So about this tabbing thing...

Great questions Mark! Here's my attempt at answers:

Notes and key of the song - the first thing I try to do when tabbing a song is figure out what key it is in. The note the song ends on is a good clue (but not fool-proof). Whatever note it ends on, there's a good chance it is written in a key named for that note. (Song ends on E - good chance it is E major or minor.)

I break the song into sections - intro, verse, chorus, etc. - usually starting with the intro - and figure out what are the root notes for each measure, then the other notes. I try really hard to make sure I am spot on with these first notes because they will define the scale/key of the song. So If I think the song is going to be in E because that is the ending note, and I am coming up with notes that fit in E major (or E minor), then I'm pretty comfortable that almost all the notes in the song will be from that scale. (Infrequent, short duration accidentals don't count in trying to figure out the key.)

So now we get to your issue of a key change in the song, and this is where your ear has to work. (And this is where lots of tabs go wrong - continuing happily along in the same rhythm but failing to hear that the notes have changed.) You have to be able to hear that where it was an E - C# - A - B progression before, it ain't no more. So if can recognize that the notes have changed, you are good! But you are back to figuring out what notes are being played now, but you did it before and you can do it again. You can lean on music theory to have a guess at what it will have changed to given where it was, or you can figure out the (main) notes being played and let them tell you what scale/key is being used. I don't think your statement that only one note will be different is correct; it will depend on what key you were in, and what key the song moves to.

You need to know what notes are in which scales. Here's a reference: http://online-musical-scales.com/index.php/common-major-scales-and-arpeggios

For classic songs, you can sometimes find info online saying something about the key of the song, what keys it changes to, etc. Sometimes you can find sheet music and that will tell you lots - time signature, the key the song starts in, etc. Research is often a useful first step in tabbing a song, especially if you are not sure of your ear.

Fast riffs - I slow them down to try to hear each note. I use Audacity or Transcribe! - I prefer Transcribe! But even with this trickery, sometimes you just can't tell - or I can't anyway.

That said, I aim for an exact note for note tab of how the recorded version was played. I aim for this accuracy because it in itself is a great education tool - it shows how someone who knows how to play (got paid for it anyway) made the fills/transitions around and between root notes and key changes. Once you learn how to do that, you can make your own bassline to the song.

Hope that helps!

good info from both LoudLon and I; hopefully that helps you get going. I'm sure both of us, and others as well, will be happy to try to help as you have more questions. Cheers.

Brilliant advice from both Sid & Lon.

Great advice! Thanks!

I think I may be somewhat tone deaf. It takes me a tremendous amount of time and effort to find the right note. I need to go over, and over, and over the notes to make sure there's no vibration in what I'm hearing to be absolutely confident.

I know players who can listen to a song, and just by ear be able to tell you what notes the progression is. I think that's amazing. I need to slide my hand around the neck to isolate the notes.

Time & practice, I know, will get me closer to being able to do this more proficiently.

So I realized I had Audacity, but my version was 1.03, which didn't have the tempo control so I wasn't able to slow the song down.

I just downloaded the new version and will play with it tonight to see if it helps find that lost note.