Reading Guitar Tabs?!
Question: Ok, so I haven't been playing the guitar for too long and so far I have avoided using tabs because I don't understand reading them!
But I have now decided enough is enough. I have got a song with a (what looks like) reasonable guitar tab. I just need some help reading it.
Any advice or help whatsoever would be really appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Answers: Ok, so I haven't been playing the guitar for too long and so far I have avoided using tabs because I don't understand reading them!
But I have now decided enough is enough. I have got a song with a (what looks like) reasonable guitar tab. I just need some help reading it.
Any advice or help whatsoever would be really appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
usually the bottom line is the top or 6th string and so on.
the number is the fret number to play.
check to see how the band tunes their guitar(s) and tune if neccessary.
play song.
practice.
make your friends jealous.
Guitar Tablature is pretty easy when you get it.
The set up is like this
E (highest string)---
B---
G---
D---
A----
E (lowest string)----
The number on the strings represent what fret the note is on so if it looks like this
E-----3---------------
B----------------------
G----------------------
D----------------------
A----------------------
E----------------------
Then that's the High E (the highest string), hold down the third fret, and play that note
If you see something like this with numbers on top of each other like this:
E---------------------
B----2-----------------
G----2-----------------
D----2-----------------
A----------------------
E----------------------
That means hold down fret 2 on B,G,and D at the same time and play at the same time or as heard in the song.
Hope this helps.
If you need more help click the link below
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=rea...
Well tab will either have just the chords, the individual notes, or a mix of both. Regardless you may want to have a copy of the song to listen to in order to help learn the timing.
If it's just the chords it will have a letter above the lyrics. You need to learn the chords.
If it is the notes you will have to figure out what notation is being used to understand how to read it. An E chord can be show differently in different tab but the idea is the same.
The strings are shown like they are on the neck and the number tell you what fret to hold your fingers down at.
EADGBE
022100 E Major chord
E--0
B--0
G--1
D--2
A--2
E--0
E Major Chord
Check out www.wholenote.com. They have a ton of guitar related lessons and articles.
it's real simple. a guitar has 6 strings. there are 6 lines in a guitar tab. If you don't already know the numbers, the 6th string "E" is the one closest to you when you play (the thickest one). The next one is the 5th string "A", then the 4th "D", 3rd "G", 2nd "B", and 1st "E". So the bottom line on a guitar tab is the 6th string, the next line up is the 5th, then the 4th, etc... A guitar tab should have the note names on the beginning of each line. Next, the numbers on the tabs correspond to the fret you play. So let's say the tab has the number 3 on the bottom line, then you would go to the 6th string and play the 3rd fret on the 6th string. If it has the number 5 on the 3rd line, you go to the 4th string "D" and play the 5th fret. If it has two or more numbers stacked on top of each other then play all of them at the same time, this is a chord. Now this is for songs with standard tuning EADGBE. some songs have other tunings like Drop D. For now just stick with songs that are standard tuning (majority of tabs are written in standard). Now as for tab symbols, these are guitar techniques that you should eventually learn over time. Since you are a beginner you won't know how to do them, for that you need to read some guitar books or research online and get lessons on how to do these tricks. People use different symbols to write tabs, but most tabs have legends in the beginning so you can read the symbols. Here are the most common symbols I have come across.
h=hammer on. 3h5 means play 3rd fret and "hammer on" the 5th fret.
p=pull off. 5p3 means play 5th fret and "pull off" to 3rd fret.
/=slide up. 3/5 means play 3rd fret and slide to 5th fret.
\=slide down. 9\7 means play 9th fret and slide down to 7th fret.
PM=palm mute. these are written either on top or bottom of section to be palm muted.
~ or b=bend. 5~ or b5 means play 5th fret and bend it. (sometimes they use hb for half bends and fb for full bends)
x= rake. this is real simple an x over a tab line means play the note with your left hand on the string but don't fret it. You have probably done this when you first started out its when you try to play a note but your finger is not pressing down fully on the fret and it gives you a deadened sound. Sometimes its a full chord that must be raked in that case just put your fingers over the strings but don't press hard and play it.
Here is my favorite website for tabs. They have all the famous bands and all their songs written in tabs that have been submitted by users.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/
Hope this has been helpful and good luck to you.