How to read guitar tab
Tab, or tablature, writes guitar music as strings and frets instead of notes on a staff: each line is a string, and each number is the fret to press. It takes a minute to learn. Every example below plays as written.
The lines are strings, the numbers are frets
Tab has six lines, one for each string. The top line is the thinnest string, the high E; the bottom line is the thickest, the low E. It looks upside down at first: it is the guitar as you see it looking down at it while you play. A number on a line is the fret to press on that string; 0 is the open string. Read from left to right.
Open strings, lowest to highest
e|----------------0--| B|-------------0-----| G|----------0--------| D|-------0-----------| A|----0--------------| E|-0-----------------|
Each number is 0: play the string open. One after another, left to right.
A tune on one string
e|-------------------| B|-1--3--1--0-----0--| G|-------------2-----| D|-------------------| A|-------------------| E|-------------------|
The numbers are frets on the B string, 1, 3, 1, 0, then the 2nd fret of the G string and the open B again. One note at a time.
A chord
e|-0--| B|-1--| G|-0--| D|-2--| A|-3--| E|----|
Numbers stacked one above another are played together: this is C (x32010), strummed.
Hammer-on and pull-off
e|---------------| B|---------------| G|-2--h4--p2--0--| D|---------------| A|---------------| E|---------------|
2h4: pick the 2nd fret, then hammer a finger down on the 4th without picking again. 4p2: pull the finger off to sound the 2nd.
Slides
e|------------| B|------------| G|------------| D|-5--/7--\5--| A|------------| E|------------|
5/7: pick the 5th fret and slide the same finger up to the 7th. 7\5 slides back down.
Other signs
| h | hammer-on: a finger hammers down on a higher fret, without picking |
|---|---|
| p | pull-off: a finger pulls off to sound a lower fret, without picking |
| / and \ | slide up and slide down, the finger kept on the string |
| b | bend: push the string sideways to raise the note (7b9: fret 7, bent up to sound like fret 9) |
| r | release a bend back to the note it started on |
| ~ | vibrato: shake the note a little |
| x | a muted string: a dead, scratchy click |
| <12> | a harmonic: touch the string lightly over the fret, don’t press it |
| P.M. | palm mute: rest the side of the picking hand on the strings near the bridge |
What tab does not show
Plain tab shows which notes, not how long each lasts: the space between numbers is only a rough guide. Listen to the music to get the rhythm, or use tab written with the rhythm above it, as the song maker and the practice sheet maker write it. Chords in a song are usually written as chord names or chord charts rather than tab.
Where next
Learn the beginner chords, try the strumming patterns, or read how to read chord charts.
Questions
Is the top line of tab the high string or the low string?
The top line is the thinnest string, the high E. The bottom line is the thickest, the low E.
What does 0 mean in tab?
Play the string open, with no finger on it.
What do numbers on top of each other mean?
Play them together: they make a chord, strummed or picked at once.
Does tab show rhythm?
Not plain tab: it shows the notes in order. Listen to the music for the timing, or use tab written with rhythm, as notation software does.