The easiest tab system works like this.

Diatonic

2 = blow the 2 hole
-2 = draw the 2 hole
-2' = draw the 2 hole with a half bend
-2" = draw the 2 hole with a full bend

Chromatic

2 = blow the 2 hole
-2 = draw the 2 hole
<2 = blow the 2 hole with the button in
<-2 = draw the 2 hole with the button in

This is the system I use. It is easier to use than other systems that use more charactors

Hey!

I'm pretty new at playing the harp, and i wanted to learn singing in the rain, but the first note or chord i'm not sure what it is got me confused. can you guys help me figure this out?

79 8 -8 7 -6
Singing in the rain,

Is it possible that the 79 is a chord 7 through 9, or just 7 and 9, or what?

I would treat it as a grace note, it kind of works if you just touch it and then tongue-switch to the 9. Or get to the 9 as fast as possible however you can. The trick is to just barely sound the 7 before the beat. At least that's my take on it.

well i to put in one of my tabs 6w - W for whistle and T for throat vibrato

I like the -4' for half bend and -4" for full bend. I also like the tab on top. That's my vote.

Ya but there is a one old tabbing system 4> for blow and 4 for draw yak i hate that , but i sometimes use harpy to convert for multiple harmonicas and its double work because of it also # is over blow there

i prefer
-4 +4 +4o and ' " "' and thoes for bends also sometimes 4 blow (4) draw

Hi,
how to read horizontal bars, i.e. |-3| as here: [www.harptabs.com]
?

The standard that I have seen is the system that chibluesteve said earlier. Which also has my vote.

Generally speaking, if there is derivation from the norm, the author puts a key at the top explaining what characters mean if they differ.

I personally think that letters make this a bit confusing, since they make the tabs busier and distracting, whereas the ~ or ' '' signs are more subtle.

Yeah. What Lindsi said.

I play mostly in second and third position which make use of more draw notes than blow notes so I us + for blow and nothing for draw. That way I don't have to type as much and the tab is less busy. First position players might want to use - and have + as the default. I use b for draw bend because is looks like the symbol in standard music notation for flat.

Ok, I'm pretty new to playing the harmonica. At least, playing it right, by notes instead of just playing random notes like I did back in 2nd grade.

So I understand the idea of playing a draw when it says a negative number and blowing on a positive one, but I don't understand what bends are. Is it when you put a few notes together?

Also, on Take The "A" Train, I saw:
-3 -3 -3* -4 6 3 -2* -2 4* 4 2

are the asterisks another way to notate a bend?

Thank you for your help

The asterisks would denote the slide in on a chromatic harmonica

You must've seen those asterisks in tab for chromatic harmonica. They mean "push the button."


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I have to say that DJ Nick is correct, keep it simple and easy to read, so just one symbol along with the numbers should suffice as here -4 telling beginners this means a draw note/suck, anything else you blow/breathe through it.

Same applies to Chomatic with the addition of < which is descriptive just by it appearance but should be printed as -4< symbols on either side of note number enables the instruction to be more entered in the correct relation to the lyrics for as tabb players it is the melody of the lyric that we rely on. Give someone a tabb without lyrics and don't tell them the title of song or even better a piece that has never been played before and they would be lost.

After all that I maybe accused of turning our art form into a science, as of late I have been introducing some note length symbols in order to help with the playing, musicians call it a sight read when first presented with a new piece they don't know the piece, but can get through it as their eye/brain has been tutoured in the rudiments of music. Each note symbol having it's time length in its printed design.
So to get this across I have devised eg for notes requiring

1(beat) length .
requiring more length .... thats four (beat)/length
1/2 length '
1/4 length "
if combination of length per note is 1 and 1/2 it would appear as ."

so I am covering value notes of Whole . threequarter '" half ' quarter "
I have not gone as far as eigths and sixteenths.

Hope I have not confused between note length and time beat but I do believe this to be useful when one is presented with an unknown tabb to be played on harmonica
yours Harmusman

I didn't realise there were two pages on this so much of what I say has been covered before, anyway I will leave it on as my contribution H



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2012 02:49PM by harmusman.