Lesson 6: Guitar Music Tablature

Guitar music tablature is a way to write and read guitar songs without using musical notation.

Tabs are like a cheat sheet. You don't need to be able to read music - all you need to know is how to read tabs.

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Here's a cool tool to help you find guitar tabs for any song you want! Use this handy tab finder by typing in the name of the song or author (not "autor") and click.

If you get formal musical training with an instructor then you will absolutely have to learn to read music. If you decide to be self-taught then you can get by without it, and guitar music tablature and guitar chord charts will become your best friend.

• The guitar tab always shows all six strings. It's like looking down at your guitar fingerboard, with the sixth string (the low E) at the bottom and the 1st string (the high E) at the top.

• The number on the string indicates which fret to play. The first note shown below is a number 5 on the fourth string, so you play the fifth fret of the fourth string (the D string), which is a G note.

• If there are two numbers together, those strings get played together. The first example below does not show notes played together. Always read the tab from left to right.

• This means that you could be playing a single-note melody or a bunch of chords, or a chorded melody including both. The first example below is a single-note melody. The guitar tab does not show time signature unless it appears beneath regular musical notation - which it almost always does. Most players get guitar tabs for songs that they already know, so they will know the timing once they start playing.

Try to play the tab below. Then we'll go over it and some others. OR, just skip on down to the Online Guitar Video Lesson 6: Tabs.

Here's a breakdown of the notes shown in the first guitar tab example above. The first measure (or section of notes stopping at the double line) is as follows:

• 5 - 7 - 9 = play 5th, 7th, and 9th frets all on the 4th string, D. They get played in the order in which they appear, 5, 7 and then 9.

• 6 - 8 = play the 6th and the 8th frets on the 3rd string, G.

• 6 - 8 = play the 6th and 8th frets now on the 2nd string, B.

The second or middle measure plays like this:

• 5 - 7 - 9 = play 5th, 7th and 9th frets all on 4th string D (again)

• 6 - 7 = play 6th and 7th frets on the 3rd string G

• 5 - 6 - 8 = play 5th, 6th and 8th frets on the 2nd string B

And the third and last measure plays like this:

• 5 - 7 - 9 = play the 5th, 7th and 9th frets on the 4th string

• play the 5th, 7th and 8th frets on the 3rd string G

• play the 6th and 8th frets on the 2nd string B

Guitar music tablature does not say which fingers of the playing hand you should use. The fingering comes with recognition of the tabs, and that can only come with practice. In the above exercise you would start out on each string with the first, second and third fingers and then move to the next string using either the 1st and 2nd or the 2nd and 3rd fingers. Either way, playing tabs is a good way to get some much-needed hand exercise and build strength in the fingers.

This tab is also a good finger-hand exercise. All notes are played separately in succession; there are no chords or note combos here. It's a one-note melody:

• Start out on the 1st string E, 5 - 3 means that you play the 5th fret and then the 3rd.

• On the 2nd string, play the 4th fret.

• On the 3rd string, play the 4th fret. Take each note in order - you go from fret 4 on 2nd string to fret 4 on 3rd string and back up to fret 6 on the 4th string. You don't jump from fret 4 to fret 6 on the 2nd string; the notes get played in order.

Practice and figure out the remaining three measures. Once you get the hang of it, reading guitar music tablature is easy and will add to your song repertoire.

Guitar music tablature and chords: how they differ

Guitar music tablature shows the guitar with the fingerboard on its side. But you've probably also seen charts of guitar chords, and those show the guitar fingerboard in an upright position. So how are they used? Look again at the guitar tab above, then look at this chord chart of the D7 chord.

Guitar music tablature represents motion from one string or note to the next. The tab may show chords being played, or combinations of notes. It shows a series of notes in progress.

A guitar chord is static. It is played in one motion; tabs are played in continuous motion.

Online Video Guitar Lesson 6: Tabs

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