GUITAR: How to understand tabs

GUITAR TABS: HOW TO READ THEM

Please check out the next video:

EMPTY TAB LINES AND TUNING:

This is what you will see when you look for a tab of a song.

This shows the strings and what they are tuned to. Most of the time it will be tuned to standard tuning like this one.

GUITAR FRET NUMBERS:

The numbers on the lines show what fret you will play on what string. In the above example it shows that you will play the 5th fret, 7th fret, and 8th fret of the B string and the 5th, 7th, and 8th fret of the high E string.

You read tabs like you’re reading a book...left to right.

PLAYING CHORDS:

When you see notes that are stacked on top of each other you will play them together.

The above picture shows how you would play an A major chord in tab. The only flaw with tabs is they don’t show what rhythm to play.

 (A MAJOR CHORD)

"HAMMER ON" AND "PULL OFF":

This is a “hammer on” on tab lines. All you do here is hammer on from 5 to 7 on the D string then hammer on from 5 to 7 on the G string and repeat it again.

This is a “pull off” on tab lines. You will pull off from 7 to 5 on the D string then pull off from 7 to 5 on the G string and repeat.