Guitar tablature (or tab) is a form of musical notation that shows exactly where to place your fingers on the instrument, rather than indicating musical pitches like standard notation. It’s especially popular for fretted string instruments like guitar, bass, and ukulele.
- Instead of notes on a staff, tab uses lines to represent strings and numbers to indicate frets.
- Tab makes it easy to learn songs quickly, even if you can’t read traditional notation.
- Six horizontal lines represent the six guitar strings; the top line is the high E string, and the bottom line is the low E string.
- Numbers placed on the lines show which fret to press; “0” means play the open string.
- Reading left to right shows you the sequence of notes or chords to play.
The horizontal lines in guitar tablature represent the guitar strings.
A number on a string in tablature indicates which fret to press.
Tablature is especially useful for guitar.
Advantages of tablature include showing exact fingering, ease of learning, and use for guitar.
| String Number | String Name | Tab Line Position |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Low E | Bottom line |
| 5 | A | Second from bottom |
| 4 | D | Third from bottom |
| 3 | G | Third from top |
| 2 | B | Second from top |
| 1 | High E | Top line |
Fingering numbers (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, 4=pinky) may also be shown to help with technique, but these are separate from fret numbers.
Rhythm is not usually detailed in basic tab, so it’s helpful to listen to the song or use hybrid notation that combines tab with standard rhythmic symbols.
The highest string in guitar tablature is the high E string.
In tablature, a '0' on a string means to play that string open.
A guitarist might prefer tablature because it is easier for beginners, shows finger placement, and is widely available.
In tablature, chords are shown by stacking numbers vertically on the string lines.
Conclusion
Guitar tablature is an intuitive and practical way to learn and share music for stringed instruments, emphasizing finger placement over traditional pitch notation.
- Tab uses lines for strings and numbers for frets, making it accessible even for non-readers of music.
- Its focus on fingering makes it ideal for self-teaching popular guitar parts and riffs.
- A typical tab shows six lines for strings (lowest at bottom), with numbers indicating frets to press, read left to right.