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<p>Tablature or Tab for short, is a system of notation for the guitar. This
reference will focus on the type of tablature that is found on the Internet.
While Internet tablature has many things in common with tab found in magazines
and books, there are many differences.</p>
<p>Tablature consists of 6 lines, one for each string of your guitar. Some
tablature will have 7 lines if a 7-string guitar is being used, or 4 or 5 lines
for bass. Keep in mind that the lowest line is the lowest sounding string. </p>
<p>E---------------------------------1st sting-----<br>
B---------------------------2nd string----------<br>
G---------------------3rd string----------------<br>
D---------------4th string----------------------<br>
A---------5th string----------------------------<br>
E---6th string----------------------------------</p>
<p>The numbers represent the frets that you put your fingers on. For example: 3
means the third fret, and a 0 means an open string.</p>
<p>3rd fret open string<br>
| |<br>
E-------3------------0----------<br>
B-------------------------------<br>
G-------------------------------<br>
D-------------------------------<br>
A-------------------------------<br>
E-------------------------------</p>
<p>Tablature is read from left to right. If you see something like the example
below, just play the notes in the order that you see them.</p>
<p>E-----------------------<br>
B-----------------------<br>
G--------------5--------<br>
D--------5--7-----7-----<br>
A-----7-----------------<br>
E-----------------------</p>
<p>Tablature usually does not indicate which finger you should use. But here is
at least a basic guideline to help. Take an inventory of all of the notes in a
phrase or part of a song. The lowest note you might play with your 1st finger,
and the others play in relationship to that. For example, in the previous
exercise there was a note on the 5th fret, and 7th fret. You would use your 1st
finger to play the 5th fret and your 3rd finger to play the 7th fret. You have 4
fingers, use one finger per fret in a 4 fret area as a basic guide. Keep in mind
that this is a very general guideline, and not everything is as clear cut as the
above example.</p>
<p>Knowing these basics about tablature will help you get started playing a
wealth of songs available here at TabCrawler. But there are some more specific
symbols that you need to be aware of when on your guitar tablature journey. One
thing to keep in mind, is that this system of notation is far from being
standardized. I will try to show you the most common symbols used, but the
person who wrote a particular piece of tablature sometimes uses their own non
standard symbols. They might even use the wrong name for a particular technique,
which can be very confusing. Get a recording of the song you are working on, and
use your ear along with the tab to help you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page2.html">Page 2,
Information about tuning and rhythm in tab</a></p>
<p><b>How To Read Tablature Menu:</b><br>
Intro To Tablature<br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page2.html">Tuning And Rhythm</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page3.html">Chords In Tab</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page4.html">Other Symbols
Used In Tab</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page4.html#hammeron">Hammer-Ons</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page4.html#pulloff">Pull-Offs</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page5.html">Slides</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page5.html#bends">Bends</a><br>
<a href="http://www.tabcrawler.com/how-to-read-tab/page5.html#reversebends">
Reverse Ben