Guide
How to read guitar tabs
Guitar tab is six lines, one per string, with the thin e string on top. A number on a line means press that fret and play that string. You read left to right, like words. Here is the whole system with an example you can hear.
The six lines
- The top line is the thinnest string, the one nearest the floor when you hold the guitar.
- The bottom line is the thickest string.
- A number is a fret. 0 means play the string open, without pressing.
- Left to right is time. Numbers further right come later.
Watch out
Tab is upside down from how you look at your own hand
When you look down at the guitar, the thick string is nearest you. Tab shows it at the bottom. Think of tab as the guitar seen by someone standing in front of you.
Reading the numbers
- 1
Find the line
Count from the top: 1 is thin e, 2 is B, 3 is G, 4 is D, 5 is A, 6 is thick E.
- 2
Read the number
That is the fret. Press just behind that metal bar.
- 3
Numbers stacked on top of each other
Play them at the same time. That is a chord.
- 4
Numbers one after another
Play them one at a time, in order. That is a melody.
What tab does not tell you
Plain tab has no rhythm. It shows which notes, not how long each one lasts. That is why the tab on this site plays: you hear the timing while you read the numbers.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Open string |
| x | Muted string, do not let it ring |
| h | Hammer on: press the next note without picking again |
| p | Pull off: lift a finger to sound the note below |
| / | Slide up to the next number |
| b | Bend the string up |
Read along with a song
Try it now
Ode to Joy, melody mode
Melody mode shows the tab moving with the sound. Start at 60 percent and follow the numbers.
Open the songQuestions people ask
- Which line is which string in guitar tab?
- The top line is the thin e string, the bottom line is the thick E string. The order is e B G D A E from top to bottom.
- What does 0 mean in guitar tab?
- Play the string open, without pressing any fret.
- Is tab easier than sheet music?
- For guitar, yes. Tab tells you exactly where to put your fingers. Sheet music tells you the pitch and rhythm and leaves the position to you.