Guitar Tablature
Created | Updated Dec 31, 2002
Introduction
Music for the guitar can be (and often is) written in the traditional manner, with treble clefs and every-good-boy-deserves-fudge and and so on. However there are two inherent problems with this approach:
- Unlike the piano, the guitar is capable of sounding the same note in many different places. Anyone who has ever tuned a guitar, regardless of his or her knowledge of musical theory, will know that the fifth fret on the second string produces exactly the same note as the open first string. Furthermore, this very same note can be produced on the ninth fret of the third string, the fourteenth fret of the fourth string, and the ninteenth fret of the fifth string. Though the tone changes, the note produced is identical.
- Many guitar players are not interested in the slightest in musical theory, and care very little to learn an overly complicated (for guitar) system of musical notation. All those teenagers who finally get their paws on a cheap electric guitar just want to rock. Now.
How to read basic tablature
Given these problems, a method of notation was invented especially for the guitar, called tablature1. It is based on a chronological picture of finger placement on the fretboard. Time flows from left to right along six lines, representing the strings. The top line is the first string (the thinnest one), the next one down is the second string, and so on. Numbers placed along those lines represent the frets on the fingerboard. A 1 on the top line means the first string is fretted on the first fret. A zero (0) represents an open or unfretted string. Rhythm is determined by relative spacing of the numbers. This is the main drawback of tablature: that it is difficult to accurately represent rhythm. For this reason, printed tablature is accompanied by standard notation. The reading of tablature on the internet is dependent on familiarity with the song to be learned.
Thus, an E major chord written in guitar tab would look like this:
-0-
-0-
-1-
-2-
-2-
-0-
An A major chord would look like this:
-0-
-2-
-2-
-2-
-0-
---
And a D major chord like this:
-2-
-3-
-2-
-0-
---
---
To demonstrate a chronological progression in tablature, these three chords can be use to play the song "Louie, Louie" as below:
|-0-0-0-----2-2--|-0-0-0-----2-2--|
|-2-2-2-----3-3--|-0-0-0-----3-3--|
|-2-2-2-----2-2--|-1-1-1-----2-2--|
|-2-2-2-----0-0--|-2-2-2-----0-0--|
|-0-0-0----------|-2-2-2----------|
|----------------|-0-0-0----------|
It is worth noting that though the above example has been spaced according to rhythm, with measure bars included, the tablature typically found on the internet is rarely so meticulous. In fact, a transcription of "Louie, Louie" is likely to consist solely of the chords: A D E D.
Tablature can also be used to represent single note progressions.
An E major scale:
|----------------------------0--|
|----------------------0-2-4----|
|--------------------2----------|
|--------------1-2-4------------|
|--------0-2-4------------------|
|--0-2-4------------------------|
And the opening riff of "Day Tripper" by The Beatles:
|---------------|--------------|
|---------------|--------------|
|.--------------|----4--------.|
|-----------2-0-|----------0-2-|
|.--------0-----|--2-----2----.|
|-0---2-3-------|--------------|
Other Techniques
Bends
Bends are executed by plucking a note and either pulling the string down, or pushing the string up with the fingers. Tablature will tell you which fret to put your finger on(where to bend from) or the equivalent fret of the pitch you're bending to (where to bend to) or both. There is also a difference, difficult to transcribe but apparent to a careful ear, between notes that are bent immediately upon being plucked and notes that are plucked and then bent. Then there is the question of when and how to return to the original pitch. Again the limitations of tablature require the player to be familiar with the song. Bends are usually represented by a B 2 and the release or return to the original note is represented by an R.
Hammer-ons and Pull-offs
A hammer-on is done by sounding the first note, then "hammering" a finger onto a higher note on the same string. Pull-offs are just the opposite: the higher note is sounded first, then the finger playing that note is pulled away, sounding a lower note. In both cases, only the first note is plucked, consecutive notes are sounded only by the left hand. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are usually represented with an H and a P, respectively, either between the notes or above them.
"Layla" by Derek and The Dominos (Eric Clapton, to the uninitiated) combines hammer-ons, pull-offs, and bends in a sizzling lead guitar riff.
|-------10h13p10----10---13b-13r-12----10---------|
|-10h13----------13-----------------13------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------10h13p10----10---15b-15r-12----10---------|
|-10h13----------13-----------------13------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------|
Palm Muting and Left Hand Muting (XXX)
Palm muting is a technique that produces a subdued sound from strummed chords. Place your strumming hand against the bridge of the guitar, and try strumming. Adjust your hand placement until the notes are just audible.
"Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin makes use of this technique.
PM--| PM--| PM-|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|
|--------------9-----9-----9-----|
|--------------9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9---|
|----5-----5---7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---|
|--7-----7-----------------------|
Left hand muting means releasing pressure from the fingers of your left hand so that the strings come away from the frets, without lifting your fingers off the strings. When you strum it produces a percussive sound. Left hand muting is represented in tablature by Xs.
This technique can be seen in use in Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------3--3--0----------------------6--6--x-x-|
|-3---3-3---x-x-x-3--3--0--6---6-6---x-x-x-x-x-6--6--x-x-|
|-3---3-3---x-x-x-1--1--0--6---6-6---x-x-x-x-x-4--4--x-x-|
|-1---1-1---x-x-x----------4---4-4---x-x-x-x-x-----------|
Sliding
Sliding is easy. Pluck the first note and slide your finger up or down to the consecutive note or notes. Sometimes the consecutive notes may be plucked as well. Slides are usually represented with a / for sliding up and a \ for sliding down.
Metallica's "Enter Sandman" features sliding in its intro riff (and some muting, to boot).
PM----|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|
|--------------------------|---------------------------|
|-2--2/7-------2--2/7------|-2-2/7-------5---4---4-5-4-|
|-2--2/7-------2--2/7------|-2-2/7-------5---4---4-5-4-|
|-0--0---6-5---0--0---6-5--|-0-0---6-5---3-0-2-0-2-3-2-|
Trills
Trilling involves rapidly pulling-off and hammering-on as quickly as possible between two notes to create a fluttery sound.
Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" begins with a memorable trill. This song demonstrates trilling as a good way to generate feedback. The main riff has been included as well, just for the halibut.
TR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|-----------------------|-----5-x-----5-x-----5-5--------|
|-----------------------|-----5-x-----5-x-----5-5--------|
|-----------------------|--------------------------------|
|-16-14------------16\--|---------4-4--------------------|
|-----------------------|---------------------------2-3-4|
|-----------------------|-2-2-------------2-2-----5------|
Interpreting Online Guitar Tablature
You should now have a fairly good idea of how to read guitar tablature. However, before you strike out into the wide, wild internet in search of music, you should be warned that much of the tablature on the internet is generated by guitarists who are lazy or decidely less-than-adept, often both. You will encounter such phenomena as tablature written upside-down and backwards, wildly inaccurate transcriptions, and very, very bad formatting. While a tune can occasionally be sussed out of these butcherings, they are usually indications that your time would be better spent on further searches or figuring it out by ear.
