What is guitar tab?
Tab is a way of writing guitar music using strings and frets instead of standard notation. It is the fastest way to learn riffs, solos and songs, and you do not need to read music to use it.
The six lines are the strings
Each horizontal line is a string. The top line is the thinnest string (high E) and the bottom line is the thickest (low E). It looks upside down at first: picture looking down at the guitar on your lap.
e|------------------------| B|------------------------| G|------------------------| D|------------------------| A|------------------------| E|------------------------|
The numbers are frets
A number tells you which fret to press on that string, and 0 means play the string open. Read from left to right, like text. This ascending A minor pentatonic run starts on the 5th fret of the low E string:
e|------------------------5-8-| B|-------------------5-8------| G|--------------5-7-----------| D|---------5-7----------------| A|----5-7---------------------| E|-5-8------------------------|
Reading chords in tab
Numbers stacked vertically are played together. This is a G major chord, the same shape as in the beginner chords guide:
e|-3-| B|-0-| G|-0-| D|-0-| A|-2-| E|-3-|
Guitar tab symbols
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| h | Hammer-on: pick the first note, then press the second without picking | 5h7 |
| p | Pull-off: pull the finger off to sound the lower note | 7p5 |
| b | Bend the string up to the pitch of the second number | 7b9 |
| r | Release a bend back down | 7b9r7 |
| / | Slide up | 7/10 |
| \ | Slide down | 10\7 |
| ~ | Vibrato | 9~~ |
| x | Muted, percussive note | x |
| PM | Palm mute: rest your picking hand on the strings by the bridge | PM---- |
Here several of them are used together:
e|---------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------------| G|-5h7p5----------7b9r7-----------9~~~---| D|--------7/10-----------10\7------------| A|---------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------|
What tab does not tell you
Most tabs show no rhythm. Listen to the recording while you read: use the tab for where to play and your ears for when. Tabs online are often written by fans and can be wrong, so if something sounds off, trust your ear.
Free PDF
Blank Guitar Tab Sheets
Eight empty tab staves per page with title, tuning and tempo lines, for writing riffs and songs.