Tabs are illeagal, and the industry wants website owners to be jailed

[PenguinBoy]

Tabs are illeagal, and the industry wants website owners to be jailed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4508158.stm

This is damn crazy! tabs are one of the singular most important invention i can think of. I don't understand how they can be illeagal, surely they are simply just a comunication of what is interpreted by a musician. it's effectively some dude telling you how to play a song.

what happened to the times when people WERE the music, and the music WAS the people. i say we should download loads of music illeagally and tab everything we see and collapse the industry. Take music and put it where it should be, in the comunity. Because you can't kill music, nothing can kill music, crumble the industry, whatever, but people will create music if they can't find it. Give the music man a fiver for his CDR. Music should be taught, and it shouldn't be confined to those who can buy loads of tab books.

Musicians should want to teach eachother. their target shouldn't be money should it?

Why should the industry take music away for people and hold it for ransom.

I want folk music man.

[cille]

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

the industry wants website owners to be jailed

as well they should my good man. we can't have people play music and be all jolly all the time. that's insane.

[Gatsby]

*sarcasm detector blows up*


yeah i remember hearing this a few months back... isnt music supposed to be a universal thing that everyone can share... Theres nothing better than finding a tab and playing a song you love. seems to me like greedy musicians/industries trying to make every cent of money

[Yetzirah]

Originally Posted by Revelate

seems to me like greedy musicians/industries trying to make every cent of money

my words, boy, my words!

i was actually thinking the same...

[Angela]

"The Xerox machine was the big usurper of our potential income," he said. "But now the internet is taking more of a bite out of sheet music and printed music sales so we're taking a more proactive stance."

~~~~~~ tranlates into: we need more money for coke and hookers.

[PenguinBoy]

angela! u can't just link to images on ur computer! (unless it's a server)!

but totally, damien rice is such a god for telling his reccord company to **** off.

"you wanna be rich, you wanna be kitsch"

[Angela]

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

angela! u can't just link to images on ur computer! (unless it's a server)!

I didn't put that there, I swear! This forum seem totally incompatible with the Firefox browser (or the other way around). I suspect that's the problem! Now I'm scared to post.

[PenguinBoy]

i use firefox lol and it's dang fine

[Angela]

^ That's so odd.

[Timeé]

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

This is damn crazy! tabs are one of the singular most important invention i can think of. I don't understand how they can be illeagal, surely they are simply just a comunication of what is interpreted by a musician. it's effectively some dude telling you how to play a song..

exaacctly. i completely disagree. its someone teaching you how to play a song. thats someone else's interpretation your using. I feel waaaaaay better if i figure out how to play a song by myself.

If everyone used tabs then there'd just be a few people making money dishing them out.

I thought music was supposed to be expressive..

[administrator]

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

Tabs are illeagal, and the industry wants website owners to be jailed

[PenguinBoy]

hehe! i don't think you'll be first on their hit list "the administrator formally known as emmet"

I think it's the big tab vendors that'll get hit, and abused.

[Fool]

In my experience, I find tabs or guitar pro files often much more useful and much better sounding than tab books.

[genzoman]

tabs themselves aren't illegal. i think what artists and record companies are complaining about are note for note transcriptions from someone who bought the book, and then put it online. THAT is illegal. but its hard to tell if a good tab came from someone's ear or from a book. at least i think thats how the law is.

[Gatsby]

seems alot of the tabs sites have been threatened with lawsuits now

olga.net has shut off all its tabs

and guitartabs.cc has done the same but given a length reply to what they said on their website

www.guitartabs.cc

whats the world coming to...

[Bumpman]

That's the most depressing thing that I've ever read.

The only heartening thing is that if the music industry keeps pushing against the idea of people playing their favourite songs on their own instruments, and telling other people what they think the chords and lyrics are. Eventually the issue will be heard in the United States Supreme Court, and the NMPA, MPA and the RIAA will be well and truly bitchslapped by the first amendment.

[simog]

That's the most depressing thing that I've ever read.

I agree - I have a nasty hangover and this isn't helping.

Eventually the issue will be heard in the United States Supreme Court, and the NMPA, MPA and the RIAA will be well and truly bitchslapped by the first amendment.

I really do hope so - this is one of the few things that really makes me want to do something drastic! "We must stop this madness"

[Bumpman]

The general exchange of ideas is necessary to a free country, stronger and meaner people then the f*cking RIAA have tried to circumvent the freedom of speech before. Even if it's never brought to the attention of the courts in the US, other countries will never accept the RIAA over their own constitution, and therefore tabs could be hosted in those countries, because litigating the internet in any country under democracy is a very complicated thing.

There is no line between banning tabs and making it illegal to try to figure out the lyrics to a song, and play it on your own instrument. It's an unwinnable fight.

[EskimoNo9]

Tabs being illegal is dumb, I agree. The tab books I've bought are usually too mechanical, as though they weren't original or from the same format as the original song.

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

"you wanna be rich, you wanna be kitsch"

You know, I've never really seen this song in that particular perspective? Is that what the song is really about? I just always thought it was about being trashy..

[Loveless]

Originally Posted by PenguinBoy

Tabs are illegal, and the industry wants website owners to be jailed. Why should the industry take music away for people and hold it for ransom.

You know it's also illegal to transfer CD's you have bought, onto your MP3 player.

[Niko]

Originally Posted by EskimoNo9

You know, I've never really seen this song in that particular perspective? Is that what the song is really about? I just always thought it was about being trashy..

Well, the song is about a woman, so I very much doubt he suddenly segues into ranting against record companies in the middle. But hey, what do I know? Anything is possible, I guess.

[flyaway]

Originally Posted by Timeé

I feel waaaaaay better if i figure out how to play a song by myself.

I agree. I say ban them, but only because its pure laziness on the people wanting to learn the song's part.
It is wrong for people to be jailed and for it to be illegal, though. I suppose it is just an expression, just a very lazy one.
If you want to listen to a song, buy the album, single whatever.
If you want to play the song, learn it yourself. You get a far better sense of self than if you've just had it prescribed to you, etc etc

[Emelie]

I can't agree with you Flyaway! Some people, like me, simply can't play by ear.. Or at least it takes them a very, very long time. That is like saying we should never use notes to learn to play classical piano parts, we might as well just listen to them and try and take them out. If someone wants to transcribe a song and publish it so that everyone can use them, then why stop them? Just because you don't want to use the tabs doesn't mean that you should restrict everyone else.

[Niko]

Originally Posted by flyaway

I agree. I say ban them, but only because its pure laziness on the people wanting to learn the song's part.

What about people like me? I'm partially deaf, so although I enjoy listening to and playing music, I find it incredibly difficult - to the point of impossibility - to work out how to play a song by myself. It's very easy to say it's "pure laziness" on the part of people who use tabs, but that's just because you've been blessed with the ability to transcribe music. Why deny those who are not as talented as you?

[ste_swann]

This is not right...it's a shame, a real shame, you must be totally mad to think a thing like that, or maybe too much greedy. I don't understand why it should be wrong, tabs weren't definitely ruining the music industry, they helped a lot of people to get hooked to music and playing an instrument. That's my opinion, they've crossed the line this time

[Mr Benn.]

This is complete nonesense!

I think even some musicians would argue with this. I've email several artist asking for tab and several have been more than happy to point me in the right direction or even to tell me themselves.

This wont last.

[Closing_Doors]

Originally Posted by flyaway

If you want to play the song, learn it yourself. You get a far better sense of self than if you've just had it prescribed to you, etc etc

Quoted for truth!

Ok if you're partially deaf etc fair enough, but otherwise it will help you a lot more if you tab it yourself. Granted don't start off working out Dream Theater.

[cille]

I still see nothing wrong in sharing tabs, even if it is oh so gratifying to figure them out yourself. Sometimes you just wanna do a fast cover and there isn't always time for a transcribtion sessie.

[Mr Benn.]

The beauty of tab is how accessable it is. If it were taken away so many fewer people would play guitar. No one without any musical experience could just pick up a guitar and play something from ear but with experience they can build it up. It leads to far more people playing guitar each with there own take on how to and leads to a wider range of genres.

I've had the advantage of guitar tuition though my school but many haven't and can't.

[Closing_Doors]

Originally Posted by cille

I still see nothing wrong in sharing tabs, even if it is oh so gratifying to figure them out yourself. Sometimes you just wanna do a fast cover and there isn't always time for a transcribtion sessie.

True, though the more you do it the faster you get. And yes its fantastic for beginners, but it will stand to you (in more ways than one) if every so often you tab songs yourself.

And I'm definately *not* arguing for this ban on tab sites!