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🎯 Goal: Read any guitar tab you find online with complete confidence

Before You Play a Single Song — Read This First

Every song in this Tab Library is written in guitar tablature — tab for short. Tab is the universal language of guitar. It tells you exactly where to put your fingers, which strings to play and how to execute every technique. Once you understand it you can learn any song on this site — and any song you find anywhere on the internet.

This guide covers everything. Read it once all the way through. Then come back and use it as a reference whenever you encounter something unfamiliar in a tab. By the end you will be able to read any tab you encounter — simple chord songs and advanced technical pieces alike.

1. What is Tab?

Tab is a visual representation of your guitar neck. Instead of reading musical notes on a staff — which takes years to learn — tab uses a simple system of six lines and numbers that anyone can understand in minutes.

The six lines represent the six strings of your guitar. The numbers tell you which fret to press. That is the entire system. Everything else is just variations and additions on top of those two basic ideas.

2. The Six Strings — How Tab is Laid Out

Imagine looking down at your guitar while you are holding it. The thinnest string — the high E — is at the top of what you see. The thickest string — the low E — is at the bottom. Tab is laid out the same way:

e |---| ← Thinnest string — highest pitch (1st string)
B |---|
G |---|
D |---|
A |---|
E |---| ← Thickest string — lowest pitch (6th string)

The letters on the left tell you the name of each open string — the note you hear when you play that string without pressing any fret. From thickest to thinnest: E A D G B e. A good way to remember this is the phrase Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie.

3. Numbers — Fret Positions

Numbers on the lines tell you which fret to press on that string. The number 0 means play the open string — no fret pressed at all. The number 1 means press the first fret. The number 5 means press the fifth fret. Simple.

e |--0--3--5--|
B |-----------|
G |-----------|
D |-----------|
A |-----------|
E |-----------|

Reading this from left to right — play the high e string open (0), then press fret 3 on the high e string, then press fret 5 on the high e string. You read tab exactly like you read text — left to right.

4. Reading Tab Left to Right

Tab is always read left to right. Notes that appear at the same horizontal position are played at the same time — together. Notes that appear one after another horizontally are played one after another — in sequence.

These notes are played one after another:
e |--0--2--3--|

These notes are played at the same time (a chord):
e |--0--|
B |--1--|
G |--0--|
D |--2--|
A |--3--|
E |-----|

5. Chords in Tab

When multiple numbers are stacked vertically it means strum all those strings at the same time — that is a chord. Here is what a C major chord looks like in tab:

C Major:
e |--0--|
B |--1--|
G |--0--|
D |--2--|
A |--3--|
E |--x--|  ← x means do not play this string

The x symbol means that string should not be played — either mute it with a finger or avoid strumming it altogether. You will see x frequently in chord tabs.

Here is the same C chord played three times in a row:

e |--0----0----0--|
B |--1----1----1--|
G |--0----0----0--|
D |--2----2----2--|
A |--3----3----3--|
E |--x----x----x--|

6. Techniques — How to Read Every Symbol

Beyond basic notes and chords tab uses a set of symbols to tell you how to play each note. These symbols represent the techniques that give guitar its personality — the bends, slides and hammer-ons that make a riff sound like a riff rather than a series of disconnected notes.

Hammer-On — h

A hammer-on means you pick the first note then use a finger on your fretting hand to hammer down onto the second note without picking it again. The second note sounds from the force of your finger hitting the fretboard. Written as h between two numbers:

e |--5h7--|
B |-------|
G |-------|
D |-------|
A |-------|
E |-------|

Pick fret 5 on the high e string — then without picking again, hammer your finger down onto fret 7. The result is two notes from one pick stroke. Hammer-ons give guitar playing a smooth flowing quality.

Pull-Off — p

A pull-off is the reverse of a hammer-on. Both fingers are already on the string — you pick the higher fret then pull your finger off to sound the lower fret without picking again. Written as p between two numbers:

e |--7p5--|
B |-------|
G |-------|
D |-------|
A |-------|
E |-------|

Pick fret 7 — then pull your finger off the string in a slight downward motion to sound fret 5. Pull the string slightly as you remove your finger — that pulling motion is what makes the lower note ring out clearly.

Bend — b

A bend means you push or pull the string sideways after fretting a note — this raises the pitch. The number after b tells you how far to bend. A full bend (1) raises the pitch by one whole step. A half bend (1/2) raises it by one semitone.

Full bend:
e |--9b(11)--|   ← bend fret 9 up to sound like fret 11

Half bend:
e |--9b--|       ← bend fret 9 up by a half step

Bends are the most expressive technique in guitar. They are what give blues and rock solos their vocal quality — the sound of a note crying upward in pitch.

Release Bend — r

A release bend means you bend the note up first then release it back down to the original pitch. Often written as br — bend then release:

e |--9br--|   ← bend up then release back down

Slide — / and \

A slide means you pick a note and then slide your finger along the string to a higher or lower fret without lifting it. The / symbol means slide up (to a higher fret). The \ symbol means slide down (to a lower fret):

Slide up:
e |--5/9--|   ← pick fret 5 and slide up to fret 9

Slide down:
e |--9\5--|   ← pick fret 9 and slide down to fret 5

Legato Slide — s

A legato slide is the same as a regular slide except the destination note is not struck — only the starting note is picked. The slide itself carries the sound to the new fret. Sometimes written as s instead of / or \:

e |--5s9--|   ← pick fret 5 only — slide quietly to fret 9

Vibrato — ~

Vibrato means rapidly bending and releasing the string in small increments to create a wavering pitch effect. Written as ~ after a number:

e |--9~--|   ← play fret 9 with vibrato

Vibrato is what gives a held note life and emotion. A note without vibrato sits still. A note with vibrato breathes and sings. It is one of the most personal techniques in guitar — every player’s vibrato sounds slightly different.

Wide Vibrato — ~~

Wide vibrato is the same technique but with a much larger pitch variation — a more dramatic and expressive waver. Written as ~~ or sometimes with a w marker above the tab:

e |--9~~~--|   ← wide exaggerated vibrato

Palm Mute — PM

Palm muting means resting the side of your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge while you play. This gives the notes a chunky muffled sound — the signature sound of rock rhythm guitar. Written as PM with a dashed line showing where the muting applies:

PM-----------
e |------------|
B |------------|
G |------------|
D |------------|
A |--0-0-0-0---|
E |--0-0-0-0---|

Let Ring — let ring

Let ring means hold the note and let it sustain for as long as possible — do not mute it when you move to the next note. Written as let ring with a dashed line showing the duration:

let ring-----------
e |--0----------------|
B |--1----------------|
G |--0----------------|

Ghost Note — ()

A ghost note is a note that is felt rather than heard — played very softly and without emphasis. Written in round brackets:

e |--(5)--|   ← play very softly — barely audible

Dead Note — x

A dead note means mute the string with your fretting hand — rest your fingers lightly on the string without pressing it to the fret — then pick it. The result is a percussive thud with no pitch. Written as x on a string line:

e |--x--x--x--|   ← muted percussive hits

Natural Harmonics — <>

Natural harmonics produce a bell-like chiming sound. Touch the string lightly directly above the fret wire — do not press down — then pick. Written with the fret number inside diamond brackets or with harm. above:

harm.
e |--<12>--|   ← touch string lightly above 12th fret — do not press

Up and Down Strokes — ↓ ↑

Sometimes tab specifies whether to strum down or up. ↓ means downstroke. ↑ means upstroke. These appear above the tab:

↓  ↑  ↓  ↑
e |--0--0--0--0--|

Tapping — T

Tapping means using a finger on your picking hand to hammer onto the fretboard — creating a note without a traditional pick stroke. Written as T before the fret number:

e |--T12p9h7--|   ← tap fret 12, pull off to 9, hammer on to 7

Tremolo Picking — tr

Tremolo picking means picking a single note as rapidly as possible in continuous down-up strokes. Written as tr with a dashed line or as a series of rapid pick stroke symbols:

tr~~~~~~~~~~~
e |--9----------|   ← pick this note as fast as possible continuously

7. Rhythm — Understanding When to Play

Tab shows you WHERE to play — which fret on which string. But basic tab does not always show you WHEN to play — how long each note lasts or how fast to move between notes. This is where rhythm notation comes in.

The Beat

Every piece of music has a steady pulse called the beat. It is the thing you tap your foot to. It is the heartbeat of the song. All rhythm in music is measured relative to the beat — notes last for a certain number of beats or a fraction of a beat.

Bars

Beats are grouped into bars — also called measures. A vertical line in the tab marks the end of one bar and the beginning of the next. In most songs four beats make up one bar — counted as 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4:

     Bar 1          Bar 2          Bar 3
e |--0--2--3--5--|--0--2--3--5--|--0--2--3--5--|

Time Signature

The time signature appears at the beginning of a tab as two numbers stacked vertically. The top number tells you how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number tells you what kind of note gets one beat. The most common time signature is 4/4 — four beats per bar, quarter note gets the beat:

4   ← 4 beats per bar
—
4   ← quarter note = 1 beat

Other common time signatures you will encounter in indie and rock music are 3/4 (three beats per bar — waltz feel) and 6/8 (six beats per bar — driving triplet feel).

Note Values

Notes have different durations. Understanding these durations tells you how long to hold each note before moving to the next:

• Whole note — 4 beats. Hold for the entire bar in 4/4 time
• Half note — 2 beats. Hold for half a bar
• Quarter note — 1 beat. The most common note value
• Eighth note — half a beat. Two eighth notes fit in one beat
• Sixteenth note — quarter of a beat. Four sixteenth notes fit in one beat

Dots

A dot after a note increases its duration by half. A dotted quarter note lasts 1.5 beats instead of 1. A dotted half note lasts 3 beats instead of 2. Dots appear in tab as a small dot to the right of the rhythm notation symbol.

Ties

A tie connects two notes of the same pitch — you play the first note and hold it for the combined duration of both notes without picking the second one. Ties are used to create note durations that cross bar lines:

e |--0---------0~|~--------------|
                 ↑ tied — hold this note across the bar line

Triplets

A triplet groups three notes into the space normally occupied by two. In 4/4 time a quarter note gets one beat — a triplet divides that beat into three equal parts instead of two. Triplets give music a rolling shuffled feel. They appear in tab with a 3 above or below the group:

  3       3
e |--5-7-9--5-7-9--|   ← each group of 3 fills one beat

Swing Rhythm

Swing rhythm means pairs of eighth notes are played unevenly — the first note of each pair is held slightly longer than the second. This gives the music a rolling bouncy feel rather than a straight mechanical feel. Blues and jazz guitar almost always use swing rhythm. When a tab is marked swing at the top play all eighth note pairs with this long-short feel.

8. Repeats and Song Structure

Repeat Signs

A repeat sign tells you to go back and play a section again. It appears as a double bar line with two dots. When you reach a repeat sign with dots on the left side — go back to the previous repeat sign with dots on the right side and play the section again. If there is no opening repeat sign go back to the beginning of the song:

|: play this section :| ← repeat signs — play everything between them twice

Alternate Endings — 1. and 2.

When a repeated section has a different ending the second time through — alternate endings are used. Play the section and take the first ending on the first pass. On the repeat skip the first ending and go directly to the second ending:

         1.          2.
|--verse--|--ending A--|--ending B--|
           ↑ first time  ↑ second time only

9. Accent and Articulation Marks

Accented Note — >

An accent mark above a note means play that note louder than the surrounding notes — give it extra attack and emphasis. Written as > above the tab:

>         >
e |--0--2--3--5--|   ← play the marked notes louder

Heavily Accented — ^

A heavy accent means maximum emphasis — play this note much louder than everything around it. Written as ^ above the note. Use this for dramatic impact moments in a riff or solo.

Staccato — •

Staccato means cut the note short — play it and immediately mute it to create a very short clipped sound regardless of the written note duration. Written as a dot above or below the note. Staccato gives rhythm playing a punchy percussive feel.

10. Quick Reference — All Symbols at a Glance

• 0 — open string, no fret pressed
• x — muted string, do not play or dead note
• h — hammer-on (5h7 = pick 5, hammer onto 7)
• p — pull-off (7p5 = pick 7, pull off to 5)
• b — bend (9b = bend fret 9 up)
• r — release bend (br = bend then release)
• / — slide up (5/9 = slide from 5 up to 9)
• \ — slide down (9\5 = slide from 9 down to 5)
• s — legato slide (no second pick stroke)
• ~ — vibrato (9~ = play fret 9 with vibrato)
• ~~~ — wide vibrato (exaggerated pitch variation)
• PM — palm mute (chunky muffled sound)
• let ring — sustain the note, do not mute
• () — ghost note (play very softly)
• <> — natural harmonic (touch string above fret, do not press)
• ↓ — downstroke
• ↑ — upstroke
• T — tap with picking hand finger
• tr — tremolo (rapid continuous picking)
• > — accent (play louder)
• ^ — heavy accent (play much louder)
• • — staccato (cut note short)
• |: 😐 — repeat signs (play section again)
• 1. 2. — alternate endings

You Are Ready

You now know everything you need to read any guitar tab you will encounter in this library — and anywhere else on the internet. You understand the six string layout, fret numbers, chord shapes, every performance technique and the basics of rhythm notation.

Do not worry about memorising everything in this guide right now. The symbols will become second nature the moment you start using them in real songs. Pick a song from the Tab Library, open this guide in another tab, and look up anything you are not sure about as you go. Within a few songs the symbols will be automatic.

Now go pick a song and play it. 🎸