Guitar Tablature
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Guitar Tablature is the way lazy guitarists (such as myself) who don't want to learn how to read music read and transcribe riffs, licks and songs.
Reading tablature is very easy, you will see a chart like this:
1 -------------------------
2 -------------------------
3 -------------------------
4 -------------------------
5 -------------------------
6 -------------------------
This chart represents your strings... with 1 being the highest string (the farthest from your head) and the 6 being the lowest string (the closest to your head)
Now we're going to show you a riff... how about "Smoke on the Water". First, we take our chart:
1--------------------------------------------------
2 -------------------------------------------------
3 -------------------------------------------------
4 -------------------------------------------------
5 -------------------------------------------------
6 -------------------------------------------------
now, we're going to put numbers on our chart:
1 -----------------------------------------
2 -----------------------------------------
3 -----------------------------------------
4 -----------------------------------------
5 -----------------------------------------
6 --0--3--5--0--3--6--5--0--3--5--3--0-----
Now, the numbers we just added represent the frets of your Guitar.
So, you play the 6th string open, then you play the 3rd fret of the 6th string, then the 5th string of the 6th string, and so on... you should hear the very distinct main riff of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" from the Machine Head album.
if you hear Smoke on the Water, Congratulations, you've learned the simplest guitar riff ever written.
now we're going to try somthing a little harder: "Sunshine of Your Love" by Eric Clapton:
1 -------------------------------------------------
2 -------------------------------------------------
3 -------------------------------------------------
4 -7--7--5--7--------------------------------------
5 --------------7--6--5--0--3--0-------------------
6 -------------------------------------------------
if you were able to play those riffs, I suggest you check out guitartabs.net guitartabs.com and guitarseek.com for more tablature.
Happy Pickin'!
Reading tablature is very easy, you will see a chart like this:
1 -------------------------
2 -------------------------
3 -------------------------
4 -------------------------
5 -------------------------
6 -------------------------
This chart represents your strings... with 1 being the highest string (the farthest from your head) and the 6 being the lowest string (the closest to your head)
Now we're going to show you a riff... how about "Smoke on the Water". First, we take our chart:
1--------------------------------------------------
2 -------------------------------------------------
3 -------------------------------------------------
4 -------------------------------------------------
5 -------------------------------------------------
6 -------------------------------------------------
now, we're going to put numbers on our chart:
1 -----------------------------------------
2 -----------------------------------------
3 -----------------------------------------
4 -----------------------------------------
5 -----------------------------------------
6 --0--3--5--0--3--6--5--0--3--5--3--0-----
Now, the numbers we just added represent the frets of your Guitar.
So, you play the 6th string open, then you play the 3rd fret of the 6th string, then the 5th string of the 6th string, and so on... you should hear the very distinct main riff of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" from the Machine Head album.
if you hear Smoke on the Water, Congratulations, you've learned the simplest guitar riff ever written.
now we're going to try somthing a little harder: "Sunshine of Your Love" by Eric Clapton:
1 -------------------------------------------------
2 -------------------------------------------------
3 -------------------------------------------------
4 -7--7--5--7--------------------------------------
5 --------------7--6--5--0--3--0-------------------
6 -------------------------------------------------
if you were able to play those riffs, I suggest you check out guitartabs.net guitartabs.com and guitarseek.com for more tablature.
Happy Pickin'!
