Tablatures

By definition, tablature is tied to a particular instrument and is not considered to be a general notation for all instruments. Both Klavar and Synthesia are examples of tablature for the keyboard. Tablatures are also available for stringed instruments (and a few others, like the harmonica), and guitar tablature is widely used. Developed to be alternatives to Traditional Notation, the idea is to visually map notes on the "tab" to fingers on the instrument itself; e.g., the keys on the keyboard or frets on a guitar.

Tablatures provide students an easy and intuitive way to learn to play a piece of music. Certainly there are those who would argue that tablatures are “too” easy and that they remove the element of scale degree cognition and music theory in general. But for the “casual” player, tablatures enable one to learn a new piece quickly and just have fun with it. (But to be clear and fair, Klavar is not only a tablature but is also functionally equivalent to Traditional Notation and may be used by players of all skill levels.)

In any case, the main point is that, like Synthesia, tablatures demonstrate that musicians are open to easier ways to learn and play music even if they don't offer all the benefits of a full-function notation.

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