Learn How To Read Guitar TAB in 5 Minutes
Learn how to read guitar TABs in this quick 5 minute lesson!
TAB is the simplest way to read and write the notes on the fretboard. The thickest string is represented by the bottom line, and the thinnest by the top like. It looks the same as when you put the guitar on your lap and look down at the fretboard.
Reading and writing TAB is very simple. Every string is represented by a line of TAB, with the thickest string (low E) at the bottom. All you need to do is write the fret number you want to play overtop the string you want to play it on.
Here we can see “3” written on the bottom line. That means we would play the 3rd fret of the low E string.
A “5” on the 2nd lowest line means you should play the 5th fret of the A string.
Here we see “7” written on the bottom line 3 times. All we have to do then, is play that note (7th fret of the low E string) 3 times in a row.
Here we see “3” on the bottom line, and “3” on the next line. This means we would play the 3rd fret of the low E string followed by the 3rd fret of the A string.
Here we see the same 2 notes as above except they’re stacked on top of each other. That means you need to play both of those notes at the same time (like a chord).
