[JBCROTTY]

This debate always starts to sound like debates about wine. You have the wine experts sneering at the people at Trader Joe's chugging 2 buck chuck. My point is...who cares how you got playing, so long as you are playing and enjoying it.

The reality is that without TAB, a vast majority of people who play guitar would not play (myself included), or would have struggled to the extent that only the hardiest or most determined would have stuck with it. Pitar's point of the ear needing to be trained is correct, but training your ear to hear the minute characteristics of music to inform your playing takes a very long time, even for musically talented folks. The fact is people need to learn to play while their ears figure things out. TAB let's them win early and often.

I took music lessons as a kid for years playing piano, guitar and saxophone. Years spent trying to learn to read traditional music signature and apply it to playing whatever instrument was in my hand. It was frustrating and difficult for me - not because I could not grab the concepts, but because progress was slow and I did not feel like I was getting better or understanding what I was doing. It is the primary reason I quit (that, and my teacher would not let me play Van Halen or REM tunes - for what reason I will never understand). Spending a month trying to crank out "Sloop John B" is not a recipe for fun or success.

TAB allowed me to pick the guitar back up as an adult and make faster progress and enjoy the journey. I was able to get reasonably proficient and play a large amount of songs quickly. I'm no Eddie Van Halen, but I can play songs and determine over time when things need to be adjusted. The point is, my ears are developing, but while they do I need to feel good and have fun and that is what TAB allows people to do. I can study music theory on the side to help me fill in gaps while I hammer away at REM's greatest hits.

The fact is I will never have to learn to read music (beyond what I can already read) to play guitar and get better. Could I get into Berkeley School of Music or Julliard? No. However, a vast majority of hobby guitar players out there don't read music either, and some of them are really good players. It is my understanding that many professional musicians don't read music either. TAB allows people to pick up the instrument and play songs quickly, and that is the number 1 most important objective to keep them moving in the journey.