#Reading guitar tabs x o how to

Guitar TAB tells you to play the notes one after the other from left to right when numbers are written side by side (on the same string or separate strings). To put it another way, strum a chord.Īll of the above numbers are stacked on top of each other, and if you play them all at the same time, you'll get a chord. When you see numbers stacked on top of each other on a Guitar TAB, it means you should play all of them at the same time. There are two methods to write numbers in Guitar TAB, and each has an impact on how you play them. The below diagram shows examples of different guitar TAB numbers and how each number matches a note on the guitar. The open string would be 0 in this case (zero fret). The twelfth fret is represented by the number 12. The fifth fret on your guitar is represented by the number 5. The fret numbers on a string are represented by the numbers on the Guitar TAB. A number on a line in Guitar TAB indicates that you should play a certain note on that string. Guitar TAB has a line for each string on your guitar. The most important thing to remember about Guitar TAB is that the top line corresponds to the highest pitch string on your guitar, while the bottom line corresponds to the lowest pitch string. The string tunings will sometimes be displayed on text-based and formal guitar TAB as shown below. The six lines correspond to the six strings on your guitar, as seen in the image below. TAB for a bass or ukulele has four or five lines, while TAB for a seven-string guitar has seven horizontal lines. To match different instruments, there may be more or fewer lines. The six horizontal lines on the guitar TAB reflect the six strings on the instrument.

#Reading guitar tabs x o how to

We can’t go any further on learning how to read guitar TAB until you have understood its basic layout. This is also advantageous because you can simply disregard the top staff and read the lower Guitar TAB staff if you don't know how to read standard notation. This approach is preferred by many guitarists since it provides the most information on how to perform a song on the guitar. This is the best of both worlds because it allows you to read the same music in two distinct ways. The song is written in Standard Notation on the top half and Tablature on the bottom half. As you can see in the diagram below, two staffs are linked together. You’ll probably see this format in a typical Guitar TAB book. Formal Guitar TAB, such as this, is much more useful. This is why, if at all feasible, we recommend avoiding text-based Guitar TAB. When compared to the text-based Guitar TAB mentioned earlier, you'll note that this TAB has a lot more information. This type of guitar TAB looks somewhat different from text-based guitar TAB.Īs you can tell, the above Guitar TAB resembles the text-based Guitar TAB from earlier, but it is easier to understand and employs different symbols. Other types of guitar TAB include this information, so try to choose those instead of the text-based tab for a more complete learning experience. The disadvantage of this style of TAB is that it usually lacks information about rhythm. This is the most simplified type of guitar TAB, and the first one that became popular on the web. They may all look similar in format but you will see notable differences among them as we go. There are three main types of guitar TAB that have become widely popular. Without further adieu, let’s dive in and learn how to read guitar tablature (Spoiler alert: It’s extremely easy once you get the hang of it.) Types of Guitar Tab It’s called ‘guitar tablature’ (or ‘tab’ for short) and it’s a simplified graphic representation that shows you exactly what, how and when to play. Those who were gifted with the amazing ability to play or reproduce the song without looking at a music sheet (this is called “playing by ear”), and those who, well, weren’t.įortunately, you have absolutely nothing to worry about if you fall into the latter! There is an amazing resource that has helped millions of guitar, bass and ukulele players of all skill levels learn how to play their favorite songs. Now, there are two types of guitar players when it comes to figuring out how to play a song. In other words, you’ve already accomplished the most demanding part, which is learning how to play! However, you undoubtedly want to be able to play the popular songs that inspired you to become a guitarist in the first place.

You know most of the oh-so-many chords that exist along with their countless variations eight or nine of your fingertips are calloused, and your neighbors are continually complaining about the loud noise at unthinkable times of the day.

You have endless hours of practice under your belt. If you're reading this, one thing is certain.