Tab is a simplified form of music writing designed specifically for guitar. Its six lines correspond to each string on your instrument while numbers correspond to fret positions on that string.
When you see a “0” above a string, this indicates it should be played open. Other symbols indicate different techniques like slides and hammer-ons.
Tablature
Tab notation for guitar (and some other stringed instruments) differs from standard sheet music in its reading from left to right, consisting of lines and spaces representing your guitar’s six strings from bottom to top with one line representing each fret on that string, while each number represents notes to be played in that fret position.
Sometimes a number will be followed by a curved line, or “slur”, to indicate when one should move their finger up or down the fretboard to create higher or lower pitches than what was being played (known as “hammer-on” or “pull-off”) to produce certain sound (legato).
Tablature often includes the symbol ‘0’ to indicate an open string note – one in which all fingers should be off of the fretboard when playing it. Bending strings is an integral part of guitarists’ styles and can be represented either with an upward pointing arrow or the letter B.
Chord Charts
Chord charts are meant to replicate the layout of a guitar fretboard. They typically contain standard music notation on top and chord diagrams at the bottom; each line represents one string on a guitar while each dot indicates which fret you need to place your finger for that string’s chord sounding; if there is a number 2 next to any string it means your finger needs to rest on that string’s second fret for it to sound that chord chord.
Reading a chord chart should follow standard notation, moving from left to right as in reading standard notation. When looking at a chart, make sure that you proceed from left to right like reading standard notation; any strings marked with an “X” should not be played and any that have an “O” should be treated like open strings and without placing any fingers on that particular fret.
Each chord offers multiple voicings so that you can alter its sound by switching which strings you play – for instance an A shape barre chord played at the 8th fret can sound much differently than when played on the 15th fret.
Ear Training
As part of learning the chords and tabs for any song, it is also vital to practice ear training. This means practicing placing your finger at specific positions on the fret board and listening out for what sounds they make; for instance, you might hear buzzing noises when pressing too hard or touching adjacent strings; it is crucial that as much fun is had playing guitar.
Ear training involves more than simply hearing the sound of a note or chord; it involves understanding its qualities through techniques such as bending notes, sliding, hammer-ons or pull-offs, double stops, harmonics etc. If you only ever use tablature to play songs you won’t ever learn how to improvise or compose original pieces yourself!
Next time a song is giving you difficulty, take some time out to sit down and work it out by ear instead of just using tablature. This will give you more of an understanding of how music works while giving you more freedom to create what comes to your mind without being limited by paper notes.
Rhythm
Rhythm is an integral component of playing music, yet tabs typically don’t include this information. They might break it down into measures, but you will have to listen closely and figure out its rhythm yourself.
Duration of notes or rests can be indicated with symbols: w (whole note), h (half note) and q (quarter note). Sometimes notes are marked “dotted,” which indicates they last two beats. Other symbols depict other aspects of rhythm including ties, dotted and triplet notes etc.
If you see a “t” in any string of notes, it indicates tapping. This technique used on open strings creates bell-like harmonics and should be learned. Also keep an eye out for “X’s and O’s above strings; an “X” indicates closed and should not ring while an “O” means it should – these symbols will help when playing strumming songs!