Explain Tablature - How to read guitar tabs

Starting a new instrument can be a daunting task.  When we hear music we love, it's only natural to want to play it without spending years in training. Luckily, the guitar provides a method of reading music that is much more simple than standard notation (like you'd see in a piano score).  In fact, it is so easy, you don't even need to know the names of the notes.

Welcome to your guide of guitar tabs (or tablature).  We'll explain tablature and show you how to read guitar tabs within minutes, so that you can begin playing your favorite music instantly.

Although guitar tabs are most common with rock music, they are available with all kinds of genres, including folk and classical.  So no matter what you're style is, you can be pretty sure that there is a tab book with the music you love.

Reading tab is easy.  In fact, if you can count, you're more than half way ready to start playing music.  Tablature is a visual guide of your guitar fretboard, where numbers are used to demensotrate which frets to play.

In standard tuning, the notes on a guitar are E A D G B E (lowest to highest). When you hold your guitar, the low "E" is the note that is closest to your face.  The high "e" is the note that is closest to your feet.

With tablature, you can read and play chords and melodies.  In fact, there is nothing that you can do with standard music notation, that you can not do with tab.  Even note bends, hammer techniques, and other styles that will perfect your music can be notated.  But for now, we'll just cover the very basics.

Here is an E Major Chord where each line represents a guitar string (the bottom line is the low E, the top line is the high E), and each number represents the fret that is played.

The 0 means that you play an open string.  In other words, you don't put your finger on the string at all.  You just strum it.  Whereas the 1 indicates the first fret, and the 2 is the second fret. Put your fingers in the correct position, and give your guitar a strum.  How does it sound?  If it was difficult, it might take a bit of time before the muscles in your fingers get used to their new exercises.  But don't worry muscle memory is learned quickly, and you'll feel at home on the guitar before you know it.

So what about melodies?  Let's look at an example of Auld Lang Syne.  If you're not familiar with that title, you'll probably recognize it once you start playing it.

In the example above, all the notes are played one at a time.  There are no chords, because the numbers never appear together completely vertically.  So did you recognize the music?  If not, play it again, and think of the New Year.  Now did you get it?

It's best to start with songs that you are familiar with, as you will not have to struggle with the timing.  But in case you are wondering, most tab books come with standard notation and tablature notation so that you can read the timing in measures.  Regardless, the tab version will always be easy.  The only limitation may be your persistance.

A great book for anyone starting with guitar tab is Essential Elements for Guitar, Book 1 - Comprehensive Guitar Method

This book comes with a CD and has plenty if diagrams and examples to help you regardless of your level or experience.

If this book is not for you, don't worry.  You can search from thousands of Guitar Tabs right here at Music Forte.

 Have fun, and keep at it.  You'll be playing your favorite songs in no time.

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