I simply don't see the harm in providing both, and I see good reasons to do so. The folks who feel that tab is a tool for beginners are free to ignore it, the folks who prefer tab as their method of learning are free to use it. The folks who want the standard notation get it--and everyone walks away happy.
I don't *get* the controversy, at all. Providing both allows the widest number of people access to the music in the way that they prefer--and that's the goal isn't it? To get the music _out_ there_ and explored and played?
If you put it--as you did--this way: "One interesting aspect of this thread is trying to find the balance between tab and notation" then the conclusion is obvious--*balance* requires both. There is no one-sided balance.
And the tab/SN debate is not a debate between right and wrong...it's a battle of preferences on one level, and a discussion of _why_ people want their music in a written form on another other level.
Now, there is another possible side to this issue--and it has to do with learning modalities--and I am surmising here. If there is dyslexia (literacy challenges) and dysnomia (numeracy) why is it unreasonable to assume that there may be people who have difficulty with the logic of SN on a basis that is organic--perhaps akin to perfect pitch, if that's organic. Providing both tab and SN serves at least some people who may--for _whatever_ reason--have a difficulty with the other method. And that's also a good thing.
Ron/datadigr
On Sunday, February 24, 2002, Glenn Weiser wrote:
GW> One interesting aspect of this thread is trying to find the balance between tab and notation- GW> G Maj was strongly opposed to tab, you're questioning notation, and I'm advocating both. GW> Now here's something else-publishers require tab, but music store retailers, GW> according to one of my publishers, strongly prefer that they have notation as well, GW> and are less likely to order books with tab only. That brings us back to notation and tab as the GW> way to go.
GW> -Glenn Weiser
- -- Best regards, Ron/datadigr mailto:r~ageserve.com
