Learn to read music.

[JazzMick]

I just wanted to emphasize that if your going to learn any instrument.. Guitar included you should learn to read music.

Forget tabs! Seriously! Throw them all away. Complete waste of time!

Go get some simple books on sight reading. Learn the dots, learn your instrument. Become a musician!

yes yes.. I'm sure there are plenty of amazing musicians who cant read that well... or even at all(in fact I know). However these people probably have incredible ears and are restricted to working with musicians who either tolerate tabs or are happy to just learn everything by ear. I had a discussion today with a teacher and this subject came up. Regarding how they teach their students via tab because ' that's what they know '

This infuriated me. I know this person can read relatively well and they have agreed with the benefits of understanding the dots. Both as a means to quickly learn music as well as having the ability to effectively share musical ideas with other readers.

Anyway. I just felt like venting that.

To all you players out there who read tab exclusively. Get your reading glasses out and start learning the dots. In no time at all you will realize how much time you were wasting with tab.

It would also make life easier for the rest of us who like to share information on forums like this, but sometimes hesitate because they loathe the thought of having to tab things out.

Or don't

[mjo]

Yes ! reading standard notation is well worth the effort, (IMHO). You don't have to be great at it, lord knows I'm not, but if you're able to pick out a melody or voicing, (and timing) by reading the notation, you've opened up a world of publications / communication that was otherwise useless to you.
-I'm a little surprised that teachers don't focus more on this, but I guess you've got to cater to the student. Hopefully a teacher can convince the student that standard notation is useful.

No need to throw the tab away, though. Even though I don't care much for it myself, it would likely be the easiest way to learn "that" Malmsteen solo

-best,
Mike