Musings

Questions Rise Over the Banning of Tablature

A wave of censorship has recently swept across the entire internet. The Music Publishers’ Association’s statement addressing the use of online guitar tablature and song lyrics is one such attempt at censorship. When one attempts to learn a new song on the guitar, [using tab references] from one of the many guitar tab sites, he reads, “Due to recent controversy regarding the legality of free guitar tabs on the Internet, ‘xyz’ guitar tab provider is temporarily unable to display this guitar tablature. We hope to be able to offer guitar tabs again in the very near future.” These are the words that jump out at thousands of guitarists, telling them that they, and anyone else who plans to ever pick up a guitar, will be prohibited from viewing the tablature for any song because of the MPA’s lawsuit against free web-based guitar tab providers. This lawsuit is both sudden and shocking because till late 2005 there were at least 34,000 song tablatures freely accessible online, and now, all of a sudden, the Music Publishers' Association deems anyone accessing those songs a “criminal,” who, if caught sharing or publishing the tabs for a song or even lyrics to a song, can be sent to jail.

Guitar tablature is a form of musical notation that indicates the positioning of fingers on the strings of a guitar, rather than traditional notation, which provides the pitch of each note. Tablature uses sets of lines to represent the different strings of the instrument, unlike a staff, the traditional notation, which employs the lines to represent different pitches. On these lines there can be a number which will designate the finger placement on that given string. Tablature does not tell the guitarist how to play the song nor does it give him the original song itself in its entirety; it only gives the guidelines for the song, and the guitarist must use these guidelines to learn how to play the song. Tablature is not a form of stealing, only a way for musicians to put their creativity to work. With the help of tabs, guitarists are able to learn, not steal, songs on their own.

The illegalization of guitar tablature publishing on the internet has been a part of the recent crackdown on many forms of music sharing that the government deems illegal. The Music Publishers’ Association feels that teens are stealing from the musicians by getting their music for free. They feel that the easy availability of tabs and lyrics should be stopped because it deprives millions of dollars in sales to the industry and also to the owners of the song. On their internet site the MPA states , “We are doing this to protect the interests of the creators and publishers of music so that, the profession of songwriting remains viable and that new and exciting music will be continued to be created and enjoyed for generations to come.” Are they trying to tell us that because some people go online and look for lyrics or tabs for a certain song in order to sing or play it, established musicians and music itself will suffer? I would like to see musicians actually come out and say that they would not like their tabs or lyrics shared on the internet. This will not happen because it would completely decimate the musician’s fan base. It is hard to believe that any established musician will have trouble making ends meet because a die-hard fan is trying to learn how to play the musician’s newest hit on a guitar. As for the enjoyment of music for posterity, it is highly unlikely that learning how to play a certain song will reduce its popularity or the popularity of a given musical genre.

However, MPA are not willing to back down and on their website they state, "Anyone who patronizes these illegal Web sites is stealing just as if he or she walked out of the music store with sheet music or a guitar." The majority of music lovers will not agree with the Association’s statement. One can understand how downloading music from programs such as Limewire, Napster, and Kazaa can be deemed illegal; being that one can get a certain musician’s entire album without paying a dime. Although many still do this, it is considered illegal because there are copyright laws on the artist’s songs. However, in the case of lyrics and tabs, the MPA seems to be going a little overboard and taking their interpretation of copyright laws too far. Simply because a person wants to find out or share the exact lyrics of a certain song, or wants to know how to play a song or teach the same to other musicians, can he be open to prosecution? Furthermore, by allowing such prosecution, are we really promoting the cause of music for posterity? Music thrives in the hearts and fingers of its lovers; putting gridlocks on the throbbing of those hearts and the strumming of those fingers is like sounding a death knell for music.

This new lawsuit that the MPA has threatened is not controversial only because it is completely absurd, but also because it hinders an expression of creativity in children. The MPA should put themselves in teenagers’ shoes and take into account that many teenagers cannot afford tablatures sold at Guitar Centers and other retailers. Yet, there are many who play the guitar even though they cannot afford to buy tabs. Although it may be true that some musicians play their own music, it is unrealistic to expect beginners to write and play their own music from the outset. They sometimes may want to play a song that they hear on the radio. By taking away the primary way many young guitarists learn how to play, the MPA is taking away the main creative outlet for many teenagers. The outcome of the lawsuit might cause a change that will not be in the interest of society at large. Musical creativity is a positive channeling of youthful energy, which, if taken away, may compel some teens to engage in pursuits not half as creative and as peaceful as playing the guitar.

Even though many are fighting against this lawsuit against online guitar tab and lyrics sites, it will most likely stand just as the ban on the sharing of music did. This completely ridiculous litigation is definitely a mistake. It is yet another example of how the industry is oppressing the public, and this may be only the beginning; it will start with guitar tabs and slowly move to litigation preventing even the most basic things, maybe even spontaneous, bathroom singing. This may seem like a hasty declaration, yet the absurdity and irrationality of the MPA’s actions have pushed some of us to believe that the MPA is taking advantage of the assumed ignorance of the public and its own power and influence with the government in order to “crack down” on such innocent activities such as the posting and sharing of tabs and lyrics on the internet.

This recent lawsuit against the publication of free online tablature and lyrics has been received rather quietly, but soon enough, as many guitarists go to their favorite tab sites and read those dreadful words, they will be instilled with hatred for the MPA and this ludicrous new lawsuit. Soon, if not already, the entire guitarist community, and maybe even the music appreciating community at large, will awaken to the preposterous nature of this ban that not only suppresses creativity in teenagers but also completely ignores that many young musicians can barely afford a decent guitar, let alone tablature. Music is a universal language, something that everyone should be able to enjoy, and the MPA should not be able to put restrictions on an individual’s right to play, interpret, and enjoy music.

posted by thethoughtless @ 6:07 PM