Re: tab

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Fri, 06 Sep 2002 13:16:14 Han-Wen Nienhuys wrote:

> Are you suggesting that the replyers don't know how to "read music"?
> (That would be a pretty strong accusation, which would effectively
> kill the weight of the rest of your message.)

I am telling you that the vast majority of *guitar players* who
use tab are musically illiterate.  That is my experience, not a
suggestion.  Your replyers are hardly a representative sample. 
If they couldn't read music they wouldn't be replyers.
 
> FWIW, I don't have any references that say anything about how strings
> are supposed to be numbered.

In the old edition of Gardner Read it's on page
377, under string notation - 1. Harmonics - paragraph 4.
Perhaps he says something about banjo
in your newer edition where the top string in pitch is the 5th?

It's probably under harmonics in Stone too.  I saw it in the
book but don't recall where.

Also see:

>>> http://www.music.utk.edu/theory/strings.html

> Right now, there is no syntax for string indication, the tablature
> code supposes that the strings encoded by numbers, and that that
> number is encoded in the fingering number, i.e.
> 
>          c4-3
> 
> will put a fingering  3 on the note in normal staff,  but put the note
> on string 3 on the tab staff (whereever that is).
> 
> The current proposition is to use pitch names for indicating strings
> and continue the use of numbers for fingerings, i.e.
> 
>       c4-3-a
> 
> play with 3rd finger, on string known as "a".

I see.  Use :3 or ;3 for the string, or some other
separator that is available to you.  Continue
to use ^3 or _3 for the finger in the notation.  
-3 would be much better to put a finger in front
of a note.

I do a *lot* of fingering, and I have always
avoided -3 for 'default' fingering, even on a single staff,
which is the only way it works at all.

To use another separator to put a finger in front
of a note and use a `-' for something entirely
different is painting yourself into a corner.

Unless you have some plan to *never* allow
a finger number in front of a note.  Not
a good plan.

And please consider this user syntax for setting up tab:

\string { [open string note] [open string symbol printed]
[1st half step symbol printed] [2nd half step symbol printed] ... }
\string { [open string note] [open string symbol printed]
[1st half step symbol printed] [2nd half step symbol printed] ... }
\string { [open string note] [open string symbol printed]
[1st half step symbol printed] [2nd half step symbol printed] ... }
...
 
Which in real life for guitar:

\string e'
\string b
\string g
\string d
\string a,
\string e,

or banjo:

\string d'
\string b
\string g
\string d
\string g' 0 6

would be very intuitive, since you would have one tab
line for each \string, in the usual order as printed. 

------------------------------------------------------------
Information is not knowledge.           Belief is not truth.
Indoctrination is not teaching.   Tradition is not evidence.
         David Raleigh Arnold   address@hidden