Re: Violin tab for fiddle tunes

[R.D. Latimer]

Thanks, yes that makes sense from a fret number point of view.  Unfortunately from a violinist/fiddler point of view, the semitone notation does no good.

For example, on a violin, in the simplest 1st position:

 (2nd string) A string:  A open, Bb/B 1st finger, C/C# 2nd finger, D 3rd finger, E 4th finger or open E string

(3rd string) D string: D open, Eb/E 1st finger, F/F# 2nd finger, G/G# 3rd finger, A 4th or open A

So in first position on violin, "frets 1/2" are 1st finger, "frets 3/4" are 2nd finger, "frets 5/6" are 3rd finger.

I don't think fiddle players would want to bother trying to make this translation in their head while playing.

It would be great for fiddle players and fiddle tunes, to have a tab for fingering.

I don't think the semitone notation will do any good for violin playing in tab.

Let me know if there is a way in Lilypond for tab fingering in this case. Otherwise I'm not sure it's worth having the tab for violin/fiddle,

Thanks

On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 9:18 AM, David Kastrup <address@hidden> wrote:

"R.D. Latimer" <address@hidden> writes:

> I'd like help getting started with transcribing fiddle tunes with music and
> tab.
>
> Here's my initial try (first two measures)
> The fingering for the violin is not correct in the tab. Fingering should be:
> 2 0 0  2 0 0 | 3 1 1  3 0 1 |

That's a misunderstanding what a tab shows.  The tab does not show
fingerings but rather positions.  And it counts those positions in
"frets", namely semitones.  As far as I can see, the results are quite
correct.

Now I haven't ever used tablature for violin, and I definitely agree
that the numbers seem to increase ridiculously fast as a violinist would
likely think more in wholetone positions rather than semitone positions:

Playing "in third position" to a violinist means playing a major or
minor third above playing "in first position" when using the same
fingering.  It may be different for players of violoncello or double
bass.  Or fretted instruments like a viol.

So at any rate, the TAB delivers the _full_ information you need for
playing the melody.  I'm not sure how it could do so when only using a
wholetone numbering system.

Most relevantly, the TAB looks like expected by the _programmers_.  Do
you have any printed examples that would help the programmers to
understand how it should look like in order to meet _your_ expectations?

--
David Kastrup


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