So we agree @Michael_Mark TAB is not a crutch.
Too much reliance on tab!
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TAB is not a crutch if used properly. Anything can be a crutch or hinder your progress as a musician if done improperly. 
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Finally we agree 
Can we move on now!
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Tab is not inherently a crutch. It’s a wonderful tool, but I see way too many students abusing it as a crutch. I have a goal of having more lessons that are ear-only on the site and helping folks use both of these great tools.
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Wait, at what point did we disagree 
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No no no, I think we can agree that we disagreed that we disagreed over what we agree on
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You nailed it now on what the agreement or disagreement or whatever that was about! 
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That would be a awesome course! That is something I don’t see on other subscription platforms I’m apart of. A lesson on feeling and listening. And how theory ties in and when to use it.
Great idea.
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visible confusion
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Thanks Archie. I am using the tef file and looping it.
I’ve slowly been going through each lesson. I’m not against tab by any means.
I was just concerned I (personally) would not memorize material, but I realize I am just at the beginning and it will come. Thanks for all the encouragement .
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All I can add is my progress has improved dramatically since I started using TEF files, before that I had started out learning banjo by ear using the Murphy Method my progress with Murphy was excellent but her teaching materials were pretty limited with just a handful of licks which rapidly became redundant for me as I wanted to learn more advanced material.
I turned to printed TAB books for a time but I rapidly became disheartened with all the negative comments about TAB on another forum and began to loose all interest in trying to learn banjo and it was then that I found Banjo Ben on YouTube
Ben really inspired me and gave me the inspiration to stick with it and I soon found myself signing up as a life member. Since then my progress has been steady and I have learned so much from studying his lessons. But I don’t think I could have worked through any of the advanced lessons on this site without the aid of the TAB TEF files and TablEdit.
Once I learn a tune from Ben’s lesson, I work through the TAB TEF File, Then I pop on the headphones and read the TAB as I listen. Soon I am playing along with the TAB and recording my progress as I go. I have to say in the beginning it was hard, and for much of the time I didn’t think I would ever get to where I am now.
Unlike other teaching methods I have work with that barely cover the fundamentals Ben’s lessons teach you more than just a solo he teaches you how to play banjo using accurate TAB in support of his excellent instructional video’s. If you still feel TAB is holding back you progress then set it aside and find your own way forward. We all learn differently and TAB might not work for you. I wish you well whichever path you decide to follow.
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Good point. I too approach Tab as an “example” to learn and to ultimately modify to suite our own taste and to learn new licks (petty theft is always encouraged). I’m pretty sure that BB Clark’s goal is NOT to have us play exactly like him. So yes;. Absolutely more than just a Solo.
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I have found that TAB is a huge crutch for me because of my goals. My main goal is to be able to play along with other people as much as possible and have fun while doing it. I can learn a song by TAB and learn it perfectly if I spend enough time with repetition, but it takes a lot of time for me to get it down and I will forget it pretty quickly. However, I have found that if I spend some time up front to figure out a song without TAB, I can memorize it quicker and I can remember it longer or at least figure it out again pretty quickly. The licks I choose are not nearly as tasty as the ones Ben would choose, but I think I’m getting better at that too. When I learn a song, I always start with learning the chord progression and rhythm first, then the melody, then some licks. I have recently been trying to ween myself off of writing the TAB down because it takes a lot of time too. I feel like I’m headed in the right direction for my goals, and I’m having fun.
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I would tend to disagree in part Neil. Learn it the way @BanjoBen teaches it then using the skills learned in the lesson to modify and develop the knowledge and skills learned to make it your own. It’s what I kinda take away from what is being taught. But I am sure others approach things differently.
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Guess I should have clarified that as “Musicians”, BBClark would likely not expect us to play exactly like him. Of course, as you point out, in learning his " Tab" or arrangements, we should learn as closely as possible to understand his licks, technique etc…
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Right Neil and the importance of video lessons and his accurate TAB are key to the learning process. No one wants to have to rely on TAB. As I try to stress it’s a valuable tool to help us build knowledge and skills.
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