How to read ukulele tab
Tab, or tablature, writes ukulele 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 four lines, one for each string. The top line is the A string, nearest the floor; the bottom line is the G string, nearest your chin. It looks upside down at first: it is the ukulele 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
A|-0-----------| E|----0--------| C|-------0-----| G|----------0--|
Each 0 is a string played open, top line to bottom: A, E, C, G.
A tune on one string
A|-0--2--3--2--0--| E|----------------| C|----------------| G|----------------|
The numbers are frets on the A string: 0, 2, 3, 2, 0.
A chord
A|-3--| E|-0--| C|-0--| G|-0--|
Numbers stacked are played together: this is C (0003).
Hammer-on and pull-off
A|------------| E|-0--h2--p0--| C|------------| G|------------|
0h2: pick the open string, then hammer a finger onto the 2nd fret. 2p0: pull it off to sound the open string again.
Slides
A|-2--/4--\2--| E|------------| C|------------| G|------------|
2/4: slide one finger up from the 2nd fret to the 4th; 4\2 slides back.
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 A string, nearest the floor. The bottom line is the G string, nearest your chin.
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.