How to Read Guitar Tabs

Music reading counts as one of the most important elements of learning and excelling in guitar playing. While most guitarists with ambition start off by learning to read sheet music, beginners looking for an easier method opt for  learning how to read guitar tabs, as they are generally known.

Guitar tablatures are much easier to read as compared to sheet music. However, many beginners get confused by the various lines, numbers and symbols associated with guitar tablature.

Learn How to Read Guitar Tabs

If you want to learn how to read guitar tabs you first need to understand that tablature is nothing but six horizontal lines that represent the six strings of a normal guitar. The bottommost line represents the low E string, while the uppermost represents the high E string.

When you first learn how to read guitar tabs your sure to be perplexed by seeing a great deal of numbers. These numbers indicate the frets required to be played. For example, if the number 3 is printed on the bottommost line, it means that the 3rd fret of the low E string needs to be played. Many beginners often get confused by seeing the number 0. The existence of the number 0 on any particular line in the tablature means the particular string needs to be played ‘open’.

Guitar tablature should be read left to right, like any book. However, several questions are asked by amateurs when they see a vertical stack of numbers. These vertical stacks denote guitar chords and are not something you should be wary of.

Guitar tablature also incorporates several other techniques related to guitar playing. The letter ‘h’ denotes the technique of hammer-ons, in which a guitarist plays a note by hammering on a particular fret and not through picking. For example, if there is 5h7 mentioned on the second line from bottom, it means picking the 5th fret on the A string and hammering on the 7th after. Pull-offs are denoted much in the same way. Pulling off is the technique of picking a note and releasing the fretting finger to reveal a lower note.

For example, if there is 7p5 mentioned on the A string, it means the player has to pick the 7th fret and take off the finger from the 7th fret to reveal the note at the 5th fret. All this may seem complicated to someone trying to learn guitar tabs but it actually gets easier with practice.

Slides are generally denoted by forward and backward slashes. For example, a 5/7 slide denotes an ascending slide from the 5th fret to the 7th fret. On the other hand, a 7\5 slide denotes a descending slide from the 7th to the 5th fret. In certain cases, the letter ‘s’ is also used for slides.

String bends are generally denoted by the letter ‘b’. For example, 5b7 means that the note on the 5th fret should be bent in such a way, that it should sound like the note on the 7th fret. Vibratos may be denoted in 2 or 3 separate methods. The most common method is using the ‘~’ symbol. It may simply be denoted by the letter ‘v’ as well.

String mutes are denoted by the letter ‘x’, and tapping is denoted by the letter ‘t’. The only major flaw that guitar tablatures have is the total absence of any rhythm notation. Unless the player has actually heard a particular song, it is impossible to play it just by looking at the tabs alone. So there you have it your basic introduction on how to read guitar tabs.

If your serious about mastering this important skill then I strongly recommend you consider taking an online guitar course as the use of structured multi-media lessons can help you learn guitar tabs much much faster.

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