LEARN TO READ....EAR VERSUS TAB???????

[anarchyx]

Hughes, u should definitely learn to read music. say u were in a school concert, and there was a part of the song u were supposed to learn that u didn't know how to play. u need to learn the music in case you can't exactly pick something up by ear

[bigredbass]

After thrity years at it, reading (in proper notation) is a terrific thing, but:  It's like learning a foreign language inasmuch if you don't speak it all the time, your skills erode, more for some than others.  At one time I read both clefs effortlessly, BUT I was playing/practicing classical music at the piano every day.  Now, it's a chore to read quarter notes in my F-clef scale books!
 
For me, tab is useless.  Living where I do, the Number system has been very useful, but it's no replacement for standard notation IF you need to read written lines.  For the usual gigs i do, I've never seen any charts in regular notation.
 
It's the real langauage of music, but you have to decide for yourself if you really need it.
 
J o e y

[811952]

The number system is really the way to go.  The Nashville variation allows for non-enharmonic chords within a I-VII range, with major/minor/etcetera added to the notation and the key explicitly stated (in G for instance), if memory serves.  The standard number system, as used by jazz players and Real Book aficionados uses I through vii designators, with both the case (UPPER IS MAJOR, lower is minor) and key signature for tonality cues.  Once you get your brain around the number system, then you'll find that you don't need to read notes for most things, as you'll already know where they are (to varying degrees) by the changes.
 
The above made a lot more sense in my head before I typed it, so forgive me if it isn't rational or exactly correct on the screen.
 
Having typed all that, reading actual notation is far, far better in all ways than relying on tablature.  Perhaps the best way to learn to read is by learning to play another instrument at the same time.  That way you're not as likely to become bored and frustrated with the reading part being so much more difficult than the bass playing part.  Maybe this is a good time to pickup piano or saxophone as a second instrument..
 
John (who may have had too many glasses of wine before posting this)