[jumpinjeff]

I will go to the tab as a last resort if I can not get it just by listen/watching. It has been a while since I have needed to use them. I could never read as fast as I wanted to play so it was my tool of last resort. If you are, or have developed that skill or want to have it and see how it is improving your playing I would continue to use the tabs. If not, you can always come back and nail it down later should you need/want to.