Powertabs.net Shutdown Again
Friday April 4th, 2008 @ 7:36 PM by 
Chris Two years ago I lamented the loss of powertabs.net. The MPA, stick fully inserted in ass, took action against the best and most popular guitar tab site on the internet. It was a disappointing move from an organization that clearly didn’t understand what they were dealing with. They saw copy write infringement where non existed.
Fortunately, a bit later, powertabs.net was freed from the bonds of stupidity, and allow to operate again. For the past year and a half I’ve been happily downloading tabs of songs (I’ll reveal more on this in a later post).
Well, a couple days ago I noticed comments coming through on my nearly two-year-old post; comments that seemed to indicate it was shut down again.
Turns out, it’s true. In another incredibly unfortunate move, the MPA has managed to shut down powertabs.net yet again.
This is, simply put, a travesty. It shows a completely lack of comprehension in what tabs are, who creates them, and why.
Web sites like powertabs.net exist for two basic reasons:
- Musicians, guitar players in particular, want to know how to play a song correctly.
- “Official” tab books are almost always horribly inaccurate.
In order to play a song correctly then, guitar players and other musicians - the very gifted ones - transcribe the songs themselves. And then, so the rest of us poor saps don’t suffer, they share those tabs.
I’ve tried tabbing songs myself. I’m very bad at it. I don’t have perfect pitch; I don’t hear the nuances very well. But I know when I hear inaccuracies. I know when the transcription is wrong. And a good portion of tab books are just awful.
If tab books were as accurate as the many transcriptions I’ve downloaded from powertabs.net, I’d happily buy them. I buy CD’s, I buy DVD’s, I download songs off iTunes. I have a very low tolerance for people who pirate software and music. I have no problem spending money to get accurate transcriptions. Most musicians I know have some amount of money, otherwise they couldn’t afford their instruments and equipment. This isn’t about money, no matter what the MPA claims.
This is about the big guy putting his thumb on the little guy. This is about the MPA exerting control - throwing their weight around.
What the MPA doesn’t understand is that musicians love music. They want to play music, perform music, and share music. They want to play their favorite music - they want to learn other people’s stuff so they can be exposed to new ideas - they want to expose other people to songs they’ve never heard. They want to push themselves to get better as musicians. They want to be inspired. Learning other people’s songs is how we accomplish this. Learning them accurately is where powertabs comes in.
I don’t often rail against corporations, artists or anyone else who tries to protect their intellectual property or their work. But this is a mistake. It’s a mistake because the MPA just doesn’t understand. All they’re doing with this move is making a lot of musicians - they very lifeblood of their industry - angry and hurt. They’re killing their biggest fans.
It’s disappointing.
Posted in Music | 
April 4th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
What the hell is wrong with this group? I remember too seeing the site shut down in 2006. I, i believe among thousands was quite alarmed to see that.
We’re all growing musicians here, some are better than the rest. The reason why we keep on making music is because this is something we’re free and passionate about. It’s the one thing that don’t involve money….practicing.
Under what grounds is this “MPA” shutting the site down is a unresolved mystery to me. It’s a blot in the face of us practicing musicians, a total and utter disgrace, and they get away with it!!!
April 6th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
o.k.
i needed to know that
but now
i wanna know when powertabs.net
backs
pleas tell me if backs
to powertabs.net
o to other
web site
my mail
wilbertmr7@hotmail.com
April 7th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I was one of the tabbers at the PTA and believe me when I say this; this fucks me right off. The PTA was probably the most accurate website for guitar tabs.
The problem with what the MPA has done is that surely the PTA was covered under Fair Use laws, or at least educational laws? Powertabs.net was NOT-FOR-PROFIT. Whereas Ultimate Guitar is laden with ads and it is allowed to continue.
Bah.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Hi Chris.I cant believe how some idiot has blocked the facility of powertabs.its brill’so essential to players and teachers to see at a glance and print off a song for studying etc.the site is a brain child of someone who understands the needs of musicians, but there again we’ve always been put down for our talents,is this idiot another jealous wannabe. LOL.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
so what’s gonna happen to all those tabs from powertabs.net? Are they going to resurface anywhere else?
April 20th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
This is bull****. it was my favourite tab site and now its shut down! that was pretty much the only place where i could get powertabs from!!!!! i cant beleive it! what can we do about it?? its ridiculas!
good explanation Chris. cheers
Jonno
April 20th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
whooops sorry about the loophole in the shortcut guys:P
April 28th, 2008 at 8:35 am
First:
I would like to thank all the people who put in there time to make the power tabs and if it is your own work go copy wright it ASAP the reason follows.
If and when they close all the tabs sights down it will hurt every aspect of the music industry all the way down to guitar sales.
Reason!! Its easy for a young person to buy a guitar and do some internet reading and teach there self how to play if the intress stays with them they usauly start paying for lesons to futher there lerning curve.
ALL I can say is there fools and the guitar shops I know of has taken all of MPA products out of there shops because of it.
I will say this they have no daught down loaded every power tab and they will use them in there new tab book releases that is the reason for the shut down.
They close PT down and now there going to pirate P/T work and use it for there own..
Sorry for the bad spelling folks Im not much on typing or spelling but My money is still real and I can still chose where to spend it (:p)