot-shots at the other network proves to be such an effective tool for you and your show, then how come you're the only one on your show doing it to them? Is it because you're the only one with balls who can do it? or are you the only pussy on your show who can't accept the fact that they're actually winning over you guys? I personally think it's totally unethical to even speak about the dirty laundry of the other network. So before you say "Explain before you complain," I suggest you "Stop talking through your ass" first.
