I am sadly a TABS addict and really want to get away from paper.
Especially as I want to play in jams and am currently useless on any song I have not totally memorized before hand..
I - and I suspect others as well - would enjoy and benefit from reading stories how people successfully made the transition from being TAB dependent to playing 'by ear' in one form or another.
Specifically:
What tactics did you employ to make the transition?
What degree of 'playing by ear' did you achieve? (Do you now just hear a song at a jam and jump in after a few seconds? Or do you still need someone to walk you through the fingerings for a while before you get it?)
How long was your transition process?
In retrospect, any key pieces of advice to share? If you could go back in time and speak to your former TAB dependent self, what would you tell him or her?
Thanks in advance for any wisdom!
Epi