Tabbing out a song

I’ve had a go at tabbing out a few songs / tunes myself. Usually because there are no published tabs for a song that I want to play. I have to concede that I’m not very good at it, but I have managed some success. It takes me ages to eke out every tab, listening to the song over and again, slowing it down and trying to copy the sound. All in all, it has not been very productive in terms of songs learned for effort applied, but I believe I’m playing better for it, because its taught me to place a value on every note, and on the silence in between.

5 Likes

I am in the same boat. I play a few short songs by ear but the correct key if essential for me. if you get close and can lisiten to the songs it may well point out where some editing is needed.

2 Likes

Tabbing a song or transcribing or transposing is one of the best things you can do to exercise your mind. By doing this, you are working muscles in your brain that rarely get attention. I promise every single time you do it , it will become easier, faster, and closer to perfect. This is something I wish more people did.

8 Likes

To begin tabbing a song, is the procedure to figure out the key of the song by having a trained ear or asking the internet, that key is the key you need for the harmonica, and you then you decide which position is most suited to the song’s style, and then use that to figure out which key harmonica you need, which can be done by using the wheel of fifths?

4 Likes

I’ll add my two cents here. In addition to agreeing with others here as to it’s benefit,one of the things I’ve learned is not to restrict myself to playing in the “right” key. :key:

Obviously, it will sound closer to the original if played in the same key, but it will be recognizable in virtually any key. It sounds the same, but different :wink:

I like @Luke 's suggestion to think in intervals. As long as the intervals remain the same, the song will sound right regardless of which harp you have.

Also, I don’t think it necessary to have every single key of harp. 1st and 2nd position give you two major scales in one. 3rd and 4th give you two more with a minor feel.

A tool I like is www.hooktheory.com

It has an interesting way of laying out the notes for the main parts of many songs.

When in doubt, check it out :check_mark:

Got me a rock and roll band…

In my mind :joy:

6 Likes

Yeah learning by ear will always be 1000 times more beneficial than learning from tabs. You will learn so many things along the way as I’ve written about here:

4 Likes

Thank You @davidkachalon and @Luke for your encouragement to persist with it, and to everyone who has taken the time to reply. It certainly stretches my mind, and that’s one of the reasons why I took up harmonica playing. I just don’t want to stretch it so much that it snaps. Even with the abandoned attempts, I know that Ive learned from it. Hopefully it will get easier.

4 Likes

@leah, I don’t know what’s best, but your proposal sounds way too complicated for me. I just pick up a harp and try to play the song. I will have a go at playing it purely by ear, Ive learned about 5 tunes that way, never having written down a tab or ever being aware of what tabs I’m playing. More often, I can’t play it by ear, and just start with the first note, write down the tab that I think matches it, and proceed one note at a time. I have no idea what position I’m playing in, with any song, regardless of how I learned it. As for the key, well I sometimes change part way through until I find the one that sounds best to me. Sometimes I ask on the forum; @toogdog has helped me a couple of times, she seems to have a better idea that I do. If there is a correct procedure, hopefully someone will inform both of us.

4 Likes

I do this and if there are three verses I play each in a different position. This seems to help me the most One will be second then first and third.

2 Likes

I do something similar with many songs, but different.

I play them in low, middle and high octave, or do clean notes, dirty notes and chords as the song repeats. Great to practice on the low end and the high end, which are tougher to master than the middle octave.

2 Likes

We think alike!

Most of the time I have no idea if I’m blowing, drawing, coming, or going, much less what note I’m playing. Tabbing out the songs I play most though has helped me to understand what my mouth is doing.

Initially, I wasn’t interested in knowing the theory behind what was going on and just wanted to play. The songs I play also are from memory. Looking :eyes: at tabs still confuses me for some reason. I don’t feel the connection between the numbers and the sounds. Musical notation seems to do a better job , since it also indicates other elements, but still, when I play, I just play what I hear in my head.

This to me is one of the most amazing things about the harmonica. Once you know your scales, and can hear the song in your head, you can make the sound come out of the harp.

I don’t understand how it works. I think in the end all that matters is to have fun. As long as that is happening we are on the right track. :paw_prints:

3 Likes

That’s it my friend! Nothing is lost. Even if you have yet to learn the song you intended, you’ve gained some hard-earned skills that will serve you forever.

It WILL get EASIER the MORE you do it! Promise. :oncoming_fist:t3: Rock on! :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

5 Likes