How to Read Guitar Tab
Created | Updated Apr 8, 2014
Normally music is written with notes and such like. Even though these can be played on the guitar, it is preferable to play using guitar tab. This is done simply by using six lines which represent each sting on the guitar. The numbers tell you which fret to play e.g 1 = first fret. Many songs have been put in guitar tab. If you search for "<your band here> guitar tabs" you can find many songs by that band. Chords can be written as guitar tab.
Guitar tab looks like this:
e----------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------
The Higest string, which is e, is at the top, and the strings carry on back to low E, The thickest string.
Scales
Scales are a very good way of building up speed. If you want to make solo's then a pentanic is used for this. There are many differnt pentatonic scales e.g diffrent minor scales.
This is a simple A major pentatonic scale.
e -5--8-------------------------------
B -----5--7---------------------------
G ---------5--7-----------------------
D -------------5--7-------------------
A -----------------5--8---------------
E ---------------------5--8-----------
This scale can be used in diffrent possitions of the fretboard, e.g
G major pentatonic scale. Which is:
e -3--6-------------------------------
B -----3--5---------------------------
G ---------3--5-----------------------
D -------------3--5-------------------
A -----------------3--6---------------
E ---------------------3--6-----------
Palm Mute
This is used by many Rock stars to give a muting sound. An example of this in a song is Apache by The Shadows. To palm mute just simply put your hands on the bridge as you play the string(s).
Diffrent symbols and figures have been used to show palm mutting. This is one example
/---------------Palm Mute-------------------/
e -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
B -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
G -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
D ----------------------------------------------------------
A ----------------------------------------------------------
E ----------------------------------------------------------
Another Symbol
e --2-------4-------2-------5-------2------3-----4--
B --------------------------------------------------
G --------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------
PM........................................
Bends
This is a simple way of ultering a notes pitch. For exampe: bend up - Increase pitch and Bend down - Decress pitch. The degree in which you bend the string is normally indacted above the note. e.g
(The degree of the bend - - - > ) 1/2 (this means a half bend)
(there is normally an arrow showning which way to bend here)
e ------------------------------------------------------------
B ----------------------7-------------------------------------
G ------------------------------------------------------------
D ------------------------------------------------------------
A ------------------------------------------------------------
E ------------------------------------------------------------
Simple songs
Aura lee (Thats the same a Elvis Presley's "love me Tenderly")
e ---1-0-1--/----3---/---1---0---0---/---1-
B -1--------/--3---3-/---------3-----/-----
G ----------/--------/---------------/-----
D ----------/--------/---------------/-----
A ----------/--------/---------------/-----
E ----------/--------/---------------/-----
/ - Means a bar line. Bar lines don't realy mean much in Tab, but I put them in anyway.
Triplets
This is a great skill which can make you sound faster than you realy are. This is used by many Rock and Heavy Metal guitarists. When inprovising this is also a great skill. There is no symbol for this it is just by instinct or by judgement you use this. This is a sample triplet below.
e ---------------8----5-------5----------------
B -------------------------8-----8-----5-------
G ---------------------------------------------
D ---------------------------------------------
A ---------------------------------------------
E ---------------------------------------------
Chords
With chords you can play alony to many songs. Below are some open chords. These are the easiest to play. Do not play the strings marked with x.
C G D
e -0- e -3- e -3-
B -1- B -0- B -2-
G -0- G -0- G -3-
D -2- D -0- D -0-
A -3- A -2- A -x-
E -0- E -3- E -x-
Simple Chord Progression
Strum the Chord on every '/'
C G D C
//// //// //// ////
Barre Chords
The chord below is A major (Barre)
e -5-
B -5-
G -6-
D -7-
A -7-
E -5-
Barre chords are chords which are done by pushing all six strings down by your first finger and do the shape which is relevent. The A chord above is an example of this. The diffrent 6th string shapes are:
Major Minor 7th
e -5- e -5- e -5-
B -5- B -5- B -5-
G -6- G -5- G -6-
D -7- D -7- D -5-
A -7- A -7- A -7-
E -5- E -5- E -5-
Guitar tab looks like this:
e----------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------
The Higest string, which is e, is at the top, and the strings carry on back to low E, The thickest string.
Scales
Scales are a very good way of building up speed. If you want to make solo's then a pentanic is used for this. There are many differnt pentatonic scales e.g diffrent minor scales.
This is a simple A major pentatonic scale.
e -5--8-------------------------------
B -----5--7---------------------------
G ---------5--7-----------------------
D -------------5--7-------------------
A -----------------5--8---------------
E ---------------------5--8-----------
This scale can be used in diffrent possitions of the fretboard, e.g
G major pentatonic scale. Which is:
e -3--6-------------------------------
B -----3--5---------------------------
G ---------3--5-----------------------
D -------------3--5-------------------
A -----------------3--6---------------
E ---------------------3--6-----------
Palm Mute
This is used by many Rock stars to give a muting sound. An example of this in a song is Apache by The Shadows. To palm mute just simply put your hands on the bridge as you play the string(s).
Diffrent symbols and figures have been used to show palm mutting. This is one example
/---------------Palm Mute-------------------/
e -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
B -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
G -3---------4----------5--------5--------5-------7--------8
D ----------------------------------------------------------
A ----------------------------------------------------------
E ----------------------------------------------------------
Another Symbol
e --2-------4-------2-------5-------2------3-----4--
B --------------------------------------------------
G --------------------------------------------------
D --------------------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------------------
E --------------------------------------------------
PM........................................
Bends
This is a simple way of ultering a notes pitch. For exampe: bend up - Increase pitch and Bend down - Decress pitch. The degree in which you bend the string is normally indacted above the note. e.g
(The degree of the bend - - - > ) 1/2 (this means a half bend)
(there is normally an arrow showning which way to bend here)
e ------------------------------------------------------------
B ----------------------7-------------------------------------
G ------------------------------------------------------------
D ------------------------------------------------------------
A ------------------------------------------------------------
E ------------------------------------------------------------
Simple songs
Aura lee (Thats the same a Elvis Presley's "love me Tenderly")
e ---1-0-1--/----3---/---1---0---0---/---1-
B -1--------/--3---3-/---------3-----/-----
G ----------/--------/---------------/-----
D ----------/--------/---------------/-----
A ----------/--------/---------------/-----
E ----------/--------/---------------/-----
/ - Means a bar line. Bar lines don't realy mean much in Tab, but I put them in anyway.
Triplets
This is a great skill which can make you sound faster than you realy are. This is used by many Rock and Heavy Metal guitarists. When inprovising this is also a great skill. There is no symbol for this it is just by instinct or by judgement you use this. This is a sample triplet below.
e ---------------8----5-------5----------------
B -------------------------8-----8-----5-------
G ---------------------------------------------
D ---------------------------------------------
A ---------------------------------------------
E ---------------------------------------------
Chords
With chords you can play alony to many songs. Below are some open chords. These are the easiest to play. Do not play the strings marked with x.
C G D
e -0- e -3- e -3-
B -1- B -0- B -2-
G -0- G -0- G -3-
D -2- D -0- D -0-
A -3- A -2- A -x-
E -0- E -3- E -x-
Simple Chord Progression
Strum the Chord on every '/'
C G D C
//// //// //// ////
Barre Chords
The chord below is A major (Barre)
e -5-
B -5-
G -6-
D -7-
A -7-
E -5-
Barre chords are chords which are done by pushing all six strings down by your first finger and do the shape which is relevent. The A chord above is an example of this. The diffrent 6th string shapes are:
Major Minor 7th
e -5- e -5- e -5-
B -5- B -5- B -5-
G -6- G -5- G -6-
D -7- D -7- D -5-
A -7- A -7- A -7-
E -5- E -5- E -5-
