how to read tab?

What is Tablature? A question that has baffled guitarists for years. But now it is here. Below is a basic guide to reading and writing tablature. In the future I will begin to add some links to other guides which are more detailed and have a more indepth look at the reading and writing of guitar tablature. The symbold shown in the key are consistant in most of the tabs on TabWorld© with a few exceptions. Symbols and meanings used on other tabs and site may differ from these. If you know of any guides to reading and writing tab that you believe should be linked from this site, please email me and I will give you credit. If you wish to use this basic guide on you website all I ask is that you email me for permission. And remember: Play hard, play fast, play 'till your fingers bleed.


A Basic Guide To Tab
In the beginning...Well basically, the six lines represent the six
strings on the guitar. The highest string on the guitar is the first
string shown on the tab. So from highest to lowest:

e|--HIGHEST STRING--    The only other thing that you really need to
B|------------------    know is what the numbers on the string
G|------------------    represent. The numbers show which fret you
D|------------------    play on. A number '1' on the 'A' string would
A|------------------    indicate that you play that string while
E|--LOWEST STRING---    holding down on the first fret. An '0' shows
                        that the string is played open, meaning that no
frets are held down. Other symbols may appear beside the fret numbers.
ie: 'p', 'h' or '~'. These symbols show how the string is played and
what effects are added to it. Below is a basic key:

--------------------     'Hammer On' means means play the string once,
h     Hammer On          but hammer on a second fret. This will only 
p     Pull Off           happen on one string, so the vibrations from
/     Slide Up To        playing the first note can be carried on to
\     Slide Down To      play the second note. Ie:  A|--2h4------|
~     Tremlo Pic*        This means that you play the 'A' string, on
b     Bend*              the second fret and then push down on the
--------------------     forth fret without playing the string a
                         second time. 'Pull off' means the opposite of
'Hammer On'. 'Slide Up' means that the string is played, and the fret
number is increased. Play the string and quickly slide up to the next
shown fret, still holding down on the string. 'Slide Down' is the
opposite, you slide down the frets. 'Tremlo Pic' means to use rotating
picing (play up then down cont.) continuesly and extremely fast on that
one string. And last, 'Bend' means to bend the string up to create a
higher note, moving it up a semitone or more.

Not enough info for you? Then check out this site. Fast loading and a really in depth guide on how to read and write tab. Includes what tab will and won't tell you.