I've been trying to tab some songs and find that some are just about impossible to do.

I wanted to do Desperado by the Eagles. It's in the key of G and starts with a 6 draw. The high notes of the song require a 10 overblow to hit the correct note and there's one high note that can't be reached with a G harp. Moving the first note down to a 5 blow on a C harp requires a 3 hole double draw to hit a correct note. There just isn't an easy way to play this song on a harp.

I've also tryed a few other songs. Some songs have harmony singing or multiple melody singing that just isn't possible to get the same effect with a harp. (Think of Row, row, row your boat)

This is why I got myself a chromatic. Some songs just do not want to be tabed.

The harmony stuff sounds like a duet. These songs need friends to play with.

I have been told that some songs are impossible to do without the full scale ie a chromatic, Stephen, so don't be too hard on yourself. The stuff you do tab is great! (smile)))

~always Maria.

Too bad many of the songs I still want to tab will have to be on a chromatic and I don't own one. I've got some real good ones I want to do.

I haven't tried it yet but I still might be able to do Desperado. It would have to be in some other key like A or B to move the notes into a more playable area on a diatonic harp. I'm in no big rush but I'll see what I can do.

I'm glad you like the ones I do submit. No offense to any of the other posters but submitting an Irish song is only good for someone who knows Irish songs. For most of us, it might as well be some Chinese song. At least I try to tab well know or popular songs that the majority of people will know.

I've been thinking of tabbing a lot more of the Disney songs. We all grew up with them so we know the melodys and none of them are really difficult songs.

I guess "duet" would be the best description of the harmony type songs I think of. When 2 singers are singing at the same time but different melodys, it's hard to tab for a single singer. The song just won't sound the same. Stevie Nicks's Silver Springs comes to mind. Near the end of the song it's mostly duets.

Tabbing is not easy. Sometimes the result is not perfect. Sometimes you change the notes a little, and if it sounds OK you live with it. Once I was able to change the key of a song sucessfully. We all do the best we can. I am still learning. Some songs you just cannot do without a Chromatic.

Keep on Tabbing!

BlueWest

You do some good stuff. I wish there were words with the Red Dwarf theme

Steve



Post Edited (12-29-05 21:53)

Ah, The Red Dwarf theme. I like that one myself. A proper title should be Red Dwarf closing theme. I just sort of took that as a simple challange to see if I could do it. The tabs sure don't tell you any musical notation of how to play the notes. You either know the tune or you don't. The opening notes played by the trumpets are:

3 3 3 4 4 4 5

Could be listed as

3
3 3 4
4 4 5

To better show the pauses between the notes. There's also a 7 draw that isn't quite the right note but it's close enough.

It's really just an instrumental song but the lyrics are:

It’s cold outside, there’s no kind of atmosphere,
I’m all along, more or less.
Let me fly, far away from here,
Fun, fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh mango juice.
Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes,
Fun, fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun,
Fun, fun, fun, in the sun, sun, sun.

I was also surprised at how well the BlackAdder theme came out. I can even play it at the proper speed.

Hey Great, you found the words. If you have time it would be great if you added then to your tabs!

Steve (Red Dwarf Fan)

Red Dwarf, I can guarantee very few know what it is lol. Good Stuff.

Red Dwarf tab now updated with lyrics. I had to add a couple of extra notes for the lyrics. I originally just tabbed it from memory.

Great Job!

Thanks

I liked "The Cat" on Red Dwarf.

Some sheet music that I have tabbed from have chords- multiple notes meant to be played simultaneously- But since I am a single-note player I tabbed only one of the three notes. I try to keep it formulaic, but have sometimes, erred I'm sure.

Some of those chords would have required "tounge-blocking" which I have no skill at, and get discouraged with when I attempt.

-rufus

BlueWest wrote:

> .... No offense to any of the other posters but submitting an Irish song is
> only good for someone who knows Irish songs. For most of us, it might as
> well be some Chinese song. At least I try to tab well know or popular
> songs that the majority of people will know.

I can agree to an extent, however, the point of being able to share tabs is being able to share what you know and love, and while popular songs may be more universally recognizable, if what you know and love is not necessarily popular, you should still feel and be free to share it anyway. I know for me, hunting down applicable midi files and/or sheet music to learn the rythm & timing of an unfamiliar tune is half the fun of this or any other tab site, plus it broadens my horizons musically speaking.

There's nothing like stretching your limits to improve your playing. If all anyone ever sticks to is what they know, then nobody will learn anything or improve their skill, and we might as well all just play the radio and leave the music making to the "professionals." (Check out [harpinaway.blogspot.com] for further expounding on THAT topic.)

Well that's enough soap-boxing from me.......for now.

pcguyiv:If all anyone ever sticks to is what they know, then nobody will learn anything or improve their skill.

Amen to that Frank. (smile)))
For me, playing the top 10 popular songs all the time, gets boring real fast. Not saying well-known blues, rock, or country music isn't wonderful, for we have some awesome tab submissions here at Harptabs which I do print out & play every chance I get.

I totally realize that the Irish songs & folk music I love to tab, play, & submit are not popular with everybody. I know of maybe 2 or 3 other people in this forum who get into Irish music as much as I. Interesting enough, the more I get into the Irish music & lore, the more I want to seek out different songs to play. It is extremely challenging for me, since quite often, I've never heard the melody I'm trying to tab. It's forcing me to develop an ear, and that's all good. (grin)))

~always Maria.

The really wonderful thing about this site is that it is a place for people from all over the world to post of ALL kinds of music. I hope that more people post more kinds of music.

Post the music that moves you!

Keep on tabbing!

SHUCK THAT CORN!!!! PREACH IT LIKE IT IS!!!!

There MUST be a song in there.

(If only someone will tab it)