The guitar can be notated in two ways. Either by using proper musical staves or by the use of tablature. Tablature is the more common, and often preferred, method of writing down songs for the guitar. In this lesson you will learn how to read tablature (tab from now on).
This will be especially useful for beginners because most guitar music sites use the tab format. I have found that many new guitarists find tab quite bewildering in the beginning, but it need not be! Just learn the simple "code" and you’ll be fine…

Guitar tab is based on this template model of the guitar neck, in a way, it’s a text drawing of the neck.

E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|

Each of those six lines represents a guitar string, thickest at the bottom, and the thinnest at the top. Here’s a visual explanation:

E|----------------------Thinnest---------------------------------|
B|----------------------2nd-thinnest-string----------------------|
G|----------------------3rd-thinnest-string----------------------|
D|----------------------3rd-thickest-string----------------------|
A|----------------------2nd-thickest-string----------------------|
E|----------------------Thickest-string--------------------------|

The letters up the left had side represent the note of the string when it is played open (i.e. played without fingering a fret).
E, A, D, G, B and E are the notes in standard tuning. If the song is in any other tuning than standard, it is usually stated at the top of the sheet of tab music. For more on guitar tunings - see the tuning lesson.

Now you’ve got the strings/lines sorted, now onto the frets! For those of you who don’t know what frets are, they are those strips of thin metal across your guitar’s neck. To "fret" or play a note, you must place your finger directly behind a fret and press down firmly then pick the string. Frets are notated on tab by the use of numbers.
For example:

E|--1--2--3--4---------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|

As you can see, tab is like a map of where the notes you have to play are positioned on the neck. The frets are counted from the top of the neck, to the bottom of the neck. 1 being at the top and 21, 22, 23 or even 24 being closest to the body, depending on the type of guitar you have.

So to play the 4 notes shown above (on the high E string) you have to:

• Place your first (index) finger on the first fret (i.e. just behind the fret) and play the string.
• Place you second (middle) finger on the second fret and play the string.
• Place you third (ring) finger on the third fret and play the string.
• Place you fourth (pinkie) finger on the fourth fret and play the string.

It’s that simple!
By the way, if you’re having difficulty with using all four of your fingers, try it with only one or two to get the idea.

The "zero" fret?
Have a look at this tab:

E|-----------------0---------------------------------------------|
B|--------------0------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------0---------------------------------------------------|
D|--------0------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----0---------------------------------------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------------------------------------|

"What the?!" I hear you say! This is even simpler than before because a 0 = an open string. In other words you play the string without fretting a string. So in the above example you have to play every string on after the other without touching a fret. Easy!

Next, chords…
Try this simple chord for size:

E|--0------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--0------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--0------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--2------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--2------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------------------------------------|

This is E minor (Em for short). In tab, chords are shown by stacking numbers, they are all played together by strumming. To play the Em chord you use your first two fingers to fret the second frets on both the A and D strings. Make sure that they don’t touch any other strings when played, this will cause buzzing! Now strum the chord by sounding all the strings in one motion. There you go, an Em chord in tab! Still easy?

Other tablature notations/definitions you may come across are shown listed into categories.

Fretting hand tablature/techniques.

E|-------------|
B|-----7h9-----|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

E|-------------|
B|-----9p7-----|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

E|----------r--|
B|--------9s7--|
G|--7s9--------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|--3--X--X----|
A|--3--X--X----|
E|--1--X--X----|

      tr~~~~
E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|----7(9-7)---|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-----h7p5----|
A|--h7---------|
E|-------------|

Picking hand tablature/techniques.

      d  u 
E|-------------|
B|----9--7-----|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|-------------|

   P.M.-------
E|-------------|
B|-------------|
G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|-------------|
E|--0--0--0--0-|

More coming soon…!

• How to easily and safely remove a stuck control knob  (Saturday, 13 May 2006)
• Bass tablature template. Copy and paste into a text editor and tab your song!  (Thursday, 11 May 2006)
• Fretboard note chart  (Monday, 08 May 2006)
• Tips for buying your first guitar  (Saturday, 06 May 2006)
• Guitar string installation tips  (Wednesday, 03 May 2006)