Blues guitar tabs can be a godsend if you’re a beginner or even experienced blues guitar player who’s trying to learn some new licks, chords, scales, or entire songs. One of the great things about the power of the Internet is that it’s easier than ever to find guitar tabs in a variety of styles. However, not all tabs are created equal. Here are just a few reminders about how to choose tabs properly.
- If possible, choose a tab with standard notation included. Even if you’re not a brilliant sight reader at present, it’s always good to have the full notation, since it’s more accurate than tab in several ways.
- Not all tabs are created equally. Avoid books or charts that look like they were created in a twenty year old copy of Microsoft Paint. Sibelius and Finale are the standard.
- Test a sample for accuracy, if possible. Just because someone creates a tab doesn’t mean it’s accurate. If you can, get a small sample so you can test if for yourself. If someone is willing to offer a free sample, chances are they’re willing to stand behind their product.
- A good blues guitar tab will contain parts that translate the many nuances of the guitar accurately. You want to make sure that all bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and other guitar-centric techniques are all notated precisely.
- Avoid tabs that are made using ASCII text. Sure, once upon a time this was the easiest way to share tabs online, but these days, it just looks lazy and cheap.
- Finally, make sure the tab includes rhythm parts, not just lead lines and licks. Otherwise, you’ll be missing a crucial part of the tune, its very foundation.