Learning how to read guitar tabs is really quite easy. And I can still remember learning to read tabs almost 15 years ago! WOW time flies.
When I started playing guitar all I wanted was to learn a few good songs so I could play with friends at bonfires, but as time went on I really got good at it and that the reason I'm here now wanting to show you how easily you can learn to play the guitar, because of the simplicity of guitar tabs.
Now there's something about guitar tabs that you should know before we get you started. Unlike actual musical notation tabs won't show you how to play a song's rhythm or pace. That is something you can learn by simply listening to the song you're trying to learn. But you'll see that most times just learning a song's chords by reading some tab chart will often be enough!Alright, let's get you going.
The key to understanding of guitar tabs is first knowing what the numbers on the guitar tabs represent.
On a basic guitar tab you might see something like this:
======
1|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
3|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
4|------------5---------------------------------------------------------------------|
5|--------7---------------------7---------------------------------------------------|
6|----0-------------6-----5--------------------------------------------------------|
Where..
#1 represents the high E string. That's the thinnest string on your guitar and the highest pitched sounding string.
#2 represents your B string, which is one lower than the High E.
#3 represents your G string, which is one lower than the B string.
#4 represents your D string (one lower than the B)
#5 represents your A string (one lower than the D)
#6 represents your low E string, or the string with the lowest pitch. This is the string furthest from your input jack.
Now the numbers 1-6 on the left represent your strings. I'm sure you're wondering how to read the other numbers now.
When you see a "0" on a tab, you should read this as playing the open string. This means that you don't touch any fret.
In the case above, you would read the "0" as telling you to play the low E string open, or without touching any fret.
Why the low E string? Because as you can see, the "0" is in the same row as the low E string.
The next number you read is a 7. This reads as the 7th fret on the guitar. Which means to press the A string down 7 frets from the head stock of the guitar. The headstock of the guitar is the part that has the tuning keys, the bean shaped metal pieces that you use to tune your guitar.
The next number is 5. This is the D string, which means you need to press the 5ft fret from the headstock.
Voila! That's French for "that's it!" You just learned to read guitar tabs.
Now this is just the basics on how to read guitar tabs and of course there's lots more to cover which I will in an up and coming article. So be sure to check back.
Now get out there and amaze yourself and friends with your knew found talent!
