An Argument For Classical Guitar Tabs Vs Sheet Music

In the world of classical guitar, a blog post on tabs (short for tablature) will spark at least a little controversy. However, after years of teaching, I believe that I can make a case where classical guitar tabs might be the preferred way to read music for the guitar. Let’s get to the battle of classical guitar tabs vs sheet music.

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Arguments Against Using Tablature

Traditionally classical guitarists have held a very staunch view that “true” musicians read notation and not tablature. In returning to the first scores for lute and vihuela, we see that almost all music for these instruments was written in tablature. This is especially true before the solidification of music notation.

In the modern age, there are two basic reasons for not using tablature. The first is that it is difficult to explain many of the correct fingerings for a passage. Indicating right and left-hand fingerings is rarely done and can be confusing considering the fact that numbers are used instead of note heads for the note indications. The second is that it fails to accurately indicate the length note duration. Notation is especially important when a note in one voice last longer than a sheer in another voice. I have yet to see an effective way of communicating this with pure tablature.

Here are some of the negatives associated with relying too heavily on tablature:

Limited Musical Understanding

Tablature only provides information about which fret and string to play, leaving out essential musical elements like rhythm, dynamics, phrasing, and expression. Relying solely on tablature can hinder a guitarist’s ability to develop a deeper musical understanding.

Dependency on Visual Patterns

Using tablature extensively may lead to a dependence on visual patterns rather than developing aural and musical instincts. This can make it challenging to play music without tablature or to adapt to different interpretations of the same piece.

Inefficiency in Learning New Music

Reading tablature alone may be slower and less efficient than reading standard music notation. Classical guitarists who can read standard notation can learn new pieces more quickly and have access to a broader range of music.

Not Suitable for Ensemble Playing

In classical music, guitarists often play in ensembles with other instruments or vocalists. Standard notation is the universal language for ensemble playing, and relying on tablature can create communication barriers with other musicians.

Limited Repertoire

While there are many classical guitar pieces available in tablature form, the selection is often more limited compared to standard notation. Some complex or less popular pieces may not be readily available in tablature.

Less Transferable Skill

Reading standard notation is a valuable skill that applies to all musical instruments. If a classical guitarist relies solely on tablature, they miss out on developing a transferable skill that could be beneficial if they want to explore other instruments or musical genres.

Tablature Errors and Variations

Tablature found on the internet or in user-generated sources can contain errors or variations from the original music. Without the ability to read standard notation, it becomes harder to identify and correct these inaccuracies.

Lack of Expressive Notation

Tablature cannot convey expressive techniques like vibrato, slides, or glissandos, which are crucial for interpreting classical music with depth and emotion.

While tablature can be a helpful learning tool, it’s essential for classical guitarists to strike a balance between using tablature and developing their proficiency in reading standard music notation. A well-rounded musician can fully understand the music they play, communicate effectively with other musicians, and have access to a more extensive and diverse repertoire.

Arguments For Classical Guitar Tabs

My argument for using tablature is specific to certain types of students. I do not argue that most people learning classical guitar should use tablature instead of notation. If a student is just beginning, then learning to read notation should be the starting point. However, some students that use the guitar for the sheer joy of playing or for therapeutic uses do not necessarily need to use pure notation.

In making the statement above, I want to clarify my definition of tablature. Tablature that is useful includes a standard staff above a tablature staff. This allows the student to clarify which notes to hold and to clarify the rhythms (you can see an example of this type for flatpick in my post Beginning Guitar Lesson1 (Pick Version)). Using this type of tablature, a student who has a higher technical ability than reading ability is able to learn music at an easier pace with greater understanding. It takes the work out of finding the notes on the fretboard and focusing on the sheer joy of playing the music in front of them. After all, that is why they are playing the guitar in the first place. For the student who has this goal in mind, I see no drawbacks.

If a student decides to improve their reading skills, then it is always available to them with thousands of pieces. The only drawback for this student is that many of the pieces they might want to play are not notated in this double manner. As time goes on, however, more and more pieces are available in this format.

Here are some reasons why classical guitarists might use tablature

Easy Visualization of Fretting Positions

Tablature provides a clear and straightforward visual representation of where to place fingers on the fretboard. For beginners or those unfamiliar with standard music notation, tablature can be more approachable and easier to understand.

Finger Placement and Technique

Classical guitar music often involves complex fingerpicking and intricate techniques. Tablature can help guitarists precisely see which fingers to use and where to place them on the strings, making it useful for learning specific passages.

Supplementing Standard Notation

Many classical guitar scores include both standard notation and tablature. Having both can be beneficial, as it allows musicians to see the musical context (rhythm, dynamics, expression) provided by standard notation while providing an easy-to-follow fretting guide through tablature.

Specific String Indications

Tablature shows which string(s) to play each note on, which is particularly helpful for pieces with unusual or complex string crossings or for indicating open-string notes.

Transcribing and Sharing Music

Tablature can be a useful format for transcribing and sharing music, especially among amateur musicians or those who may not be as familiar with standard notation.

Websites to Visit

As a teacher, I know the time it takes to create quality notation and tablature files. Therefore, I have chosen to spend my time on other projects. However, there are some great resources from some great people out there. Below is a list and some comments about each.

Ultimate Guitar

Though it’s known more for popular music tabs, Ultimate Guitar also has a decent collection of classical guitar tabs. The downside to this resource is the lack of notation for rhythm and fingerings.

Classical Guitar Shed

This website focuses on classical guitar and offers various lessons, sheet music, and tablature for classical pieces. It was founded by classical guitarist Allen Mathews. He offers a lot of free materials and paid membership for lessons.

Delcamp

The Delcamp forum is a great resource for classical guitarists. You can find a wealth of sheet music and tablature shared by the community. I am not a big fan of forums. However, this is the largest and most active classical guitar forum online. There is a lot of good information and a lot of not-so-good information. Use at your own risk.

Guitar Pro Tabs

This site has a collection of Guitar Pro files, which are tablature files that can be played with the Guitar Pro software. You can find classical pieces in this format. There are not as many classical guitar repertoire pieces here, but arrangements of classical pieces are abundant.

Classtab

This site has a collection of classical guitar tabs in text format. It’s a simple and straightforward resource for finding tabs. Like ultimate-guitar.com, classtab.org does not give the rhythmic values being text-based. It has some on many pieces but does not convey when a note should be held long in one voice vs. another.

Werner Guitar Editions

This website offers a mix of free and paid sheet music and tablature for classical guitar. It’s a well-curated collection by guitarist Bradford Werner. This is the business created by Bradford. He has good materials and good educational videos.

What Do You Think?

Above are just a couple of arguments for using tablature for classical guitar. Do you think it is a “proper” or effective way of learning the music? If so, then where does it leave the notation?

Check out some of our other articles on scales:

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Chadwick Becks

I have two degrees in guitar performance and was privileged to study under Aaron Shearer, Tom Kikta, David Skantar, Ken Karsh, Tim Bedner, and currently Christopher Berg. Outside my editorial work on this blog, I teach full-time across many genres including classical, jazz, blues, rock, funk, and metal.