Reading The Guitar Tablatures (Tabs) : Lines & Numbers

Guitar music sheets are available on the internet mostly as tabs. This is because this system is easy to write in on a QWERTY keyboard. Guitar tabs represents the strings and frets of the guitar fretboard. Each note is indicated by placing a number which indicates the fret to play, on the appropriate string. With these easy instructions you will be able to understand how to read and write guitar tab in 5 minutes.

Reading Guitar Tab

To start out, tabs are written in lines, each line representing a string on the guitar. The thickest string being the bottom most line and the thinnest string being the topmost.

e----------------------------------------------------- 1st String
B----------------------------------------------------- 2nd String
G----------------------------------------------------- 3rd String
D----------------------------------------------------- 4th String
A----------------------------------------------------- 5th String
E----------------------------------------------------- 6th String

Numbers are then placed on these lines to represent finger positions on the guitar fret board. If you read the diagram below you would play this on a guitar by putting your finger just behind the 2nd fret on the 5th string (or the second thickest string). As musical notes this would read as follows B B B C# B A. The ‘zero’ represents playing an open string. So in this case you would play the A open with no finger position on the fretboard.

e--------------------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------
A--2--2--2--4--2--0-----------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------

The one shortcoming of guitar tab is it doesn’t usually represent how long to hold a note for, or rhythm very well. Although some good tab writers will represent it by how much space is between each note. Tab works best if you listen to the song for guidance on timing then read the notes and practice it.

Tablature Symbols

The numbers don’t really describe the subtle techniques that a guitarist can execute, these are the tablature symbols that represent various techniques.

h – hammer on p – pull off b – bend string up r – release bend / – slide up \ – slide down v – vibrato (sometimes written as ~) t – right hand tap s – legato slide S – shift slide – natural harmonic [n] – artificial harmonic n(n) – tapped harmonic tr – trill T – tap

TP – trem. picking PM – palm muting \n/ – tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip \n – tremolo bar down n/ – tremolo bar up /n\ – tremolo bar inverted dip = – hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls <> – volume swell (louder/softer) x – on rhythm slash represents muted slash o – on rhythm slash represents single note slash

Hammer On:

E|-------7h10--
B|--------------
G|--------------
D|--------------
A|--------------
E|--------------

Means, hold the 1st string at the 7th fret (with your index finger, preferably) and play it. Now quickly, without muting the sound of the vibrating string, strike the 10th fret of the same string with a free finger (usually your ring finger) for a quick transition of the note.

Pull Off:

E|-------------
B|------5p3-----
G|--------------
D|--------------
A|--------------
E|--------------

Means, hold both the 3rd and the 5th frets of the 2nd string and play it. Now, rapidly pull your finger off so that the note gets flatter very fast.

Bend:

E|--------------
B|----6b7-------
G|--------------
D|--------------
A|--------------
E|--------------

Means, bend the B string holding it at the 6th fret, enough to make it sound just like the note on the 7th fret of the same string. For a beginner, you should first listen to the 2(7) note and then bend 2(6) to raise the tension (and consequently the pitch of the string) to make it sound exactly like 2(7). It will take some practice.


Slide:

E|--------------
B|--------------
G|--------------
D|------3s7-----
A|--------------
E|--------------

Means, hold the D string at the 3rd fret and play it. Now quickly, without muting the sound of the vibrating string, slide your finger to the 7th fret.