How do you decide the "Difficulty Level" of the tabs you post?

I sometimes struggle with this. For the most part, if the song is for a diatonic harp in first position, aka "straight harp", and there's no bends/overblows/overdraws, etc., it gets labeled as Beginner. If the song is in second position, still with no bends or overblows, or overdraws, that gets labeled "Beginner" too. If it's for chromatic and the notes are close together (no big octave jumps) and the button is never depressed, those too get labeled as "Beginner".

After that, what to label the song as far as its difficulty level, gives me fits.

Clearly for diatonic, if there's a BUNCH of bends (half step, whole step, and step-and-a-half), octave jumps, and tongue blocked intervals and chords, all throughout the song, then the difficulty level is "Expert". (To me anyway...)

For chromatic, if the button is pushed in any at all, some would say that's Intermediate. Seems a little extreme to me.... One button depress during a song doesn't necessarily seem that difficult to me, but several depressions of the chromatic button all throughout a song along with tongue blocked intervals and chords, seems more along the lines of "Intermediate" if not outright "Expert".

So how do you go about deciding whether to label your tabs as Beginner, Intermediate, or Expert?

I just avoid it completely, as I find it completely subjective. After all, what does it really matter. You'll know soon enough if you can play the song or not.
as for the chrom I don't see the button as having any influence, it would if you were actually reading the sheet music without tab. Interval jumps to me are often easier than just sliding over a hole or two as I just have to move my tongue to one side or the other. I suppose the speed of the song would be more germane, bending too on the diatonics. But I'm sure a lot of folks here find that quite easy to do.

I can't tongue block worth a tinkers damn!! (further expletives deleted!) I am SO beginning to wonder if being able to tongue block is a genetic thing, like being able to "roll" one's tongue. {:-1

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Walt, it is subjective. Guess that's why I asked. And guess too, probably really shouldn't worry about it that much. But this question has been rattling around in my brain for several months now, and every time I post a tab I wonder....

So, figured I'd ask... whattheheck! The "worst" that could happen would be for the thread to die quietly with no remarks and no input from others....

Thank you for your input, though, Walt. It's appreciated.

I don't bother with it. If I,m not an expert (which I certainly am not) not having been thtough all the stages, how am I to know what level it is?

Not an expert here, either (not by a long shot) but was still wondering. Every time I post a tab I wonder.... Sooo, hence, my question. ;-)
Suppose it's just my nature. To wonder....

Thank you anyway, gene, for your input. Guess I'm still an outlier.

Deb, for the tongue blocking, I've noticed the harp is well into my mouth to the point that my upper lip is half way up the side plate I assume my lower lip is the same. The reason I know this is that I often have to clean the upper plate, but not the lower for some reason. Also, try using the top of the tongue instead of the tip. I got that from Winslow. I noticed that the Seydel harp has such an extended mouthpiece that I can't get as good a seal. I hope that helps.

I know my tabs are for beginners as I only post songs I can play myself!!

Deb, have wondered about that myself, but then thought that if I post it then it is problaby for a beginner as I am not an expert, so I couldn't post a song that would take an expert to play. I am with you on the tongue block thing, I have tried it but not very good at it, I am sure it is just not enough practice.

Please don't think because I post a tab labeled "Expert", that I am such. Oh, no no no no NO! Far, FAR, from it. Just because I can read the music doesn't mean I can necessarily play it. Reading it is relatively easy. Playing it is the really tough part.... always been notoriously slow at sight reading, so... I tab. Just unsure on how to label a song's "difficulty" once it's tabbed out... so figured I'd ask.

On another note (pun sort of intended) we're great fans of B.B. King. After Stevie Ray Vaughan died we decided that if anybody came to town we wanted to see, we would make every effort to go see them. We had gone to see Stevie when he was in town those many years ago, but left the concert early to relieve grandma and grandpa (the baby sitters). Had we known it would have been the last time we'd ever see Stevie alive, we would have stayed... but hindsight is 20/20.

Anyway, B. B. King came to town last year and we went to see him. I could listen to him play all night long, all the while sitting and listening in rapt attention like a little child, as he plays Lucile and spins his stories. He is a rare and precious gem. By his own admission, he says he's a "single note kind of guy" (although I clearly heard him playing some chords). If "single note playing" is good enough for B.B., then it's good enough for me. I'm just happy if I can play the song and have it "recognizable".

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Thanks, anyway, Walt. I do so appreciate you trying to help in that area, but guess I'm just gonna hafta face the fact that I'm just downright crappy at tongue blocking. I can't even get a clear single note out, much less play up and down the scale. If switch to the pucker method (really the "fish-mouth" method) I can play up and down the scales, no problem, no sour notes, all clear. (And yes, I have to clean the top of my harp too, very often. In fact much more so that the bottom of it)

Anyway, thank you for trying. You really are appreciated. :-) I'll keep trying. Who knows? Maybe after EIGHT YEARS I might get it! ;-)