Dear Peg,

In fact I believe your problem comes from a misunderstanding of the correct meaning of "tab".

In fact, in this case, "tab" is used in the Northumbrian, UK sense (i.e. a slang word for cigarette).

In fact research has indicated that use of a tab can indeed improve the perceived quality of playing, particularly with blues or rock guitar as the audience will expect to see the use of such a device. The only real problem is that none of the major manufacturers has thought to provide tabs with their guitars (an error in my view), so unfortunately you have to supply your own. The actual brand of tab is fortunately not critical and good results have sometimes been achieved using homemade or even "exotic" tabs.

The correct placement of the tab however is important. It is usual to leave an uncut portion of the G string (applicable equally for normal, DADGAD, DADGF#D and "dropped D" tunings") after the proper affixing of the said string to the string post waving free to a distance of about two to three inches (approximately 4.8 - 7.2cm) from the head of the guitar. The tab may then be correctly and properly impaled upon the free end of the G string. Whether the tab is lit or not is a matter of personal preference although the latter is customary for blues and rock applications.

On certain expensive guitars, the tab may also be conveniently wedged between two strings such that it projects in a perpendicular fashion from the head of the guitar.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Guitar