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How to Read Guitar Tabs

Tablature (tab) is the shortcut notation guitarists use instead of sheet music. Six lines, some numbers, and you are playing. Five minutes from now you will be able to read any tab on the internet.

The six lines are your six strings

e |---------------- (thinnest string) B |---------------- G |---------------- D |---------------- A |---------------- E |---------------- (thickest string)

The top line is the thinnest string (high e); the bottom line is the thickest (low E). Yes, it looks upside down. It trips everyone up for a day, then it is fine.

The numbers are frets

A number on a line tells you which fret to press on that string. 0 means play the open string. Read left to right, like words.

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

That means: play the thinnest string open, then press the 1st fret and play it, then the 3rd fret.

Stacked numbers are chords

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

Numbers stacked vertically are played together as a chord. The stack above is a C chord.

The symbols you will actually see

  • h (hammer-on): play the first note, then press the next fret without picking again. 0h2
  • p (pull-off): the reverse - pull your finger off to sound the lower note. 2p0
  • / (slide up): slide your finger along the string to the next note. 2/4
  • b (bend): push the string sideways to raise the pitch. 7b9 means bend the 7th fret until it sounds like the 9th.
  • x (muted): touch the string lightly so it clicks instead of ringing.

Try one now: Ode to Joy (first phrase)

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

Play it slowly. You just read tab. This melody is from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (public domain) - you will find full songs like it in our first song lesson.

What tab does not tell you: rhythm. Most tabs show which notes to play but not how long to hold them. Learn the song by ear first, then use the tab for the notes.

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