What GUITAR players can learn from 500 year old TAB...

[@brandonacker]

Did you know that YOU can learn how to read lute tablature on your guitar? Join my school's online guitar workshop THIS Saturday! Arpeggiato.com/events

[@ExtreamClownTown]

idk if its your website, or your hosting. I can't get in. I believe its because I use a VPN. I cannot support any website that bans VPN because they are essential for online security. I'm just leaving this comment to let you know. keep up the good content, I hope to be able to use your website in the future.

[@virgile482]

Bonjour brandonacker, Magnifique interprétation de pièces qui le sont tout autant. Cependant, quel est l'intérêt de jouer une tablature de luth sur une guitare si l'on connaît son solfège ? PS : merci et félicitation pour votre fort belle interprétation de "raindrop", morceau plus que splendide dont j'ignorais l'existence.

[@KraestBurns]

I saw recently a classically trained guitarist talking about how sheet music was vastly superior to tablature because “tabs don’t show you how to actually play everything”, with regards to trills and fingerings, and kept reiterating that “tabs only show you the notes” and I don’t think I’ve ever been more upset about something music related in my life.

[@brandonacker]

Today there is great tab software that explicitly shows the rhythm just like the historical tablature did. It's a faster, more intuitive type of notation. It has advantages over score and faults. Score is better for seeing the shape of a melody and note duration. But to say one is terrible and the other vastly superior is a mistake, in my opinion.

[@ATthemusician]

Guitar Pro combines tab/staff/ rhythm charts, you can view all simultaneously or only the ones you want to see. It is probably the most advanced software for transcribing music and gives you insane amounts of freedom with amount of strings, frets, playback sound of the instrument, time signatures, tuplets, poly meters, etc. It essentially is sheet music, but instead of the circle on the staff it's a number, but it still shows what the subdivision is, and any modifiers you could possibly think of for a note(vibrato, specific bends, tapping with either hand, PIMAC system, legit anything you can think of)

[@KraestBurns]

@@ATthemusician oh absolutely! I've been using it for nearly 15 years to write all of my music! I'm sticking with GP5 though, because the drums in 6 and 7 sound terrible XD

[@dw7704]

Back when I was taking classical guitar lessons as an adult (I had taken classical guitar lessons for 2 years as a kid) I found some songs were better in standard notation and some in tab. So yeah not helpful to disregard one

[@thealexanderbond]

It's got nothing to with that. Brandon is exaggerating the 'myth' to suit his point. The advantage of sight reading music is it gives you the ability to play with other musicians, and the ability to play music you haven't heard before. Those can't be denied. If you don't want to do those things, then tab is all you need.

[@KarenPautz]

Segovia's version sounded almost like a march, or a dance for a large group of organized, choreographed dancers. Brandon's version sounds like an accompaniment for an elegant solo dancer. What a wonderful two-part series, Brandon! You have a knack for anticipating my questions as I continue my classical guitar journey.

[@brandonacker]

Thanks Karen!

[@johnmac8084]

Fascinating. From an electric guitarist who is used to being looked down on for using tab. Thanks 😀

[@michaelzero5278]

Same here

[@random_an0n]

TRAIN BY EAR BRO!!! i hate those guys,they cant write down their ideas either

[@dimrub]

A brilliant video. Also loved the gentle Segovia bashing.

[@mad_mario_]

I'm also an "old style" taught guitar teacher. By old style I mean of those strict "you can't play this era like this". These videos are so illuminating and progressive, it also teaches everyone to "research first to say something really surely". Tastes are one thing, facts are another. Thanks for these amazing videos again Brandon, God bless 🙏❤

[@StarQueenEstrella]

It genuinely blew my mind when, in the video you did with Rob on the history of the guitar and its forebears, you said that guitar and lute music was written in tab prior to the 19th century! I can kinda read modern guitar tab but generally I’m more comfortable with standard notation (possibly because I took up the piano a few years ago, although I did play guitar prior to that).

[@ATthemusician]

Its simply a better way to notate such a complex instrument where you can have the same note in 5 or more different locations, all with different timbre. I love guitar pro's method of combining tab with actual sheet music, so if youre fluent with the vocabulary of sheet music but lack the ability to quickly translate music staff to the fretboard, or just want a simplified version with accurate fingering position, then guitar pro is perfect. Get it!

[@easternyellowjacket276]

You are exactly correct. Music notation is centric to the piano. Which you press a lever, you get a specific tone in a specific location. The guitar and lute are different. You can find the same tone in multiple locations, though slighty different in its flavor.

[@BladePaladin]

Sheets are great for certain things. It's a universal way of writing music, but for guitar specifically I've always felt tabs are just much more natural. To me, that was blatantly obvious when seeing how many ledger lines you have to drop under the staff just to play some of the lower bass notes. It almost would make more sense for some pieces to just give us a grand staff.

[@Diogolindir]

I love that we are observing tablature as something useful. I think one of the issues a lot of modern musicians see with tablature is that if we over rely on that, we tend to not develop transcribing skills but I find tablatures very useful and fun

[@tktspeed1433]

But isn't being able to write tabs for music transcribing as well?

[@35milesoflead]

​@TKT SPEED Yes. Simply put, transcription is the written record of an audio event. So whether you use tab or standard notation, it's still transcribing.

[@JimNoel1]

I remember a few years ago in Quebec seeing an old book in a cathedral. It contained hundreds of beautifully written and drawn lines of music. At the time I was not sure how to interpret it, seeing this video inspires me to go check out some of this music!

[@jfortin1890]

Amazing video Brandon! I don't think I can watch your video much longer without getting myself a lute, you make them sound so nice!

[@nicko6710]

Interesting the guitar being more intimate in this context than the concert instrument Andrés Segovia made it. More a Parlor instrument. Tablature has a place here, unfortunately where I find it falls very short is in an ensemble with other non guitar instruments. Nice playing as always Brandon.

[@kevinmaillet4712]

Thank you so much for this! When I mention tab to fellow classical guitarists, it falls on deaf ears 90 % of the time and I've never understood why. Okay, it doesn't give you the length of the notes. That's why it's smart to use a combination of tab and musical notation. But when it comes to where to play the note on the string, why not rely on someone who already did it for you? No need to reinvent the wheel

[@franklandsman3436]

You deserve an award for your crystal clear explanations, Maestro Brandon!

[@EduardQualls]

Tablature is the personal voice of one instrument, as heard (or aspired to) by the composer for that instrument. After general-purpose, vocal/string/keyboard stave-notation became the _de facto_ method of musical notation, tablature was relegated (as in Segovia's time) to the special interests of musicologists. It's marvelous that you're bringing the knowledge, use and effect of tablature to a new, and more open, audience!

[@JohnJohnson-iv1nr]

Thank you for your channel. I never got the chance to go to school for music. Finance being the main problem. I've been playing since childhood and now I'm 50. I really love to learn music history. Thank you again for your channel.

[@toddbigeasy]

fascinating! I love learning this stuff, even though I probably won't practice it, not today anyway. maybe tomorrow? thanks again!

[@Synonomous]

Another myth on it's head! Great as usual, Brandon. Love your interest in the history as well as the performance. You're a gem to music.

[@abigailorozco8372]

Some minutes ago, my dad occasionally watched a reel where a guy explained a Red Hot Chili Peppers riff, with three chords. Now, I listen to 1:45 and they happen to be the exact same notes. I'm blown away for the coincidence. I love to see how so many modern things exist in the "classical" world! And by the way, priceless contribution to the musical world, as always.

[@rleeg6744]

Very interesting. Beautiful composure and delivery.

[@ripleyhrgiger4669]

I have no idea why anyone would have a problem with music notation no matter its form. Does it convey some idea of how the music should be played or sound? Does the performer play whichever piece they're attempting to play and everyone recognizes and the performance is passable? Okay then... what's the problem? Maybe stop caring how people read music and just be happy that music is being played. Also, I wanted to tell you that your guitar sounds gorgeous. It looks difficult to string though!!! :O

[@anthonyrich1592]

Alas, Segovia was a mere mortal. :) Thank you, Brandon, for the demonstration and explanation. Always a pleasure to hear you play!

[@Hun_Uinaq]

Thank you. You’ve given me food for thought for hours and hours of practice.

[@nurembergcode6148]

Gr8 resource Brandon. I saw Andres Segovia at the Dorthy Chandler Pavilion in LA back in the day. He was quite old by then and, at the time, I knew nothing about Performance Practice so I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. But regardless Segovia was a Gr8 Spanish Romantic and he took the music of divers periods and made it his own. He even - to his crafty credit - faked out his listeners and musicologists alike with exquisite compositions by the stealth Mexican composer Manuel Ponce attributing same to the Baroque composer Alessandro Scarlatti. Lmao you cannot beat that!

[@dennisneo1608]

This style of music is so beautiful.

[@aquabot]

Excellent video once again, Brandon.

[@billymeyer99]

What a great video. The timing notation looks like scandic runes.

[@CU.SpaceCowboy]

really cool video! cant wait to check out some of these old tabs

[@SamBrockmann]

This is amazing. I'm mainly a rock/metal guitarist, but we can learn SO much from our predecessors: the lutists, mandolinists, vihuelists, baroque guitarists, etc., etc. Always learn from the past.

[@SamBrockmann]

Also, sidenote: for the electric guitar players who think they can't play big, extended chords with heavy distortion, Deftones put that lie to bed 20+ years ago. And Alex Lifeson 50+ years ago. Jiminy Hendrix 60+ years ago. Stop being lazy, and learn how to EQ properly.

[@dennismayer4936]

Brilliant interesting indepth explanation of something I knew nothing about. Ty! I feel a little wiser... a little

[@stephenseifert4283]

Fantastic!

[@TheIrishMugFug]

This is fuckin cool man. I never thought to look up historical tablature. I'm self taught and have been playing for 20 years. Classical music was always something I thought just wasn't in my wheelhouse but now that might change. Thank you!

[@josesolismusic]

Thank you for all of this information.

[@kathyhollenbach7413]

I think they were right about ornamentation. It gives the music more elegance

[@Michajeru]

Brandon, from you one can learn much. You are an extraordinarily talented musician and teacher.

[@viktormedina4631]

Beautiful sequel video, full of really interesting and very informative material. Always thank you for sharing your beautiful art and your vast and deep knowledge of all things music related. Much respect always.

[@robertholley2195]

Great true video. I have learned to be careful whatyou believe, because people can hurt you with false information. Tab has helped me a great deal.

[@Le_Mer]

Fantastic video!

[@uhoh007]

The Regale d'Octave was the most widespread pedagogical device for keyboards and therobos by 1800. It's silly name was coined by a therobo player. The Partimento movement has helped revive the RO, which I practice often on my keyboards, but I struggle on the guitar. Perhaps you will help us tease out the Basso Continuo, cadences, sequences and schemas we learn from the Naples conservatories, in the lute tablature. Looks like I need a lute LOL Great episode.

[@kentlarue3299]

Elegantly demnstrated as usual A gentleman scholar...thank you

[@LilyJaneH]

Thank you so much! This was really helpful. I started playing classical guitar because I wanted to learn baroque guitar. I still do, and I’ve used classical guitar to build a foundation of dexterity and have rebuilt my listening skills after a few years of not playing any instruments. I’ve come to really love the classical repertoire. The hardest thing for me has been learning pull-offs. I didn’t realize you are supposed to pluck when you do them. This will surely help so much! Thank you!

[@alexhage4935]

Great video loved it!

[@williamsurname4669]

This was a very interesting video. I don't know much about classical music, but I love how it sounds so much.

[@christopherlord3441]

Really beautiful and insightful stuff. You've talked me into it. I'll get some tablature and relearn all that transcribed repertoire. Thank you so much.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

Sheet music allowed access to an incredible catalogue for classical guitarists to transpose onto the guitar as its repertoire expanded under visionaries like Segovia. As the drive to open the guitar was paramount at the time, I feel this is why so much was forgotten about the older French and German tablature notations of the longer past. I feel Brandon correctly illustrated this in his video. The sheer amount of attention to detail written into authentic tablature of the Renaissance seems to have been ignored by many of those that are considered greats in modern classical guitar advancements (Segovia, et el.). In their defense, they were pursuing a desire to open the repertoire of a plucked six string instruments to some of the most renowned composers like Bach, and many others. If I could be so bold as to frankly state, the lute music of the Renaissance, with its historical introduction to complex polyphony, catapulted the endeavor of music to evolve into what we take for granted today. Renaissance was the foundation. And kudos to a true gifted musician and musicologist, Brandon, for noting this in our modern time with this video on Renaissance lute music and how it is completely relevant and accessible for guitarists. It is important to remember and understand our past in order to progress into the future. As always, thank you Brandon.

[@Holistase]

Love your content❤

[@mhoop1]

oh, how I wish these TAB videos were in existence when I had a teacher in college try to force me to learn to read music while playing bass (music major so I certainly knew how to read but not 'read and play' on the bass because self-taught and tabs were my only background)

[@russellcameronthomas2116]

Super-fantastic video. Very informative and very well presented

[@somarriba333]

When I was a beginner guitar teacher, I was teaching a student tablature. Somehow, he wasn't getting it. Tabs is pretty easy but maybe I needed a better way of explaining it so I asked another guitar teacher how he explains it since he was teaching longer than I was. He told me, "I teach MY students standard notation. They do not read tablature". What as ass. I already knew that tabs had been around for centuries but he acted like it was beneath him. I teach both tabs and standard notation.

[@michaelzero5278]

As a metal guitarist I'm definitely going to try this, I'm so glad I found this video.

[@allan2098]

Some great points on this video. Old tablature is very interesting but modern notation has many advantages due to timing, dynamics and understanding the theory side of it. Worth noting is how much modern tablature is dumbing down music theory for people who are not willing to put the work in to read. I do thing the Segovia part of this video was spot on. As we know, he would regularly romanticise pieces from the baroque era and was famously upset if anyone even attempted to play different fingerings from his manuscripts! As much as I love Segovias work, I fear his arrogant streak did not allow him to fully appreciate the nuances of some of the really old works. A very interesting video. Thanks.

[@markjordan4647]

Brilliant 👏 👏 👏 When you demonstrate on a modern guitar, you do the usual thing of capo on 2nd fret. Presumably a pitch of G with A = 462 hz. Surely instruments of the time came in different sizes and therefore pitches, which the use of tablature automatically compensates for.

[@mariocatanese1011]

Awesome video, great insight and beautiful to hear you play!

[@jona2967]

very interesting. thanks for these great insights!

[@Kilroyan]

fascinating as always. thank you for sharing your insights and skills!

[@strauchler.sebastian]

Thanks Brandon! Great job as always👌

[@brandonacker]

Thanks Sebastian!

[@kithg]

Fascinating, thank you.

[@aturegano87]

Thank you very much for this video! 👍I appreciate a lot the guidance for approaching these tabs full of expression details. I suggest that a new video on how to set guitar tuning to play lute pieces may be interesting. As far as I know it seems there have been multiple lute tunings depending on the number of orders (number of strings).

[@brandonacker]

Thanks Alvaro! My next video will teach a renaissance piece on guitar and my school is doing an online workshop you can join on zoom at Arpeggiato.com/events

[@brandonacker]

There's only one tuning the guitar can manage and that is the tuning of a 6 course renaissance lute (and gallichone). Everything else (theorbo, baroque lute, etc) won't work because the tunings are too extreme with lots of bass strings. So the tuning I show here by taking the 3rd string down a halfstep is the most useful.

[@jondavis3582]

i have to say this video was what i needed i was in a rut

[@brandonacker]

Join my online guitar course!🎸classicalguitar-pro.com -53 videos -6 hours of content -Learn your first pieces -Simulated recital -Downloads and PDFs

[@Cssisabeautifulthang]

Just got my first classical guitar. Imma tremolo pick like you some day

[@brandonacker]

Congrats on your first classical! Try my two tutorial videos and practice slow with a metronome. The more time you spend mastering it slow while being relaxed, the faster you'll play it quick ;) Good luck!

[@Cssisabeautifulthang]

@@brandonacker ty

[@daroldfuapse]

I’d say Segovia was trying to make his music loud. He wanted to put guitar on the same level as orchestral instruments. I don’t see a microphone near him. He insisted on that bold style and long nails, I think, for that reason.

[@WillyJohnes]

great, thx for the link on manuscripts

[@georgeknightley8828]

This is a great presentation, Brandon! Really learned a lot. Didn't even know about some of the public domain tab sites. Thanks for this!

[@irsyadk]

Not only do you explain tabs more thoroughly, you also gave pointers on how to appreciate the subtle differences in musical interpretation when different players perform the same music. That's very helpful and thanks for the content!

[@davidbyron377]

I too thought historic tablature to not be real music. This attitude hindered my progress when I took up the renaissance lute. Eventually I gave in and discovered how wrong my rejection of tablature was. Renaissance and baroque lute music has been passed down to us through tablature which is easy to sightread and play in ensemble with like minded people. Contrary to what is believed, once mastered, the music can be heard when reading the tab score. I have many people tell me that French and Italian tablature is not real music. The thing they share in common is that they can’t read it…🥴 Well done Brandon for trying to set the record straight. DB

[@themedallostoryteller1105]

A good video to begin my day

[@raphaelsilva4862]

Amazing❤

[@MusicManFernando]

Excellent info. I thought TAB was a recent thing maybe in the last 40 years.

[@ChaconnesAreFun2Play]

It would be amazing if you would start a series exploring different members of the guitar family… there are so many different Latin American instruments I’m sure you’d play wonderfully :~)

[@Chasantnik]

Beautiful work. It’ll help me convince a nonbeliever of the value of tab.

[@kentlarue3299]

With all do respect to Andreas segovia ( I saw him and have his autograph Avery fisher hall 1971) I believe that guitar technique and scholarship have advanced a great deal since his day. There are numerous young players with more fluidity and and elegance nowadays that make his playing seem a little stodgy Segovia provided the guitar with legitimacy the same way Wanda landowska brought the harpsichord out of oblivion and we can be thankful for that It was a necessary first step but certainly not the last. We all benefit from pioneer musicians

[@michaelbishop.]

Weirdly, there’s so much information here I wanted you to slow down. Oh dear. Great video.

[@AlienHomesick]

Incredible!

[@thejamaican67]

That was amazing

[@Jay-we2ek]

All those trills in Baroque, apart from making the sound flow, it looks like your hand is "dancing" when fretting. Whereas the example of "ignoring the trills" his hand and playing both looked and sounded "stiff" and not flowing.

[@KevDaly]

It reminds me a lot of the ornamentation in tin whistle music.

[@TomCloyd]

Classical guitarist here - I love what you're doing here. Lovely to hear, interesting and valuable for many folks to learn. Well done! Thank you.

[@strauchler.sebastian]

And you have even more information in the tablature, like the fictas. Listeng to Brandon, go learn to read tablatures! It very easy and a lot of fun!

[@tabkg5802]

The best part about tabs for me is that they not only show you the "note" but where it is supposed to be played. Open 5th string sounds nothing like 5th fret of the 6th string and so on

[@nakshaysachdeva6362]

YES YES YES THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@Shredxcam22]

8:00. Alternate picking is proper

[@hafid371]

Really interesting ! Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

[@ropehitch]

I guess by now I shouldn't be surprised by having my mind blown by Brandon...alas, this was all new information. Mind blown, once again.

[@Joseph_harpist]

I'd love to play guitar repertoires on my 26 string levers harp. ❤ I'm still a beginner though and don't know how to play the guitar at all😂 hopefully there'll be more KZbin clips for this genre of guitar repertoires play on harp series.

[@IhabIAmer]

Bravo!

[@EddieOtool]

Oh boy. This makes so much sense. That's why I felt classical guitar pieces were too harsh sometimes.

[@Motorrad-Auf-YouTube]

Mindblowing.

[@35milesoflead]

Nice video Brandon! Really enjoyed your views on tabs. First you cut off your nails, now you're advocating for tabs!?!?! What is it next? Distortion on the classical next? Or mabye some nice dotted note delay? 😂 I learned to play guitar with tabulature. I am a massive advocate for guitar tabs that are properly transcribed, but alas, oftentimes I find that the person transcribing the music treats tab like an afterthought. Or miss the nuances of how certain notes sound when they are played on guitar due the transcribers fingerings. I am an advocate for whatever gets the student performing. Tab or sheet. I will actively dismiss the whole argument "but it helps when working with other musicians" with :- "not if youre only working with guitarists." Seriously, if you are a rock guitarist who only works with rock guitarists who don't read a note - why the extra information of stave when tab provides all the performance information you require? Personally - I am in the "know both" camp. However - there's a video online of a famous rock guitarist who hates tabs (think it was Eddie Van Halen) bemaoning their inaccuracy. The argument he gave was "dont use bad tabs, transcribe it yourself".

[@callenclarke371]

Fantastic content.

[@axelmorisson]

Fantastic window into the past ! And of course exceptional playing as always. But I think back in Tarrega's time there was a strong "modernistic" current , a bit revisionist if you will- the " new ways" were all about re-arranging and re-interpreting stuff just so it does not sound " old fashioned" ( conceivable that at the time, the baroque period still had influences in current performance practices ). So I think they chose to ignore the notations as a "mark of a new sound" ... I recall someone, an antiquarian I think, discussing a leaflet that was pushed around in the 1700's - praising the virtues of the " brand new steel strings" on instruments arguing the increased sound volume and,- I kid you not- a "modern sound" - whatever that meant back in the 17xx's.

[@dixiefallas7799]

Great I will get my son to sub too. Thanks for your video.

[@jameslouder]

Really fine, Brandon. I don't think I've ever heard a better explanation of the nexus between ornamentation, fingering, and expression, as it appears in the old manuscripts--and I'm thinking of more than tablature. The notion that ornaments are optional, take 'em or leave 'em details is a sad misconception that has long permeated the approach of so-called mainstream musicians--"classical", if you prefer. The same sort of thing you illustrated with the clip of Segovia is rife among pianists too. If I may suggest a sequel to this video, it seems to me your exposition of baroque ornaments, as set forth by Robert de Visée; also the concept of weak and strong RH fingers, leads naturally to the subject of 'notes inégales'. Over to you, Maestro!

[@brandonacker]

Thanks, James! Very nice words. I do plan to do more and I appreciate the ideas :)

[@skyworm8006]

The same applies to singing. Calling it 'ornamentation' is sort of misleading. It was the norm for music worldwide to be heavily ornamented. Furthermore, transcription never describes everything, and many are quite simplistic, so even without ornamentation being transcribed leaving it out entirely from historical music is still inaccurate according evidence outside of transcription.

[@aarontanco6200]

I learned so much from this video. I will now go back and look for the original texts of some of the classical renaissance pieces in my old song books.❤️❤️❤️

[@flamindigo]

This shows why I don't like modern tabs. I play mostly by ear. But, if I want to play exact pieces, I read notes. They thell me when, how long, how loud, and a few other things. Modern tabs just give what fret on what strings without rhythm. I've seen the ancient tabs. I never knew what all those things meant. But, best of all I like the "lute tunig " that transposes the tab to the modern guitar.

[@rrre71]

super video

[@maxime1776]

that's so cool

[@Sharlenwar]

This makes sense, 500 years ago you didn't have internet, radio, etc. So they innovated the music and thus, you see it in the tabs. Pretty cool, you inspire me to learn guitar!

[@zues2013]

I look down on notation I get a kick out of those who read notation and say I can’t play it without seeing the sheet music Those who read tab usually can transcribe from ear as well