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Sideways parentheses on tablature? What do they mean? I’m a visual learner.
I know they must have name. I referring to the marks on the tab for Not-So-Old-Rodeo that link the quarter note at the end of the first measure with the quarter note at the start of the second measure. What are they called and what do they mean? I’m guessing it means to strum the last note of the first measure but not the first note of the second.
As a visual learner the tab is extremely useful for gaining rhythm. IT WOULD BE EVEN MORE HELPFUL IF THE THE UP/DOWN MARKS WERE INCLUDED ON THE TABS. I expend lots of energy trying to figure out the ups and downs, stopping and replaying the video in order to match things up. The uncertainty of whether I am going in the right direction frustrates me. The visual cues enable me to exercise rhythmic muscles so I might someday acquire auditory learning skills.
I’m into my second year with TAC and I play most days. Progress is slow but there are many benefits. I’m amazed when pick accuracy seems to magically happen and fingers find frets. I can play parts of many songs, though hardly any completely. So much to learn.
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3 Replies
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It is called a tie if it is below the notes, if above the notes it represents a slide.
Tabs don’t really provide rhythm information, you need to use the notes to determine timing.
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A tie that links 2 notes is an instruction to play the first of the 2 notes for the duration of both notes put together. (without re-playing the 2nd note.)
So in 4/4 time, if you had one whole note in one measure (takes up 4 counts which is the entire measure) and that note had a tie to a half note in the next measure, followed by 2 quarter notes, you’d play that first whole note and hold it for 6 beats before playing the 2 quarter notes that follow the tie.
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As for when to pick up vs down there are a couple rules of thumb.
– down pick on the beat and up pick on the off beat.
If you have 4 quarter notes then it is all down picks, if you have all eighth notes it’s dudududu. When you do the count pick down on the numbers and up on the “ands”
– if doing arpeggios you pick in the direction of the next string. So if you are picking strings 5,4,3,4,5 you would pick DDUU and then either U or D depending on where the next string is after this sequence.
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