Guitar Tablature

Guitar tablature (tab for short) is basically a diagram and simple number system that will allow you to easily read and play any riff, song, or solo you can imagine on the guitar.

The Strings:

Here is an example of a blank guitar tab sheet.
E|———————————————————————————————————

B|———————————————————————————————————

G|———————————————————————————————————

D|———————————————————————————————————

A|———————————————————————————————————

E|———————————————————————————————————

The strings here are named to make it easier to decipher which string is which. The bottom string represents the low E string which is the biggest and thickest string on the guitar. All the strings go in the same order that they are on the guitar all the way to the high E string which is the thinnest string on the guitar.

Here is a diagram of a D major chord:

E|———-2———————————————————————————————-

B|———-3———————————————————————————————-

G|———-2———————————————————————————————-

D|———————————————————————————————————

A|———————————————————————————————————

E|———————————————————————————————————

The numbers here represent which fret you will place your fingers. As you can see, on the G string your will hold down the 2nd fret, the B string - the 3rd fret, and the E string - the 2nd fret. When all the numbers are in line or on top of each other like in this diagram it means that your strike all the strings at the same time and play them simultaneously. So in this diagram you would play the D major chord by strumming it once.

Here is an example of tab where you do not strike all the strings simultaneously:

E|———-2———————————————————————————————-

B|—————–3—————————————————————————————

G|————————-2——————————————————————————-

D|———————————————————————————————————

A|———————————————————————————————————

E|———————————————————————————————————

In the diagram above, you would strike each string individually. This is still a D major chord but you would play it one string at a time. So you would start on the high E string, then play the B string, and finally play the G string. The distance between the numbers on the tab will help you determine how long of a pause to take between playing each string.

Tab Symbols:

Here are some symbols that you will frequently see after numbers on the tab diagram:

h - hammer on, p - pull off, b - bend string, up r - release bend, / - slide up, - slide down, v - vibrato (sometimes written as ~), t - picking hand tap, x - play ‘note’ with heavy damping or do not play at all

Some of these terms we will cover in more detail later but for now it is good to have a reference so you know what they mean.

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