| Magazine/software guitar tab examples | ASCII tab examples | Abbreviations and extra info | Whole name |
 | |  | Downstroke
(down picking) |
 | |  | Upstroke
(up picking) |
 | | | Finger Numbering
for fretting hand |
 | “x” character before
muted note:
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|--x5-x5-x5-x5---
6|----------------
and sometimes as PM:
PM - - - - - -|
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|---5--5--5--5---
6|----------------
| P.M. | Palm Mute |
 | | | Rake |
 | |  | Arpeggiated Chord
Strumming across the strings
in the direction of the arrow. |
 | p i m i a i m i
1|--------0-------
2|----1-------1---
3|--0---0---0---0-
4|----------------
5|-3--------------
6|----------------
| p i m a | Fingerstyle Guitar
fingering system for plucking hand:
p - thumb
i - index finger
m - middle finger
a - ring finger |
 | A.H. or Harm.
1|---3------------
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| A.H. | Artificial Harmonics |
 | 1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-----<12>-------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| N.H.
| Natural Harmonics
in ASCII tabs it can also be
marked as N.H.
and sometimes as "+" symbol
above the tab. |
 | TH
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|------12--------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| T.H. | Tapped Harmonics |
 | 1|----------------
2|--<8>-----------
3|--------<7>-----
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| a note in the triangle | Pinched Harmonics |
 | | TCH | Touch Harmonics
a previously ringed note is touched
above the fret where TCP abbreviation stays. |
 | 1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-----7b9--------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| BU or b | Bend Up |
 | 1|------r2--------
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| BD or r | Bend Down or Release |
 | 1|----------------
2|----------------
3|------pb7-------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| PB | Pre-bend |
 | ~~~
1|--7v--or-7------
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| v or ~~~ | Vibrato |
 |
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-5h7--rarely-5^7
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| H.O. | Hammer On
(legato  ) |
 |
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-7p5--rarely-7^5
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| P.O. | Pull Off
(legato ) |
 |
1|-10s12--or-10/12
2|----------------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| s
| Slide
(glissando)
"/" - slide up
" " - slide down |
 | T
1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-12---or--12t---
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| T or  | Tapping |
 | 1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-2-x-x-2-x-x-2-x
4|-2-x-x-2-x-x-2-x
5|-0-x-x-0-x-x-0-x
6|----------------
| x | Fret-Hand Muting |
 |
1|----------------
2|-TP10- or 10tr-
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
sometimes as tr
(confusing
with the trill
notation
right below) |
TP
| Tremolo Picking |
 | | smaller number or
small note with a line across | Grace Note
(Acciaccatura)
very brief note, as though brushed
on the way to the master note.
Grace note takes its small amount
of duration from a master note.
|
 | 1|----------------
2|-----7tr8-------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| tr | Trill |
 | 1|----------------
2|----------------
3|-----1/--------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| | Dip
Slightly pushing and releasing a whammy bar.
The number near the symbol means amount
of pitch to lower. |
 | | | Inverted Dip
Here the number is an amount of pitch to raise.
|
 | | | Dive
Diving a whammy bar. |
 | | | Dive and Return |
 | | | Scoop
Depressing the bar before stroking a note,
and releasing it on stroking. |
 | | | Whammy Bar Bends |
 | | | Gargle
(with a whammy bar) |
 | | Capo | Capo
Fret numbering begins from the capo. |
 | | | Pick Scrape |
 | |
3
5
6 | Tupleto:
triplet
fiveplet
sixplet |
 | >
1|----------------
2|-------12-------
3|----------------
4|----------------
5|----------------
6|----------------
| > | Accented note |
 | |  | Fermata
Freely enlarge note duration. |
 | |
|
Dotted Note
Dot placed to the right of the corresponding note
lengthens the note by one-half its value.
examples:
|
 | |
|
Repeat Signs
Notes between these symbols
are played repeatedly. |
 | | |
Staccato
Dot over or under the note.
Staccato is an abruptly played note
by means of shortening duration sound
and adding a pause to its end,
the rhythm remains unchanged.
|
 | | 8va |
Ottava Alta
Notes on the staff along the dashed line
are played one octave higher than notated.
The reason to use 8va is to avoid
the staff to look too complex with
a lot of highly located notes.
NOTE
It's related only to the staff,
the numbers in the tablature remain
unchanged and show genuine location
on the fingerboard.
original containing 8va
 |
 | | 8rb
|
Ottava Bassa
Notes on the staff along the dashed line
are played one octave lower than notated.
the tab numbers remain unchanged
as with 8vanext above.
original containing 8rb
 |
