i think tab is pretty good, even though i can read music.
tab can be specific, lets take guitar tab, if you were in standard tuning eadgbe, you have an e open top string, but you also have an e, on the next string down on the b string, on the fifth fret,
well thought out guitar tab tells you which e, of the two you should play, to make it easier to go to the next note that you intend to play.