So it's time for the battle of the century! Which of our contestants will come out being the victor? Tabs, sheet music, or ear? Or all 3 perhaps will be about equal? Find out next week, on the Epic Adventures of... Agh! <----(Killed the annoying narrator!)

Putting all the cheesiness aside, which do you guys like to use the best? For me, I like to use all 3. Tabs are by far the easiest form of learning music of course, and using my ears comes closely behind. I'm somewhat new to sheet music, but I have a pretty decent grasp on it for treble and bass clefs. I can't sight-read to save my life though, but if I sit down and read a piece of music for about 30 minutes I can get it down pat, depending on the song and/or the chords. All 3 have their pros and cons. Tabs, for instance, tell you which fret to play, but most of the time they don't give you rhythmic values (though I've seen some tabs with stems coming from the numbers, which I think is pretty neat). Using your ear is good for improving your ability to catch certain intervals between notes, yet there's that risk that it may not always be accurate, and depending on the riff the fingering might be really weird compared to the actual way the original artist does it. And sheet music gives you the notes and rhythmic values, but it doesn't tell you which fret to hit, kind of the opposite of tabs.

So which do you prefer to use? Which do you dislike the most?

(By the way, if a topic like this has already been posted, then feel free to delete this one. I searched for another one but haven't seen any in this forum.)

It doesn't really make any difference to me. The first instrument I ever learned was piano, and I was classically trained on it, so sheet music comes easily and fluidly to me. But I've always had a good ear, too, and it's worth noting that nearly everything that's become sheet music was first in someone's ear (or maybe just bouncing between brain cells). So I don't mind penning a song out myself, either. And then there are tabs, which are just sheet music in different (less informative) notation. There's no contest, I think--they're all different ways of communicating the same thing.

Rock on?

I don't think I was ever going anywhere with this...

It's just a matter or interest, i'm a musician, so i'm interested in learning something by ear, but a guy who just want learn master of puppets to have fun with friends, can just read the tablature

I usually start with listening, if I can't figure it out (chords, for example) I find tabs. I can't read sheet music.

Tabs are great for what they are, easy-to-read equivalent to sheet music.
to learn by ear just takes experience, it should come to every musician after time.

I like to play with Tabs, I´m lazy to get things by ear haha, but If I hear something wrong in the tab, I try to make it right by listening the song, can´t read sheet T.T

All 3 Each has its advantages, so getting used to all three forms is the most versatile way to go.

i picked just the ear in this poll, normally because i can learn a song just by listening. However, like the rest of you here, the tabs are always useful to fall back on especially if a particular part is tricky, or perhaps a little hard to hear in the mix. I can read sheet music... for piano, but on the guitar it would not be any use to me. I cant sight read though, i would have to work it out note by note.

All 3 have their pros and cons as you've mentioned and I think it really depends on the person and the situation.

If I'm learning a song I tend to just download a powertab that way I've got the rhythmic info of sheet music and the speed/fingering info of tab. But then that decision is driven by the fact that I learn very few covers and really time spent figuring something out by ear is time I could be writing my own stuff, so I never bother.

And I use powertab for most of my song ideas too - entering a number on a keybaord is a really quick input method for notes, I can quickly get the transcription down and listen back instantly to play other parts over the top.

Its taken me 5 years or so to become a really proficient sight reader of sheet music (on the guitar) and I wouldn't go back to TAB in any circumstance, seriously ever. Now that I can read really well its just sped up my entire processing of music. I learn pieces faster and more thoroughly and am far more confident on my instrument. I got a call the other day from an old friend asking me to come and play at his brother's wedding for an hour or so. A few years ago I would of said no but now I know I can take some sheet music and am covered.

It all depends on context though, people who become freakishly good at sight reading music usually have great ears as well, after a while you just look at the page and hear it in your head I suppose. So I would vote for a combination of sheet music and using your ears. Although thats influenced by the music I spend most of my time playing, which is classical. If your in a metal band your probably not going to transcribe your tunes and have no need for sheet music. So disregard my wankery.