Guitar Tablature (or tab for short) is a graphical method of representing music for playing on the guitar. Unlike full musical notation it is only applicable to guitar but is an easier method of describing how to play a tune on the guitar.

In tab the strings on the guitar are represented by lines

E ___________________________
B ___________________________
G ___________________________
D ___________________________
A ___________________________
E ___________________________

and the fret to play by numbers on the lines, with 0 meaning an open string (i.e no finger on the fret)

E ___________________________
B ___________________________
G ___________________________
D ___________________________
A ___4_______________________
E ___________________________

So this means, play the note at the 4th fret on the A string.

E ___________________________
B ___________________________
G ___________________________
D ___________________________
A ___4__3__4__3______________
E ___________________________

Here the numbers are one after the other, so you play the notes one after the other

E ___0_______________________
B ___________________________
G ___2_______________________
D ___3_______________________
A ___4_______________________
E ___________________________

Here the numbers are stacked one above the other so they are all played at the same time (a chord).

Unlike classic musical notation there is no indication of length of notes or timing, so tab notation is best used in combination with listening to the music you want to play and noting the rhythm and timing.

More articles from Used Guitars and Amplifiers UK:

10 Tips for Learning Guitar

Learning to Play the Guitar

Buying a Used Guitar

Ways to learn to play the guitar

Classic Electric Guitars

Setting up and Tuning Your Guitar

Your First Guitar - Acoustic or Electric

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