Colour coding the tabs

Technique
#1

My eyesight keeps failing me when I have to read tabs (and I don’t like to wear glasses when I’m playing as I feel they get in the way)

It’s often the little -s that I have trouble seeing, so I thought to try and colour code the tabs, so blows and draws get different colours

I’m currently learning to play ‘Stand By Your Man’ by Tammy Wynette, so I used the tabs for this experiment (some of the tabs are not how I would play it, so never mind that)

sbymcolours
sbymcolours1920×1080 185 KB

Anyone else with bad eyesight, how do you read tabs?

6 Likes
#2

Love this technique for showing the tabs, the differentiated colora for blows and draws makes a lot of sende to me but had nevwr considered it!

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#3

Thanks Bobby, and yeah it came to me in a moment of desperation :slight_smile:

I will do it with other songs I learn, including this one as I need to change some of the tabs

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#4

Hello @Vibe,
I know the eye problem. Reading glasses, of course, and due to my comorbidity, sometimes strong double vision. I can’t compensate for that with glasses, and it’s a big problem when reading closer.
Regardless of that, I don’t like glasses when playing either.
I like your system! I write down all the tabs by hand, big enough. I mark the - signs with a neon-colored marker, + only the numbers and the signs ’ and " are strong and big enough.
Writing it down separately also serves as a learning mode and once you have found a system for yourself, the song is easier to remember than if I only play from videos or PDF.
Greetings from Astrid :woman_in_lotus_position:

5 Likes
#5

Hi Astrid :slight_smile:

Writing down tabs by hands sounds like a great idea, I do that sometimes too, and I like your idea of marking the draw notes

and I can see how writing the notes would make them easier to learn, I remember writing everything down in school because I am bad at taking notes, but it helped me remember better

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#6

You are so right, @Vibe ! By manually writing something down (like tabs) you actually practice and use your mental capacity as well as your muscular system to reinforce the material to be learned. I did the same in school (before internet & cell phones) to learn my material. In fact I even wrote the notes out a 2nd time to not only improve them but to better remember the stuff.

Let’s face it: you need to work in order to improve. Or (to say it another way) you only get what you pay for.

– Slim

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#7

So, would this be a harmonica hack, or a tab hack?

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#8

Wow! Great idea! Just had surgery on left eye so depth perception is gone right now. But colors cha ching! I have a bunch of colored markers! Fantastic idea!!!

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#9

I would say it is both – and also a “learning hack”. :notes:

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#10

Hi Slim :slight_smile:
That’s a cool fact to know, and yes it definitely helped me in school too

I might start writing down notes an extra time too, that sounds like a great idea :slight_smile:

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#11

I agree with @Slim that it would be both, I put it in technique since that’s where I thought it would fit best

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#12

Glad you like it :slight_smile:

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#13

Good idea. Most of the time I read tabs from my laptop and have to zoom in to make the font bigger so I can make out each note/tab!

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#14

I’ve played in bands for around 35 years (just beginning on harp though), and in my opinion, nothing will serve you better than a permanent marker, A4 paper, and a folder with clear sleeves.

On stage, my paperwork will be at my feet, so I need to be able to read with a quick a glance down, and the thick black notations on white copy paper make that possible.
I only use notes when a song is new to me, so I make my own ‘cheat sheets’, it might be the first and last words of each verse, and notes like ‘riff X 3’, or the chord progressions and runs/licks if I’m learning the bass or guitar parts too. Not written as music, more like the tabs you show really, so I think this would work for you.

Adding colour to indicate draw or blow is a great idea, something I’ll be doing with what I write out for harmonica for sure!

Thanks for the idea! :slightly_smiling_face::+1:

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