IMHO this is a great thread! I need to assimilate everything that has been said here but before I do I'd like to interject my opinions. Tablature is a valid neumonic device, basically graphic. Musical notation deals with musical ideas. Tab just shows you where to put your fingers. Tab is a very useful way to learn to read music.

Now, about the cult of originality. Everyone is original. Every one is unique. If you copy someone elses notes, you are going to play them differently. Now if you're talking about musical ideas, then, this is a different matter. IMHO the best interpreters of folk music are those who have studied it. This means learning to play it like the original folk "masters". Once this is done, then you look for the music inside of you. It's there. Stop comparing yourself to others and do what you genuinely feel. Look for that musical integrity within yourself. You'll find your voice. To sum up, a balance between studying how others do things and incoporating them into your own voice is where it's at.

Sorry if I sound like I'm pontificating here. I've done a lot of thinking about this kind of thing and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Frank Hamilton