Reading Ukulele TAB - Alternate Notation
An alternate form of musical notation for stringed instruments.
PUBLISHED: Jan 2, 2005 • UPDATED: Jan 24, 2018 • LESSON CODE: UL22 • VISITS: 97
ukulele Subjects: reading • beginner • intermediate • TAB
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Reading Ukulele TAB - Alternate Notation
Reading Music is the ability to reproduce music from written notation. It includes five phases: note recognition, alternate note locations, rhythm recognition, fingering considerations, communication terminology and interpretations. (From Wikipedia)
TAB or Tablature is an alternate form of musical notation, which tells players where to place their fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play.
Generally speaking, tablature is commonly used by informally trained musicians in folk, popular and rock music.
TAB is sort of a secret language between guitar players and ukulele players. Although a shortcut to getting started it actually serves to alienate one from the rest of the music world.
Alternate Music Notation
Alternate Notation - TAB, short for tablature is very common alternate music notation used in the guitar world. Tablature has a history in lute music of past centuries and has found it way in to the guitar world of today and has been used as an alternate notation for ukulele. TAB is not very common for other instruments.
TAB is used mostly by beginning students without the time or desire to read standard music notation. It is widely used in the mainstream guitar media. TAB is typically presented along side standard music notation although a few guitar magazines have dropped the standard music notation part. From the five phases of reading music TAB typically only shows the note location. It shows what string and fret to play the note on. Some TAB also shows the rhythmic duration of the note. Fingering considerations are typically left up to the player as in standard music notation, but can be shown.
TAB can not show the contour and rhythmic density of music., or address the ukulele’s ability to play the same note at alternate locations.
TAB is sort of a secret language that guitar players and ukulele players use. Although a shortcut to getting started it actually serves to alienate one from the rest of the music world.
Reading TAB is NOT reading music. It‘s more like painting by numbers.
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Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for D Tuning, Low or High A
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Reading Music on Ukulele - Primer
There are a few things in music that students and players avoid. These are things like learning to read and knowing the notes of their own instrument. It is hard on guitar - but not so hard on ukulele. With the right guidance and plan of attack. IT IS EASY.
It is really quite easy on a uke. Starting with natural notes in in the open position you can finally check off the Reading Music to do item.
Learning to read standard music notation is really, really easy.
Modular Phonetic Rhythm by Chuck Anderson
Modular Phonetic Rhythm represents a significant advance in the teaching and application of rhythm. Eliminating many inefficient aspects of rhythm education, Modular Phonetic Rhythm streamlines the traditional educational approach, resulting in a reflexive reaction to rhythm.
Common Ukulele Tunings
Any tuning is possible on a ukulele as long as the construction supports it and a string is available. There are three somewhat common tunings in popular use today, C, D and G tuning - with C tuning the most popular.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard
If there's one thing that has the biggest return on your time and investment to learn it's really, really knowing the names of the note of the ukulele fingerboard. This series takes a step-by-step approach to finally learning the fingerboard.
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