I have been using this for decades. In fact, this is how my piano teacher taught me keys/key signatures back in first or second grade forty-mumble years ago.
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For two instruments only. This is pretty limiting, as far as a notation system goes.
I think tablature is a fine notation system for bass in terms of learning songs. However, it’s a terrible notation system in terms of communicating with other musicians (or for other instruments for yourself if you are a multi-instrumentalist). It works for bass and guitar and that’s kind of it; for example, trying to use Songsterr or UG’s keyboard “tabs” is just a big PITA. Once you look past guitars it’s basically useless as notation, in comparison to standard notation, which is universal.
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I mean, as I mentioned, I was taught a limited form of tablature for accordion when I was taking accordion lessons way back when.
But when you say this:
That’s kind-of what I was getting at when I said:
So, if you play bass - or guitar - you’re probably going to start with tab, and if tab is doing it for you and you’re happy with where you’re at in your musical journey, there really isn’t a big impetus to learn to read music. It’s only when you decide you need to grow past that point - for whatever reason, be that playing with others or picking up another instrument or whatever - that it starts to matter.
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That’s the key: communication.
Sure, tabs are serviceable for someone to use to learn a tune, i.e., to have a shorthand of which string to press. That’s the “which.” The “when” to press that or any other string is up to the player to figure out by trying to aurally match a player on a recording.
Yeah, that works, as far as it goes. And Josh describes essentially that in one of the levels. No harm, no foul if that’s all a player wants to do. But it is limiting.
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Sure, and there’s also Piano Roll notation, which is what today’s music producers sometimes cling to (a la bass players and tabs) instead of learning to read standard notation. I guess one difference being that to use modern tools, keyboardists need to understand the MIDI piano roll.
Yeah, I agree with that. And I’ll stand by tab as an effective way to notate songs for guitar instruments only - it’s a fine way to learn a song for guitars.
Guitar sheet music can actually look pretty messy too 
But there’s still a lot of value to being able to read sheet music even if you never read a bassline off of it. For example, when a singer or keyboardist hands you some and says “hey, can you make a bassline for this?”
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I totally agree. I’m going through some sheet music courses on SBL, and it’s one of the things I’m working with my in-person instructor as well. But I was giving my answers to the question of “why do people resist learning to read music so strongly?”
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And as long as you don’t want a quick summary of the key you’re in presented up front. And as long as you don’t care if you can audiate from the music in front of you. The standard notation actually has a lot of advantages.
I think using tabs is also one of the things that keeps people from learning the fretboard in a way that doesn’t happen on other instruments.
I have more mixed feelings on this format. The human readability is pretty dismal, but at least you can easily determine intervals and audiate.
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Yeah it’s actually very useful and like I said, it’s kind of table stakes. You have to use it.
I have played with hundreds of musicians
I have never met a musician who said “I’m so glad I never bothered to read music and learn theory”
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My expectation as a Parent was the children would have written language lessons at school, I don’t see music as any different, why limit your skill set and communication
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I have received $0 income for my ability to play TAB’s
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Paul McCartney sure has though.
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Paul McCartney composed the vast majority of the songs he has played. He did not, and has never, needed tab for anything he’s played.
We are in the same page @Lanny I know just enough theory to stop me getting fired from the band.
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Well my wife went to music school when she was young and got rammed with scales, key signatures and theory while she was there - she says she had to learn a piece every week (and there was no internet to listen to the original recording). Result - she would rather eat broken glass than play music now.
Me - I learn covers and everything is fresh and fun. It’s never a chore picking up the bass and IMO it shouldn’t be.
About the video though, I’m a bit confused - it says that you need theory to progress beyond learning songs in your bedroom, but then shows loads of successful artists who claim they haven’t had lessons and don’t know theory …
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Totally this - if when I started playing bass you’d sat me down and told me I first have to learn standard notation and the locations of all the notes in the fretboard before playing something I would have jacked it in. Or maybe tried to learn everyhting by ear …
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This would be something for the talent thread!
As long as somethig comes out of the bass and you (and possibly people around you) are happy, it’s not important how that came to be.
PS I feel very sorry for your wife!
I can relate to that: every single thing that was forced upon me in my childhood/youth (and that were many things, coming from a military family) is thoroughly hated by me now, though rationally I know it could be fun!
I miss out on many things cause of that 
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My wife is the same, she was a far better keyboardist than I have ever been (to the point that her music teacher was urging her to go to music school for college and then go pro), and also an excellent singer, and the moment she no longer had do do it, she quit immediately and the idea of trying music again repulses her.
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Thanks ! She actually tried to get back into it a couple of years ago by joining a local orchestra playing festivals, church stuff etc but she just got really frustrated with going. She blamed it on little things like other band members not being in tune but she was definitely stressed and I wouldn’t be surprised if she had all the bad memories of the classes hanging over her. Shame really - she says they had a killer bass amp and were looking for a bass player to do some arrangements of some rock tracks..
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Man!?!? Do you know any bass players? 
Maybe it was the church stuff?
Did she try norwegian death metal and work her way up (or down) to Jazz?
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