by badfinger » Tue Dec 16, 2003 4:17 pm
Oh, dear – here we go again.
“Would the same criticism be applied to non-blues (given that blues is supposed to be more spontaneous and less structured).”
For many, there seems to be an unwritten rule that ‘blues’ has to be spontaneous, unwritten, unrehearsed, unrecognisable, unintelligible, undisciplined, unknown, unitednations...
Seriously, there have been lots of posts which start off saying something like “Blues is free-form, not tied down, can’t be governed by rules, do your own thing...” These posts usually go on to lay down a helluva lot of rules for ‘blues music’ (additional to those above).
Blues music is merely one of many genres of music. It is not separate nor special, beyond those elements which define it as a genre. Yet many regard this so-called “spontaneous, less-structured” music as being unique, entire unto itself. Blues and non-blues?
There are, of course, musicians with a personal leaning or talent (or limitation) for one genre or another. I’ve known many ‘classical’ musicians who are too rigid in their musicianship to play anything but their main branch of the art, for whom, for example, jazz improvisation is almost impossible (but I bet I can find more ‘classical’ musicians who can play blues than ‘blues’ musicians who can play anything other than blues).
A competent musician will play any form of music that may be asked of him. How well he performs in a particular genre, beyond technical expertise, will vary as the personality and inclinations of the musician in question.
Another favourite is that learning a piece from any form of written record is in some way stifling, or restricting.
If this be truly the case, then I suggest that it is the ‘musician’ concerned who is stifled and restricted in his ability to express himself beyond the limits of the written form.
And the phrase “I like to do my own thing” is often a case of “I like to be free of the responsibility of getting it right.”
I suggest that many people who insist that the written form is the wrong way to go are people who can’t be bothered with putting in the effort to study/read the written form, or to learn the skills needed to read the written form (I bet they write words down!).
Funny thing is, few seem to recognise that dots on paper represent a means of recording music no more nor less valid than is a cd – it’s just a more convenient means of doing so (the dots, that is).
Also, if they learned notation, they’d find that the amount of effort and time required in learning a new piece would be cut dramatically.
Then, of course, you run with it and do what the hell you like with it!
Tablature vs notation.
Although tab survived through to the C17th, it was dumped by composers as soon as a usable notation was developed, because of the flexibility, universality and general ease of use of notation compared with tab.
- Tab is clumsy, inarticulate, and specific-instrument oriented. It cannot transfer from, say, guitar to piano, or saxophone, or flute... One cannot give a piece of guitar tab to a trombonist with whom you happen to be gigging and say, “This is what we’re playing.” (Of course the rule-makers will say that a flute, or trombone, or... has no part in blues.)
Notation, on the other hand can be read for any instrument, perhaps with some transposition (which a competent musician will handle in his stride).
- Tab is (generally) lacking in information; most tabs are useless unless you already know, or can hear a recording of, the tune. There are few tab forms that can be sight-read, and even fewer musicians who can sight-read tab. If you read notation, you ‘hear’ the tune as you read it, as simply as recognising the sound indicated by the letter ‘B’ in written English. Again, a competent musician will happily read a score for an orchestra of instruments and ‘hear’ the whole thing as he reads it. (Some tab forms attempt to incorporate elements of notation to overcome the limitations of basic tab – making it even more cumbersome. What can be useful is a combination of tab and notation in double-stave arrangement.)
- Tab (I have found) is actually more difficult to learn than notation, which makes one constantly wonder why anyone bothers. It is true that there is less to learn in tab – but that’s because it gives you less.
One of the more frequent arguments for (guitar) tab is that it shows you where to put your fingers. Hmmm...
Counter-argument: being able to read (any) notation allows you to decide where to put your fingers.
I will hazard (with a wagered stake if asked):
- any musician who argues for tab over notation, cannot read notation;
- no musician, competent in reading notation, will argue for tab.
bf