How To Read Tabs

Guitar tablature (tabs for short) shows you which strings to use, and which frets. Tabs do not tell you which fingers to use. Here is an example:

1--------------------
2--------------------
3----------------0---
4---------2---3------
5-----3--------------
6--------------------

 

The numbers on the left are string numbers. String 6 is the thickest one, and string 1 is the thinnest. This is upside-down because, on the guitar, string 6 is at the top. Sometimes, the string names are used, like this:

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

Both tabs mean the same thing.

The tabs tell you to

• play the 5th string at fret 3, then
• play the 4th string at fret 2, then
• play the 4th string at fret 3, then
• play the 3rd string open - 0 - no fretting

The beats are not exact in tabs - you must listen to the music to play it properly.

We can write chords in tabs, where several notes are played at the same time, like this:

1-----3--------
2-----0--------
3-----0--------
4-----0--------
5-----x--------
6-----x--------

      G chord
 

Here the x means that you should not play those strings. The strumming pattern (e.g. Down, Down Up etc) is not shown, you must listen to the music.