How to Read Guitar Tabs Lesson

Knowing how to read guitar tabs is much more useful than standard musical notation because the greatest majority of guitar music is written in tabs, or combines both staff and tablature, one line below the other.

Reading guitar tabs is very simple. There are six horizontal lines, each line represents a string, bottom line is the low E string (the thickest one), following accordingly are A, D, G, B and the high E (the thinnest string).

The numbers on a line mean what fret to play. The numbering begins from the nut towards the guitar bridge. A 0 number is an open string.

With this method you have a straightforward visualization of what string and where to play.

For an instance

This tablature says that:

The first note should be played on the open D string.

Next play second note at the third fret on the same string.

And after that, the third note at the fifth fret on the G string.

When there is a few vertically aligned numbers on the lines, the notes need to be played simultaneously.

Note that in guitar music the strings are often also identified as numbers from 1 to 6.

This approach especially comfortable when the strings are tuned to alternative pitches.

Besides locations of notes on a fingerboard, guitar tabs can contain special symbols and notations that provide information about techniques used in a song and other useful stuffs.

You don't need to learn these symbols right now, I'll introduce necessary symbols inside the related lessons when the moment is right. Although you can use Tab Symbols Table as a reference to any unknown tab notation you'll encounter elsewhere.

Get printable blank tablature to write down your own musical ideas.

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