Reading Tabs

Way easier than playing them ;)

Reading guitar tabs is really easy! After all it is just basically a get out for us who can't read music ;). Tabs generally look like this:

----------------
----------------
----------------
---2--7-5-------
--------5-------
----------------

They may also have the strings marked on them but generally it's just standard E B G D A E. The top line represents the highest string on your guitar (the high E) so what you are actually looking at is the fret board if your guitar is facing you. It's actually the other way round when you are looking down from above.

To clarify in even simpler terms, the top line of the diagram represents the really thin string and the bottom line of the diagram represents the really fat string.

The numbers then represent where your fingers should be on the fret board. For example a 2 means you should be on fret 2. Open strings where you are not fretting at all are marked with a 0 or sometimes an X (but this can also mean something different).

What tabs mean from here on in is anyones guess, different people use different systems. But some of the most common are:

h: hamer on
p: pull off
b: bend string
r: release bend
/: slide up
-: slide down

That is pretty much the standard. I like to use > for slides though. For instance a slide from 3 down to 4 or from 3 up to 2 would be written 3>4 or 3>2 if I was tabbing. Maybe that's just be though.

Any other special information should be written and explained on the tab itself.

Disclaimer

These tabs are not official nor accurate and may only be used for studying and development of skill. Purchasing official sheet music is always recommended. If you feel some material is in violation of copyright law please email us and it will be removed.