How To Read Tabs And Play The Songs

How To Read Tabs And Play The Songs You've Always Wanted

Tablature is a way of indicating the positioning of
 notes and fingering on the guitar fretboard.

Main Points To Remember...

There are 6 tab lines representing 6 strings on the guitar.
(The 1st string is the thinnest, and the 6th string is the thickest)
 They are as follows:

E----------------------------- String 1
B----------------------------- String 2
G----------------------------- String 3
D----------------------------- String 4
A----------------------------- String 5
E----------------------------- String 6

When a number is placed on one of the lines, it indicates
the fret location of note for example,

E----------------------------- String 1
B------4---------------------- String 2
G----------------------------- String 3
D----------------------------- String 4
A----------------------------- String 5
E----------------------------- String 6 

(This means to play the 4th Fret on the 2nd string)

E----------------------------- String 1
B----------------------------- String 2
G----------------------------- String 3
D----------------------------- String 4
A------0---------------------- String 5
E----------------------------- String 6

(This indicates an open 5th string)

E---1------------------------- String 1
B-----------8----------------- String 2
G-------7--------------------- String 3
D---------------2------------- String 4
A----------------------------- String 5
E------------------------12--- String 6  

This indicates:
1st Fret, 1st string then
7th Fret, 3rd string, then
8th Fret, 2nd string, then
2nd Fret, 4th string, then
12th Fret, 6th string.

Further Points To Remember...

Other letters / symbols used in tabs.

h - hammer on
p - pull off
b - bend string up
r - release bend
/ - slide up
\ - slide down
v - vibrato (sometimes written as ~)
t - right hand tap
x - play 'note' with heavy damping

When you see all numbers in a line one after another 

E---3------------------------- String 1
B---3------------------------- String 2
G---4------------------------- String 3
D---5------------------------- String 4
A---5------------------------- String 5
E---3------------------------- String 6


...it means you play the entire chord using all fingers

When you see tabs that have "h"

E--------------------------------String 1
B--------------------------------String 2
G--------------------------------String 3
D--------------------------------String 4
A---------7h9-----------10h12----String 5
E---0--0----------0--0-----------String 6

....it means to do a "Hammer On" from the 7th fret to t
he 9th fret and again for the 10th fret to the 12th fret

When you see other tabs that have "pO"

E--------------------------------String 1
B--------------------------------String 2
G--------------------------------String 3
D--------------------------------String 4
A---------9pO7-----------12pO10--String 5
E---0--0----------0--0-----------String 6

....it means to do a "Pull Off" from the 9th fret to
 the 7th fret and again for the 12th fret to the 10th fret

When you see other tabs that have "b"

E--------------------------------String 1
B--------------------------------String 2
G--------------------------------String 3
D--------------------------------String 4
A---------7b9-----------10b12----String 5
E--------------------------------String 6

...it means strike the string 5 on the 7th fret, then bend
 the note up so that it sounds the same as the note played on the 9th fret.