How to Read Tab

The ability to read guitar tab is an essential skill necessary for guitarists who want to learn the guitar online. It is quite easy to understand and read once you get the hang of it. The ability to read tabs gives you one of the quickest and easiest ways to start playing the guitar.

Guitar tab is divided into bars (horizontal lines) with a set number of beats (usually 4 beats) per bar. Each horizontal line represents a string of the guitar. The top line represents the 1st string of the guitar, the thinnest string (high e) while the bottom line represents the 6th string, the thickest string low E). Here is an example using the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale should be practiced and played as often as possible because you play all 12 notes on the guitar in half steps. It is also a great warm up exercise.

Here is how to read/play this:
Play the 6th string on the 1st fret.
Play the 6th string on the 2nd fret.
Play the 6th string on the 3rd fret.
Play the 6th string on the 4th fret.
Play the 5th string on the 1st fret.
Play the 5th string on the 2nd fret.
Play the 5th string on the 3rd fret.
etc…

Be careful on the 3rd string as you only play three frets!! The main drawback of guitar tabs is that they do not provide the duration of the notes. In most cases you have to figure out the timing of the tabs yourself.