How to Read Guitar Tabs
Guitar tab is a very popular method of notating guitar music. This is mainly because it is very easy to read. In some ways it can also offer more information than standard notation. Guitar players should learn both methods because they compliment each other when used together.
In order to understand tabs, you need to visualize a guitar neck as if you are looking down on it.
The numbers are then placed on the lines to represent where you put your fingers on the fretboard. If you read the diagram below you would play this on a guitar by putting your finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, then you would play the note at the 4th fret, then again on the 2nd fret. The zero represents playing an open string.
To tab a chord, the notes are placed vertically on top of each other. This means you play the notes at the same time.
Below is the tab for a very well known rock song; Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple. This is one of the most famous guitar riffs of all time, and it’s also one of the easiest.
REMEMBER – Tabs don’t show us the rhythm and timing of the music, so we have to use our ears when we listen to the song. Take your time and focus on getting the rhythm right!
This is a slightly simplified version of the song, only using 1 string. If you’re finding this riff easy, you can have a go at the riff the way it’s actually played on the record.
Now that you’ve got the hang of it, thousands of songs lie at your fingertips ready to learn. Remember, this is only the basics of tablature. There are more symbols that represent techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, string bending, sliding and even finger tapping. There’s no rush to learn these, concentrate on the basics first!