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Since guitar tablature is the first method beginner guitar players use to learn songs it’s important that you understand how to read it. Most learn to play guitar dvd or other guitar lesson program tabs are usually introduced early on since they’re such a vital role to your learning. If you haven’t found it yet in your guitar lesson program trust me it’s coming.
This article will explain how guitar tabs are made, how to read them and of course how to play guitar tabs. After reading this article you shouldn’t have any problems reading, understanding and playing most basic guitar tabs. Starting out take your time learning tabs, it’s a good idea to master a song or piece from a tab slow first then add speed, accuracy is what makes a great guitar player.
Let’s Begin
How Guitar Tab is Constructed
A guitar tab is like looking at your guitar neck if the guitar was in the case. A guitar tab has 6 lines, one for each string on your guitar. The top line of guitar tab corresponds to the first string on your guitar or the high E. The bottom string on a guitar tab corresponds to the sixth string or your low E string.
Here’s a quick example
1st ——–
2nd ——–
3rd ——–
4th ——–
5th ——–
6th ——–
Understanding the Notes of Guitar Tab
The next part of reading tabs is understanding what notes to play and on what strings. One of the great things about guitar tab is you aren’t required to know how to read music you just need to know which fret to play on each string.
Here’s another example
1st -2——
2nd ——–
3rd ——–
4th —–6–
5th ——–
6th ——-3
The numbers on each line in the above tab are telling you which fret to press down on which string. So the number two on the 1st line is telling you to play string number 1, the high e string, on fret two. Like wise the number six on string number four is telling you to play the D string on fret six.
Tabs will look just like this of course much longer. Sometimes it will be individual notes you need to play and other times it could be complete chords you need to play. There’s an example chord tabbed below, it’s a C major chord.
1st ———
2nd –1—–
3rd —2—-
4th ——–
5th —3—-
6th —x—-
This is the correct fretting for a C chord. Notice the x on the 6th string, this is something we haven’t looked at before the X means you do not play this string. So if you see an x on a particular string don’t strum or pluck that string.
With this simple lesson learning most popular songs on the guitar by reading tabs will be a breeze. Of course there are more advanced parts of guitar tablature that you’ll need to learn such as slides and hammer ons or offs, but this will get you started.
A good guitar lessons on dvd will help you with more advanced parts of learning guitar tabs. I’d urge you to continue to learn beyond just what this guitar tab lesson will teach you. You will become a better guitar player and better musician if you push to learn how to also read music and understand theory as well as reading tabs.
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