How to Read Guitar Tabs

Reading guitar tablature, frankly, is quite very easy.

I will try to avoid the mumbo jumbo in explaining how to read a guitar tablature. So here goes...

Let’s start with the figure below:

1| - - - - - -
2|- - - - - -
3| - - - - - -
4|- - - - - -
5|- - - - - -
6|- - - - - -

The above figure is typically how a guitar tablature is written or laid out. It basically means this – the numbers corresponds with the guitar string.

Now let’s move on to the next figure below:

1| - - - - - -
2| - - - - - -
3| - - - - - -
4|- - - - - -
5| - - 5 - - -
6|- - - - - -

This simply means that you need to pluck the 5th sting on the 5th fret. So if we replace the number 5 with a 2 it basically means, pluck the 5th string on the 2nd fret. Pretty easy huh?!

How about this one?

1| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5| - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6| - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The figure above means, pluck both 6th and 5th strings on the 3rd fret. The second one means, pluck both the 1st and 3rd string on the 1st fret (1st string) and 2nd fret (3rd string). You get the idea already?

Now this one?

1| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3| - - - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4| - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5| - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is basically the C chord played arpeggio.  So start from the 5th string (3rd fret) and move all the way down to the 2nd string (1st fret) then back up. And that’s it! It’s really that simple :)

Now, the best way to really learn reading guitar tablature is by studying one of your favorite song’s guitar transcriptions. That way, you are already familiar with the song.

Now go ahead and practice!