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This article will explain how to read guitar tabs. I'm sure you've seen a song you would like to play in some weird ASCII format on the Internet, with all sorts of dashes mixed in with some illogical numbers like --9-3-4h5--.
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How to Read Guitar Tabs
The letters between the dashes indicate which fret you need to play on that string.
e----2--3--4------
On the 6th string you should play the 2nd fret, then the 3rd and then the 4th. Plucking the strings at each fret.
If the letters are under one another it means you play them at the same time.
e--0---------
B--0---------
G--1---------
D--2---------
A--2---------
E--0---------
B--0---------
G--1---------
D--2---------
A--2---------
E--0---------
This is the tab for the E Chord.
Guitar Techniques are indicated through the following letters.
| Action | Symbol | Example | Description |
| Hammer Ons | h | --7h9-- |
Pluck the 7th fret and hammer on the 9th fret |
| Pull Offs | p | --7p5-- |
Pluck the 7th fret and pull off to the 5th fret |
| Slides | / | --7/9-- |
Pluck the 7th fret and slide to the 9th fret |
| Bends | b | --7b(9)-- |
Pluck the 7th fret and bend the string up to the same pitch as the 9th fret. |
| String or Palm mute | x |
e--x-- B--7-- |
Play the 7th note of the B string, but do not play the E string at the same time |
| Vibrato | v or ~~ | ---7~~~~-- | Pluck the 7th fret and add vibrato |
e------------3--
B----------0----
G--------0------
D------0--------
A----2----------
E--3------------
B----------0----
G--------0------
D------0--------
A----2----------
E--3------------
With this tab you'll play the G chord from the 1st string to the 6th, plucking one string at a time.
Otherwise you play the strings one at a time.
Always read tabs from left to right
Always read tabs from left to right
If you're following the free guitar lesson program, you will learn how to play these in the techniques lesson.
e|-------------------------------
B|-------------------------------
G|--7-5---5-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-7-5----
D|------8---------------------8--
A|-------------------------------
E|-------------------------------
B|-------------------------------
G|--7-5---5-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-7-5----
D|------8---------------------8--
A|-------------------------------
E|-------------------------------
Now you understand how to read guitar tabs! Simple right?
Keep in mind that guitar tabs usually do not indicate any form of rhythm. A tab will show you which fret to play when, but not how long you should hold the note. Tabs are great for learning a song that you already know, but want to be able to play on the guitar.
With songs that you know well, you can usually work around the lack of rhythmic notation since you know what it supposed to sound like.
You know what Mary had a little lamb is supposed to sound like right? Here's the tab for it. Try to play it now!
Keep in mind that guitar tabs usually do not indicate any form of rhythm. A tab will show you which fret to play when, but not how long you should hold the note. Tabs are great for learning a song that you already know, but want to be able to play on the guitar.
With songs that you know well, you can usually work around the lack of rhythmic notation since you know what it supposed to sound like.
You know what Mary had a little lamb is supposed to sound like right? Here's the tab for it. Try to play it now!
e|-------------------------------
B|--------------------------6-6--
G|--7-5---5-7-7---5-5-5---7------
D|------8------------------------
A|-------------------------------
E|-------------------------------
B|--------------------------6-6--
G|--7-5---5-7-7---5-5-5---7------
D|------8------------------------
A|-------------------------------
E|-------------------------------
wOW! You really are rockin' now ;-)
If you want some easy to play guitar tabs have a look at the
beginner guitar tabs section.
Ready to start picking?
Once you understand how to read guitar tabs
carry on to the next lesson - Guitar Scales
Return from How to read Guitar Tabs to the Pluck and Play Homepage
beginner guitar tabs section.
Ready to start picking?
Once you understand how to read guitar tabs
carry on to the next lesson - Guitar Scales
Return from How to read Guitar Tabs to the Pluck and Play Homepage
Well if you don't understand what any of that means, you're about to discover the easiest and most convenient way to read music. Keep going...
Instead of relying on classic musical notation with all its curls, swirls and italian, guitar tablature (or tabs for short) is a very simplified form of musical notation.
Once you know how to read guitar tabs you'll be able to play anything you can find a tab for, which is, well basically anything...
A guitar tab consists of 6 lines, each representing a string on the guitar. The letter at the beginning of each line shows the tuning of that particular string. A tab for the standard guitar tuning would look like this:
