Stupid question (probably)
Question:
> One of the things that we see here a lot is people who never want to use > their ear to figure anything out because they can go get tab way too easy. > So it is refreshing to see someone putting in the effort to learn.
Another couple of reasons not to rely on tabs…and one reason they can be good. 
1. Online tabs are often incorrect. Sometimes they have been simplified. Ocassionally tabs are done in the wrong key. Sometimes the original music was done in a different tuning but the song is tabbed in standard tuning. That usually means you can’t accurately reproduce the original sound. One big advantage of using tabs is when they accurately show that the song was done in an alternate tuning. In the past, I went to tabs a couple of times when I hopelessly couldn’t figure out a song, and found that an alternate tuning made it simple. I recognize most alternate tunings easily now when I hear them, but when I was a beginner, I didn’t even know about them. 2. Many songs are recorded with multiple guitar tracks. Online tabs often show only one guitar track. If you learn the song by listening, you can often combine parts of different guitar tracks to make your sound more complete. tim
Response:
Jez, The more you do anything the easier it gets. But for the sake of a simple explanation try this. The song House of the Rising Sun. I picked this because it is a little complex with several different chords. You are saying that you can easily play along with the vocals, or the notes that are being sung correct. If you can do this then you can surely tell the root notes of the chord changes. A ,C, D, F, A, C, E is the first run through. I am not naming the chords just the note that best represents the chords. This is the first step, especially when you are new at it. Nest you need to find out what kind of A chord. Try them. With ‘House’ the chords are arppegiated (chord notes played individually) so it is fairly easy to pick out the notes. But if you try A major and then A minor you should be able to tell the right one. And you can go on from there. If you have no access to this song, Try asking here about a particular song and maybe someone can help. Again I want to say that your question was not stupid and more so. One of the things that we see here a lot is people who never want to use their ear to figure anything out because they can go get tab way too easy. So it is refreshing to see someone putting in the effort to learn. This explanation is the very beginning of your answer though. Bikeboy has the real key. Start learning theory. As he implied, the actual chords may or may not be played on the guitar. It gets really deep. The more you learn the deeper it gets. There are other instruments and the combined total makes up the chords. This is easier to get when you look at an orchestra. The trumpet section plays a chord, but any trumpet can only play one note.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>> Your question doesn’t make sense to me. If you are playing the song >>> and the song has chords then you are playing the chords, so you >>> would know what the chords are. People here will not laugh at you. >>> If you want to be laughed at go to alt.guitar. This group is for >>> beginners and I think your question is probably, actually a good >>> one, but you should expand your explanation a little. >>Lon, >>I think he was trying to say that he’s able to pick out the MELODY >>with individual notes. He’s trying to understand the relationship >>between the melody and the chords, and wondering if, when he knows the >>melody notes he can figure out the chords from that. > Exactamundo! > Am I talking about the difference between the tune and the melody (or > are they the same thing)? > Standing is the new sitting!!! > I’d say that tune and melody are nominally the same thing, though some > people (myself included) often refer to a song in general as a tune. > Melody’s the more exact term. The counterpart to melody (which you’re > looking for) would be "chord structure" or "chords". Some people might > refer to the chords-only element as the "rhythm" part, but technically > rhythm is something else. They’re just looking at it in a lead guitar vs. > rhythm guitar format. > Terminology gets fuzzy in a hurry if you don’t try to stick to the most > exact technical term. > Another argument for getting some grounding in theory–you’ll learn the > terms, thus you’ll make yourself understood more easily and can follow > along without getting lost. > At the very least, you should get some kind of simplified music theory > workbook or handbook so you get a general idea of what’s going on, and > can look up terms. You don’t necessarily need to get theory perfect in > your head, but the more you know like that the more you can use on the > fly.
Response:
Given any tune, I can usually play it picking the notes. Is there any way of telling what chords would be used to play the particular tune? When I look at some Tabs for songs I like, and see what chords are used, I think WHY, WTF???? Just curious, laugh if you like! 
Response:
Hi. Who’s laughing? It’s a good question, especially considering this is a ‘beginners’ forum. Though, one ought to learn the chords to a tune, no? Then at least one can play the tune.(Read song) The chords reveal a lot about the song. The scale the melody uses, perhaps the solos, guitar parts,etc..If you can already play any given tune by picking the notes then already you have a good ear. Now might be a good time maybe to learn some theory, ie chord/scale relationships. You’re on the right track. Have you got a good teacher? That’ll save you lots of time. Best of luck. Rick Del Savio {:^D} jez > Given any tune, I can usually play it picking the notes. Is there any > way of telling what chords would be used to play the particular tune? > When I look at some Tabs for songs I like, and see what chords are > used, I think WHY, WTF???? > Just curious, laugh if you like!
– Jazz Guitarist/Educator http://www.rickdelsavio.com
Response:
Your question doesn’t make sense to me. If you are playing the song and the song has chords then you are playing the chords, so you would know what the chords are. People here will not laugh at you. If you want to be laughed at go to alt.guitar. This group is for beginners and I think your question is probably, actually a good one, but you should expand your explanation a little.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Given any tune, I can usually play it picking the notes. Is there any > way of telling what chords would be used to play the particular tune? > When I look at some Tabs for songs I like, and see what chords are > used, I think WHY, WTF???? > Just curious, laugh if you like!
Response:
> Your question doesn’t make sense to me. If you are playing the song > and the song has chords then you are playing the chords, so you would > know what the chords are. People here will not laugh at you. If you > want to be laughed at go to alt.guitar. This group is for beginners > and I think your question is probably, actually a good one, but you > should expand your explanation a little.
Lon, I think he was trying to say that he’s able to pick out the MELODY with individual notes. He’s trying to understand the relationship between the melody and the chords, and wondering if, when he knows the melody notes he can figure out the chords from that.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> Your question doesn’t make sense to me. If you are playing the song >> and the song has chords then you are playing the chords, so you >> would know what the chords are. People here will not laugh at you. >> If you want to be laughed at go to alt.guitar. This group is for >> beginners and I think your question is probably, actually a good >> one, but you should expand your explanation a little. >Lon, >I think he was trying to say that he’s able to pick out the MELODY >with individual notes. He’s trying to understand the relationship >between the melody and the chords, and wondering if, when he knows the >melody notes he can figure out the chords from that. > Exactamundo! > Am I talking about the difference between the tune and the melody (or > are they the same thing)? > Standing is the new sitting!!!
I’d say that tune and melody are nominally the same thing, though some people (myself included) often refer to a song in general as a tune. Melody’s the more exact term. The counterpart to melody (which you’re looking for) would be "chord structure" or "chords". Some people might refer to the chords-only element as the "rhythm" part, but technically rhythm is something else. They’re just looking at it in a lead guitar vs. rhythm guitar format. Terminology gets fuzzy in a hurry if you don’t try to stick to the most exact technical term. Another argument for getting some grounding in theory–you’ll learn the terms, thus you’ll make yourself understood more easily and can follow along without getting lost. At the very least, you should get some kind of simplified music theory workbook or handbook so you get a general idea of what’s going on, and can look up terms. You don’t necessarily need to get theory perfect in your head, but the more you know like that the more you can use on the fly.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Your question doesn’t make sense to me. If you are playing the song > and the song has chords then you are playing the chords, so you would > know what the chords are. People here will not laugh at you. If you > want to be laughed at go to alt.guitar. This group is for beginners > and I think your question is probably, actually a good one, but you > should expand your explanation a little. >Lon, >I think he was trying to say that he’s able to pick out the MELODY with >individual notes. He’s trying to understand the relationship between the >melody and the chords, and wondering if, when he knows the melody notes he >can figure out the chords from that.
Exactamundo! Am I talking about the difference between the tune and the melody (or are they the same thing)? Standing is the new sitting!!!
Response:
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