For aspiring guitarists, learning to read guitar tablature, often called “guitar tabs,” is as crucial as understanding standard music notation. Tabs offer a straightforward and visual way to learn chords, melodies, and entire songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. If you’re just starting your guitar journey, deciphering tabs might seem daunting, but fear not! This guide breaks down everything you need to know, even touching upon how tools like Guitar Pro utilize tablature to enhance your learning experience.
Understanding the Numbering Systems in Guitar Tabs
Before diving into the layout of tabs, it’s essential to grasp the three fundamental numbering systems that form the backbone of guitar tablature:
- Frets: These are the metal bars running along your guitar’s neck. They are numbered starting from 1 at the headstock and ascending towards the guitar’s body. Frets are your landmarks for placing fingers to create different notes and chords.
- Fingers: When reading guitar tabs, finger numbers are sometimes indicated to suggest which finger of your fretting hand (usually the left hand for right-handed players) should be used. Typically: 1 = index finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 = ring finger, and 4 = pinky finger. Using suggested fingerings can improve efficiency and comfort, especially when learning chords.
- Strings: Guitar strings are also numbered, but this time, from thinnest to thickest. The thinnest string, closest to the floor when you play in a standard position, is the 1st string (high E). The thickest string is the 6th string (low E). Guitar tabs are designed to represent these six strings.
The Basic Layout of Guitar Tablature
A guitar tab is visually represented by six horizontal lines, each corresponding to one of the six guitar strings.
- Top Line: Represents the thinnest string, the 1st string or high E string.
- Bottom Line: Represents the thickest string, the 6th string or low E string.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (1st string - high E)
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (2nd string - B)
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (3rd string - G)
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (4th string - D)
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (5th string - A)
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| (6th string - low E)Numbers placed on these lines indicate which fret to play on that specific string. For example, a “3” on the top line (e string) means you should fret the 3rd fret of the high E string.
Reading Direction: Guitar tabs are read from left to right, just like standard text. Notes played in sequence will appear one after another horizontally. When numbers are stacked vertically on different lines, it indicates a chord – meaning you play those notes simultaneously.
Decoding Notes and Chords in Tabs
- Notes (Melody): Single numbers appearing on the tab lines, read from left to right, usually represent a melody, riff, or guitar solo. Each number indicates a note to be played in succession.
- Chords (Harmony): When you see numbers stacked vertically across multiple lines, this represents a chord. All the fretted notes indicated by these stacked numbers should be played at the same time to create the chord’s harmony.
Common Tablature Symbols and Techniques
Beyond simple notes and chords, guitar tabs use a range of symbols to represent various guitar techniques. Understanding these symbols is key to accurately playing songs from tablature, especially when using software like Guitar Pro, which visually renders these techniques.
- Palm Muting (P.M.): Indicated by “P.M.” followed by dashes (—-) to show the duration of palm muting. Palm muting is achieved by resting the edge of your picking hand’s palm lightly on the bridge to create a dampened, chunkier sound.
P.M.-----------------|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----------------------------------------------------------|- Muted Notes (Dead Notes): Represented by an “x” on a string line. Muted notes are played by lightly touching the string with your fretting hand to silence the pitch while still strumming or picking. This adds percussive elements to rhythm guitar parts.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--x-x-x-x------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|- Bending (b): An upward arrow (↑) or the letter “b” usually indicates a bend. Often, you’ll see notation like “7b9” which means bend the note at the 7th fret up to sound like the 9th fret. “Full bend” means bending a whole step (two frets), while “1/2 bend” is a half step (one fret). In Guitar Pro, bends are often graphically displayed, showing the bend’s pitch and duration.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------7b9-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|- Sliding ( / or ): Represented by a forward slash (/) for an upward slide (lower fret to higher fret) and a backslash () for a downward slide (higher fret to lower fret). For instance, “5/7” means slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret on the same string.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------5/75---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|- Hammer-ons (h) and Pull-offs (p): These are legato techniques. A hammer-on (h) is when you strike a fret with a fretting finger to produce a note, coming from a lower or no note. A pull-off (p) is when you pluck a string with a fretting finger as you lift it off the fret, sounding a lower note on the same string. They are often notated like “7h9” (hammer-on from 7th to 9th fret) or “9p7” (pull-off from 9th to 7th fret), and sometimes connected by a curved line or arc.
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------7h9p7---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|- Vibrato (~ or v): A vibrato is a slight, rapid variation in pitch, creating a wavering effect. It’s usually indicated by a wavy or squiggly line (~) above the note or “v”. The intensity and width of the vibrato can sometimes be visually represented, especially in Guitar Pro, where you can often customize vibrato depth and speed.
e|-------7~------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|- Downstrokes and Upstrokes ( ডাউনstroke or Upstroke ): When specific picking patterns are important, tabs might include downstroke (often represented as a squared “U” symbol, but sometimes just an upward arrow) and upstroke (often represented as a “V” symbol, or a downward arrow) symbols. These indicate the direction your pick should move across the strings. If these symbols are absent, you are usually free to use your preferred picking style.
Downstroke Upstroke Downstroke Upstroke
/ V / V
e|----7-----7--------7-----7-------------------------------------------------|
B|----7-----7--------7-----7-------------------------------------------------|
G|----8-----8--------8-----8-------------------------------------------------|
D|----9-----9--------9-----9-------------------------------------------------|
A|----9-----9--------9-----9-------------------------------------------------|
E|----7-----7--------7-----7-------------------------------------------------|Guitar Pro and Tablature
Software like Guitar Pro is a powerful tool for guitarists that heavily relies on tablature. It not only displays tabs in a clear and interactive format but also allows you to:
- Play back tabs: Hear how the music should sound, at adjustable speeds.
- Visualize techniques: See bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and vibrato visually animated on the fretboard.
- Edit and create tabs: Write your own guitar tabs or modify existing ones.
- Learn songs: Access a vast library of songs in tablature format.
Guitar Pro and similar software make learning from tabs much more dynamic and effective, bridging the gap between simply reading notation and truly understanding the music.
Conclusion: Practice Makes Perfect
Learning to read guitar tabs is a foundational skill for any guitarist. While it might seem like a lot to take in initially, consistent practice and exposure to different tabs will quickly build your proficiency. Tools like Guitar Pro can significantly accelerate this learning process by providing interactive playback and visual aids. So, dive into the world of guitar tabs, explore your favorite songs, and enjoy the journey of musical discovery!
