Understanding Guitar Tabs

This is for all those who cannot understand guitar tabs at all. Its really very simple, at least much simpler than staff notations. But tabs usually don't give u a good idea about timing. In any case it is the most convenient way of sharing on the net.

1. First of all, there are 6 lines, each representing a string on your guitar.

E--------------------------------------- (1st string)
B--------------------------------------- (2nd string)
G--------------------------------------- (3rd)
D--------------------------------------- (4th)
A--------------------------------------- (5th string)
E--------------------------------------- (6th/last string)

2. The numbers represent the frest on your fretboard.

E-------------------0------------------------------1--
B----------------0----0-------------------------1----
G-------------0----------0--------------------1------
D----------0----------------0--------------1---------
A-------0----------------------0--------1------------
E---0----------------------------0---1---------------

This tab tells you to pluck open strings from the last to the first and then return to the last after which you play the first fret on each string in the order 6 st string - 5th - 4th - 3rd - 2nd - 1st.

E----------------0--1--------------------- (1st string)
B-------------1--------3------------------ (2nd string)
G----------2--------------2--------------- (3rd)
D-------2--------------------0------------ (4th)
A----0----------------------------------- (5th string)
E-0-------------------------------------- (6th/last string)

This tab tells you to play 6th and 5th string open and then the second fret on 4th and 3rd strings and open 1st string. Then you return playing the 1st fret on 1st string and so on as shown.

Timing

And of course if you see more than one note at once, it's a chord:

Gmaj
E---3--
B---0--
G---0--
D---0--
A---2--
E---3--

A string is played open if 0 is indicated. So in this example, the lower two strings aren't played "open", they're just skipped.

Gmaj
E---3--
B---0--
G---0--
D---0--
A------
E------

It's rather inconvenient but tabs can indicate timing (maybe not as well as a staff), but anyway:

W - whole
H - half
Q - quarter
E - 8th
S - 16th
. - note dotted

Code:

W    H   H    Q  Q  Q  Q     E
E---0--|-2---4--|-5--7--9--11--|-12--||
B------|--------|--------------|-----||
G------|--------|--------------|-----||
D------|--------|--------------|-----||
A------|--------|--------------|-----||
E------|--------|--------------|-----||

Timing is VERY rarely used in writing common guitar tab.

| represents end of a bar, while || represents end of musical piece. Use |: and :| for repeats. If you don't see any fret indicated below a timing, rest that much.

Timing is useful only when you really want to provide a clear description of the strumming pattern:

Code:

Q  Q  Q    H   Q  Q  Q | Q  Q  Q    H   Q  Q  Q  ||                  
E---0-----0--------0--0--0-|-0-----0--------0--0--0--||
B---0-----0--------0--0--0-|-0-----0--------0--0--0--||
G---0-----0--------0--0--0-|-2-----2--------2--2--2--||
D---2-----2--------2--2--2-|-0-----0--------0--0--0--||
A---2-----2--------2--2--2-|-0-----0--------0--0--0--||
E---0-----0--------0--0--0-|-2-----2--------2--2--2--||