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Original message:440 days 13 hours 20 minutes ago

Member: BrewAskew

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Reading/Playing Tab

Ok, I understand how to read tab for the most part. But, many tabs I am finding are song lyrics with the chord above certain words. The question is, do you just play these chords once at that word or is that just the point where you switch chords and you continue to play that chord until the next change. For example, in my link to "Nothing But Flowers" do I play C on just the word "Here" or do I play it two or three times until I get to Em and so on. Thanks.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/talking_heads/nothing_but_flowers_crd.htm

Source:http://www.ultimate-guitar.com

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Reply:440 days 9 hours 42 minutes ago
Member: JTC

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When you are looking at a chord sheet verses the TAB you usually only get the lyrics and chords. (Sometimes portions of specific riffs are tabbed out). When you have lyrics with the chords above certain words it is simply telling you that this is where the chord changes are. You continue to strum. When song is depicted this way you really have to alreadyt know what the song sounds like.

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Reply:440 days 9 hours 22 minutes ago
Member: Prowler

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Yea...just listen to the song and you'll know when to change chords.

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Reply:440 days 8 hours 40 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG

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It's the chord changes. Many times what you need to do is simply strum one way or the other and it will work out ok. They are usually meant to provide some backing chords that you can sing over. Variations to the strumming pattern are up to you. You gotta know the song if you want to sound closer to the original.
If the song has more intricate playing and you're interested in learning it, chord sheets are not the most helpful transcriptions you can find.
However you also often find chord sheets that explain the picking pattern for the chords and then simply show you when to use which.

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