Chart for notation to TAB

[George R. Lane]

I don't read standard notation and at my age I don't plan on learning it. At one time I had a nice chart that showed all the notes and below it was the TAB, but it is long gone. Does anyone have such a chart? I have a few songs I would like to turn into TAB. I do understand what the notes represent as far as timing. I could use your help on this matter.
Thanks

[Mark Gunter]

If I knew how best to make such a chart, I'd make you one. Do you just need a treble clef at top of a page with the notes indicated on the staff, and a page full of tablature staffs below that? Such a chart might help, but you'd also have to pay attention to the accidentals (sharps and flats) in the piece you're transposing (i.e. key signature + any accidentals in the score).

If you are determined to learn nothing about written scores, but yet maybe could invest a few dollars, I'd suggest getting the Tabledit program or something similar. With tabledit, you can copy the notes from your score into the program and it will create the tab automatically for you.

[mandroid]

You may have found often There is standard notation and Tab in 2 separate lines ..

Tab numbers tell you which fret your finger goes ,

the standard notation is better for showing you the Timing and note values ..

[Mark Gunter]

In this post, the OP offers two PDFs with mandolin chords. The second one also has some helpful charts for transposing at the bottom: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/search.php?searchid=7984983

In this post, the OP offers a "5 String Mandolin Arranging Master Sheet": http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?105690-Mandolin-Arranging-Cheat-Sheet&highlight=cheat+sheet+transposing

[George R. Lane]

This chart is what I am looking for like this guitar one, but in mando ofcourse.

[Mark Gunter]

Hi George, it dawned on me that that must be what you meant; I made one up:

151616

[ebeja]

151684

Possibly this may be of help, too.

[JEStanek]

I made these a few years ago.

The music sheets is two pages one with tab lines only the other with tab and the staff for standard notation.

[John Flynn]

I can heartily recommend the program TablEdit, which a lot of people here use. You can put in the notes to the tune you are learning and it will create the tab. Also, it will play the tune, at at any speed you select. You can also add modules for accompaniment, like guitar chords and play along, with or without the mando part. You can also print the arrangement in a variety of different views you can select.

[George R. Lane]

Thank you all for these charts and helpful information. I have a lot of info to absorb.

[AlanN]

I can heartily recommend the program TablEdit, which a lot of people here use. You can put in the notes to the tune you are learning and it will create the tab. Also, it will play the tune, at at any speed you select. You can also add modules for accompaniment, like guitar chords and play along, with or without the mando part. You can also print the arrangement in a variety of different views you can select.

+1. A wonderful program.

[sblock]

Yup. Get your head into TablEdit. Very much worth it.

[George R. Lane]

Just ordered the Tabledit. Again thanks to everyone.

[Al Trujillo]

This thread, in my limited history here on MC....is about the most valuable one I've seen. Thanks to everyone for your input. I've been hoping to find a similar notation/tab chart as what has been shared here today.

[Dave Perry]

George, if you can hit a golf ball, cast a fly, or properly expose a photograph (I read your profile), you can definitely learn standard notation. It's just not that hard. And it complements TAB because, as others have said, it tells you the "timing" of the notes.

[JLewis]

Another advantage to Tabledit is that it can both export and import ABC tab which is the format of many of our tab sources. Since taking up fingerpicked guitar I've been exporting ABC for mandolin/fiddle tunes I know, then importing them to a new guitar tab sheet. Cool app.

[Jess L.]

... TablEdit, ... put in the notes ... it will play the tune, at any speed you select. ...

Yep, nice thing about this modern software stuff, is the playback feature. :mandosmiley:

It's immensely helpful in figuring out how written music works, because there's an instant correlation between the "dots on the page/screen" and the sound.

So you can simultaneously *see* the notes that are being played as well as *hear* them. That is useful for all sorts of things, including learning how to read music.

If it were me in the OP position, if I'd never written out music before, I'd first take a look at some existing TablEdit tabs to see how it all works, there are free "tef" (TablEdit) files at MandolinCafe TablEdit library (http://www.mandolincafe.com/tabledit.html), also at Mandozine (http://www.mandozine.com/music/tabledit_search.php), those would be good to experiment with to get a feel for how the written music stuff works in TablEdit. My preferred learning method lately, when learning how to use a new app, is to click stuff and see what happens, :disbelief: (yeah I read the manuals but the finer points often elude me), the worst that can happen with such experimentation is that the music would be changed beyond recognition :)) in which case you could hit "undo", or just close the file (don't save) and reopen it, or (if already saved and no backup) re-download that particular tune and try again. :)

TIP: :mandosmiley: If you download (or write) a tune in "tef" (TablEdit) format and it shows tab only, just click the "M" in lower right corner of the TablEdit window, to toggle through all the views: tab, and standard notation, and both tab *and* standard notation together. (Many thanks to MandolinCafe member "bennyb" for mentioning that in a different thread (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?121149-tefview-software) a while back.) I made a screenshot so you can see where the "M" is, note that I made the TablEdit window much smaller than usual :) so you won't have to enlarge the pic as much to see everything... click pic once or twice to make bigger:

151730

[Mark Gunter]

While reading older threads on a different topic, I came across this image offered by member Wayne Bagley in 2011:

152286

[George R. Lane]

JL277z,
I have been using the Cafe' library and Mandozine for several years now. I am hoping to get the TablEdit for a Christmas present. I am not sure this old dog can learn this new trick, but I will try.

[Mandobart]

Another way that notation differs from tab is that once you hit a D (open string or 7th fret on G) you have two or more ways to play each note. Most of the tab pics shown thus far only show first position.

[Paul Busman]

Thank you all for these charts and helpful information. I have a lot of info to absorb.

As long as you're in info absorbing mode, why NOT learn notation? It's not as hard as it looks and immediately opens up a whole world of tunes. If you're worried about your age, consider this...

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/05/05/309006780/learning-a-new-skill-works-best-to-keep-your-brain-sharp

[JeffD]

The contributers here are wonderfully generous.

As can be seen, there are a great deal of charts and graphics that summarize and present a whole lot of information. There is just so much to learn that this kind of thing is really helpful.

I am of the opinion that everything I don't know is going to bite me in the tail piece one way or another. That said, I am a firm believer that one does not need to learn everything in order to learn anything. (Though it often seems that way, doesn't it.) And there is a metric ton (tonne?) of fun to be had at every landing place.

George while those encouraging you to learn to read are correct, and it is not impossible to do, there is and always will be a lot to learn, limited time and energy, and differing priorities. Rest assured that your approach is valid, useful, leads to great fun, and that should decide, in a moment of excess coffee, to learn to read, generous contributors will point you to lots of cool resources.


I have not always felt this way but I have come to the conclusion that one could do a whole lot worse than just letting increased fun be the motivation for increased mando-learning.