"What's best for me -using guitar tabs, or musical notation?"

tablature and guitar notes

Before I start on my rant about guitar tabs, I'd like to let you know about GTiD's new GUITAR TOOLBAR, which among other things, lets you instantly search all the major guitar tablture databases, IN ONE CLICK! Best of all? Yes, it's FREE!

So, you just can't wait to get hold of those tabs and turn up the volume. You're motivated and full of illusion with your new project: learning guitar!

Allow me a couple of minutes before you rush to the tab: there is something you don't (yet) have, in spite of all your enthusiasm! Unless you receive adequate guidance you might end up doing things in an inefficient way, as you don't yet have much perspective of the world of music -and the guitar!

Guitar Theory in Depth.com is here to help. In this site you will find many different approaches to learning guitar reviewed, as well as original material and lessons: hopefully this will help you find your path in the world of music and the guitar and save you years by giving you the best tools and knowledge from day one.

One basic point to consider is that many people think that learning to read music is way too difficult: "What the heck, I'll just learn a couple songs from guitar tabs, it's quicker!"

But learning from tablature has many drawbacks:

  • as it provides only finger positions and no musical information as such, it gives you no real musical understanding.
  • the fingerings that someone else chose are likely not the only possible ones, and very likely not the best ones, or even the best ones for you (we all have different hands, right?).
  • tablature does not provide precise rhythmic information. You still have to listen to a recording to get the sound right: with musical notation, you don't need that at all!
  • tablature says nothing of when a note ends. This is a big drawback: notes do end at specific moments within the bar!The first difficulty to overcome is understanding musical notation in all its intricacies: you will find a good intoduction to music theory here. The second obstacle, is relating all that information to the guitar fretboard. The Fretboard-in-Depth and sections of this site will give you some good pointers. But remember: you need full understanding of the fabric of music in order to make the most out of that. Otherwise, it won't be of much help.

    You need to connect theory, your ear (a good ear training course helps), and your instrument.

    Ultimately, which way is best for you depends on your goals. These are important questions to find answers to at this point:

  • do I intend to become a professional guitar player, or do I simply want to do it as a hobby?
  • what style, or styles, interest me?
  • how much time can I devote to studying?
  • am I interested mainly in playing others' music, or writing and improvising my own?


    If you're only interested in playing guitar as a hobby, and only want to work out a couple of songs, tabs will do the trick for the time being. But believe me, as you progress, you'll want to go deeper. And there is no better moment to start exercising the right abilities than now!.

    Guitar Toolbar

    Don't forget to check out GTiD's new GUITAR TOOLBAR, which among other things, lets you instantly search all the major tablature databases, IN ONE CLICK! Find the guitar tabs you are looking for, NOW!!!

    Click here to go from Guitar Tabs to our selection of FREE GUITAR SHEET MUSIC: guitar notes galore!
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