Easy Way to Read Guitar Tabs

There are six lines in a tab, each corresponding with a string on the guitar.

E----------------------------------||(Thinnest string)
B----------------------------------||
G----------------------------------||
D----------------------------------||
A----------------------------------||
E----------------------------------||(Thickest string)

Have you had trouble learning how to read guitar tabs? Learning how to read guitar tabs is really quite easy. With this simple tutorial you will know how to read guitar tabs in no time
First let me explain to you what the numbers on guitar tabs represent. This is the key
to basic understanding of guitar tabs!

One of the basic guitar tabs you'll see might look something like this:

Intro: (Play 12 times) - (The Intro To "Enter Sandman")

======

1|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

2|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

3|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

4|------------5---------------------------------------------------------------------|

5|--------7---------------------7---------------------------------------------------|

6|----0-------------6-----5--------------------------------------------------------|

#1 represents your high E string, the thinnest string on the guitar and the highest pitched. This is the string closest to your input jack.

#2 represents your B string, which is one lower than the High E.

#3 represents your G string, which is one lower than the B string.

#4 represents your D string (one lower than the B)

#5 represents your A string (one lower than the D)

#6 represents your low E string, or the string with the lowest pitch. This is the string furthest from your input jack.


Example 1

E---------------3-0--------------------||
B-------------------3-0----------------||
G---7-7-7---------------2-0------------||
D-2-7-7-7-7-7-7------------------------||
A-2-5-5-5-7-7-7------------------------||
E-0-------5-5-5------------------------||

You play the notes/chords in order from left to right, so first you would play a power chord in E (Middle finger/Finger 2 on the second fret on the A string, ring finger/Finger 3 on the second fret on the D string, and no finger on the low E string) strumming those first 3 strings (E,A,D) once.

The next chord you would play would be a power chord on the fifth fret of A three times. So you would play with your index finger on the fifth fret of A, your middle finger on the seventh fret of D, and your ring finger on the seventh fret of G. That is how you read chords on frets now for the single notes.

After the first 3 chords we have on the example, you would play the single notes, any finger on the third fret of the high E string, pluck once, then the open high E string, and so on.

Example 2

In the example below, you'd play only the strings in parenthesis.
First you would play:

E-------------3-0-----------------||
B----------------3-0--------------||
G-----777-----------2-0-----------||
D-(2)-777--777--------------------||
A-(2)-555--777--------------------||
E-(0)------555--------------------||


Then you would play:

E-------------3-0-----------------||
B----------------3-0--------------||
G----(7)77----------2-0-----------||
D-2--(7)77--777-------------------||
A-2--(5)55--777-------------------||
E-0---------555-------------------||


And then:

E---------------3-0---------------||
B------------------3-0------------||
G----7(7)7------------2-0---------||
D-2--7(7)7--777-------------------||
A-2--5(5)5--777-------------------||
E-0---------555-------------------||

The above is not any song that I know of. It is simply a random presentation of the notations.

By combining the knowledge of reading music with reading guitar tabs, you can virtually learn any song. All you need is an idea of how the song should sound, a decent guitar, a little initiative and some practice. In no time at all, you will be amazing your friends with the ability to play songs they have heard on the radio.

Teaching yourself how to read guitar tabs is fun and easy. Once you learn this skill, you will be unstoppable... a virtual musical juggernaut.

Go ahead. Get started. Time's wasting.