How to Read Guitar Tabs: A Beginner’s Guide

Guitar tablature, commonly known as guitar tabs, is a simple and effective way to read music for guitar. If you’re just starting your guitar journey, understanding tabs is one of the first and most rewarding steps you can take. Unlike traditional music notation, which can seem daunting at first, tabs are designed specifically for guitarists, making it easy to learn your favorite songs and riffs.

Guitar tabs are especially popular for genres like rock, blues, country, and pop, where they are the go-to method for sharing and learning music. While standard notation has its place in classical, jazz, and film scores, tabs reign supreme in the world of guitar. You’ll find them all over the internet, in guitar books, and among musicians everywhere.

However, it’s crucial to remember that tabs are a guide, not a complete musical score. They primarily tell you where to place your fingers on the fretboard but often lack information about rhythm, timing, and dynamics. To truly master a song from tabs, you need to use your ears. Listen to the music, pay attention to the rhythm and feel, and let your ears be your guide. Developing your ear training is as important as learning to read tabs themselves.

Let’s dive into the world of guitar tabs and unlock the secrets to reading them effectively.

What is Guitar Tablature?

Guitar tablature is a form of musical notation tailored for fretted stringed instruments like the guitar and bass. Think of it as a visual map of the guitar fretboard. Instead of using musical symbols to represent notes, tabs use numbers and lines to show you exactly which frets and strings to play.

While standard notation is designed to be universal for all instruments, guitar tabs are specialized for guitars. Each system has its advantages. Standard notation is excellent for conveying precise rhythms and musical nuances, while tabs excel at quickly showing guitarists where to put their fingers. For beginners, tabs are often much easier to grasp, allowing you to start playing music sooner.

When learning from tabs, always remember that they are most effective when combined with listening. Tabs provide the fret and string information, but your ears will guide you on rhythm and dynamics.

Understanding the Tab Staff

The foundation of guitar tabs is the tab staff. It consists of six horizontal lines, each representing one of the six strings on a guitar. It’s important to note the order:

• Top Line: Represents the high E string (1st string, thinnest string).
• Second Line: Represents the B string (2nd string).
• Third Line: Represents the G string (3rd string).
• Fourth Line: Represents the D string (4th string).
• Fifth Line: Represents the A string (5th string).
• Bottom Line: Represents the low E string (6th string, thickest string).

Remember: The thickest string (low E) is at the bottom of the tab staff, and the thinnest string (high E) is at the top. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but visualizing the guitar held vertically can help.

You might encounter two types of tabs:

• Formal Tab: Often found in printed books and more professional publications.
• Internet Tab: Designed for easy typing online, using characters readily available on keyboards.

Both types convey the same information, just with slight formatting differences. The core principle of six lines representing guitar strings remains consistent.

e|------------------------|  (High E string)
B|------------------------|  (B string)
G|------------------------|  (G string)
D|------------------------|  (D string)
A|------------------------|  (A string)
E|------------------------|  (Low E string)

Reading Fret Numbers

The numbers placed on the tab staff lines are fret numbers. They tell you which fret to press down on a particular string. You read tabs from left to right, just like reading words in a sentence.

• “0” (Zero): Indicates an open string. Play the string without pressing down any frets.
• Numbers greater than 0: Indicate the fret number to be played on that string. For example, “2” on the D string means you should press down the 2nd fret on the D string.

Let’s look at an example:

e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|--0--2--4--5----------|
A|----------------------|
E|----------------------|

In this tab excerpt:

1. Start with the D string (4th line).
2. You see “0”, so play the open D string.
3. Next is “2”, so play the 2nd fret on the D string.
4. Then “4”, play the 4th fret on the D string.
5. Finally “5”, play the 5th fret on the D string.
6. The hyphens “-” simply indicate that the note is sustained or that there is a pause before the next note on that string. Strings with hyphens are not played at that specific time.

Reading Chords in Tabs

Chords in tabs are represented by vertically stacked numbers. When you see numbers aligned on top of each other in a column, it means you play all those notes at the same time, as a chord.

Consider this example:

e|----3------------------|
B|----0------------------|
G|----0------------------|
D|----0------------------|
A|----2------------------|
E|----3------------------|

Here, in one column, we have:

• “3” on the high E string.
• “0” on the B string.
• “0” on the G string.
• “0” on the D string.
• “2” on the A string.
• “3” on the low E string.

This vertical arrangement tells you to play all these frets simultaneously. If you recognize guitar chords, you’ll see this is a G major chord. Knowing your basic guitar chords will significantly speed up your chord recognition in tabs.

Tip: Learning common chord shapes will make reading chord tabs much easier and faster.

Muted Notes

Sometimes you’ll encounter an “x” symbol in tabs. An “x” indicates a muted string. This means you should prevent that string from ringing out clearly.

• Single “x”: Typically means a gentle mute. You lightly touch the string with your fretting hand finger to silence it while strumming or picking.
• Stacked “x”s (Rake): Multiple “x”s in a row can indicate a “rake,” which is a percussive strum across muted strings.

Look at this example, representing a C chord:

e|----0---------------------------------------------|
B|----1-----------------------------x---------------|
G|----0-------------x---------------x---------------|
D|----2-----------------------------x---------------|
A|----3-----------------------------x---------------|
E|----x---------------------------------------------|

In this C chord example, the “x” on the low E string (bottom line) means you shouldn’t play that string as part of the chord. In the example, there are also single “x” marks on the B, G, and D strings further to the right, indicating muted strums or notes later in the musical phrase.

Arpeggiated Chords and Fingerpicking

Tabs are great for showing arpeggiated chords, where the notes of a chord are played one after another, rather than strummed simultaneously. This technique is common in fingerpicking and certain styles of playing.

Here’s an arpeggiated C chord in tab:

e|-----------0--------------------------------------|
B|---------1----------------------------------------|
G|-------0------------------------------------------|
D|-----2--------------------------------------------|
A|---3----------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|

Notice how the numbers are staggered across the tab, not stacked vertically. This indicates you play each note of the C chord individually, in sequence, creating an arpeggio. This is directly related to “guitar plucking chords” as fingerpicking often involves plucking the strings individually to create arpeggiated chord patterns.

Tabs also excel at notating fingerpicking patterns. They can clearly show you which strings to pluck and in what order, allowing you to learn complex fingerstyle arrangements.

e|-----------0--------------0-----------------------|
B|---------1---1----------1---1---------------------|
G|-------0-------0------0-------0-------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|---3---------------3------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|

This example shows a basic fingerpicking pattern over a C chord. The tab clearly lays out the sequence of notes to pluck, making it straightforward to learn fingerstyle pieces.

Tab Symbols

Beyond numbers and “x”s, tabs use symbols to represent various guitar techniques. Here are some of the most common tab symbols:

• h – Hammer-on: h indicates a hammer-on. Play the first note, then “hammer” your finger onto a higher fret on the same string to sound the next note, without picking again.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|---2h4--------------------------------------------|
  D|--------------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• p – Pull-off: p is for pull-off. Play the first (higher) note, then “pull-off” your finger to sound a lower note on the same string.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|---4p2--------------------------------------------|
  D|--------------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• / – Slide Up: / means slide up. Play a note and then slide your finger up to a higher fret on the same string without lifting.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|--------------------------------------------------|
  D|----4/6-------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• – Slide Down: is for slide down. Play a note and slide your finger down to a lower fret on the same string.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|--------------------------------------------------|
  D|----64-------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• b – Bend: b indicates a bend. Play the note and then bend the string upwards or downwards to raise the pitch. Sometimes, tabs will indicate the target pitch of the bend (e.g., 5b7 means bend the 5th fret to the pitch of the 7th fret).

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|----5b7-------------------------------------------|
  D|--------------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• ~ or v – Vibrato: ~ or v represents vibrato. Wiggle the fretted string back and forth to create a wavering or vibrating effect on the note.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|----7~~~~~~~-----------------7v-------------------|
  D|--------------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

• t – Tapping: t signifies tapping. Use a finger from your picking hand to “tap” on a fret, creating a note. Often combined with hammer-ons and pull-offs.

  e|--------------------------------------------------|
  B|--------------------------------------------------|
  G|----12t5h7----------------------------------------|
  D|--------------------------------------------------|
  A|--------------------------------------------------|
  E|--------------------------------------------------|

Mastering these tab symbols will greatly expand your ability to read and play a wider range of guitar music.

Conclusion

Guitar tabs are an invaluable tool for guitarists of all levels, especially beginners. They provide a straightforward way to learn songs, riffs, and musical ideas without needing to read standard music notation. While tabs are excellent for showing fret placement, always remember to use your ears to capture the rhythm, timing, and dynamics of the music.

With a little practice, you’ll be reading guitar tabs like a pro and unlocking a vast library of guitar music. So, grab your guitar, find some tabs for your favorite songs, and start playing! Happy guitar playing!