Acoustic Guitar Basics

Basic Guitar Chords

What is Guitar Tabulature (or Tabs)?

Guitar tabulature (or tabs) is the graphical representation of a guitar fretboard which represents the six strings and the frets of the guitar. The notes which we have to play are given by the fret numbers on the respective string. The basic diagram of a Guitar tab is show below :

Here the dotted lines represent the strings of the guitar. The topmost string is thinnest and the bottommost is the thickest string (the thickness of strings increases from top to bottom). The number written on the tabulature represents the fret number and the string which we have to play. Suppose we have to play 5 fret of the D string, then the tab will look like this :

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

How To Read The Tabs?

Let us look at an example so that it will become easy for you to understand. I’ve given below the tabs of song “Happy Birthday To You” which goes like this :

Part I

e——————-|————————-|
B——————-|————-3———–|
G–0-0-2-0-5-4—-|-0-0-2-0—-5———|
D——————-|————————-|
A——————-|————————-|
E——————-|————————-|

Part II

e——–3————–|———————————|
B———–5———–|–6-6-5—-3——————-|
G–0-0——–5-4-2—|———5—–5—————|
D———————–|——————————–|
A———————–|——————————–|
E———————–|——————————–|

The above tabs may scare some of you but fear not as they are very easy to read and understand.  In the first part the numbers 0-0-2-0-5-4… and so on represents the frets of the G string (4th string of your guitar from top) which we have to play. Zer0 (0) represents that we have to play open string. So the sequence of playing the part I will be like this :

1. First play the open G string.

2. Then again play the open G string.

3. Then 2nd fret of G string.

4. Then open G string.

5. Then 5th fret of G string.

6. Then 6th fret of G string and so on….

The string changes from G to B in part I. So the 3rd fret is played on the B string. The rest notes are to be played like this in the 2nd part also. One disadvantage of guitar tabs is that it does not specify how long should you hold a note so it is better if you listen to the song so that you can figure out how long you have to hold a particular note.

Different Symbols Used in Tabulature

§  h = hammer on

§  p = pull off

§  b = bend string up

§  s = slide

§  v = vibrato (as written as ~~)

There are many more symbols used but the above given symbols are mostly used so you can skip the others.

Hammer On
A hammer on is performed by picking the first note mentioned and then second note is hammered. The second note is not picked but just hammered using another finger. For example if it is written 5h7 it means that you pick 5th note(or fret) using one finger and then hammer on the 7th note using another finger.

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

Pull Off
A pull off is the opposite of a hammer on. The first note is played then the fretting hand pulls the finger off and lets the second note to play. The second note is not actually picked but just echoed. For example in below example 6p5, 6th note is played and the finger is pulled off to echo 5th note.

e———————————————————-|
B———————————————————-|
G———————————————————-|
D———-6p5——————————————-|
A———————————————————-|
E———————————————————-|

Bend
In bend the fretting hand bends the string upward to give a wobbly effect. Here pick the 5the note and bend the strin upwards. Same goes with the 6th note.

e———————————————————-|
B———————————————————-|
G———————————————————-|
D———-5b—6b—————————————|
A———————————————————-|
E———————————————————-|

Slide

It is represented by s. In slide you have to slide from first note to second. In 3s5 the the 3rd note is picked and finger slides downwards to the 5th note. In 7s4 the 7th note is picked and finger slides upwards to the 4th note. The sliding downward is also sometimes represented by / and sliding upward by \.

e———————————————————-|
B———————————————————-|
G———————————————————-|
D———-3s5——————————————–|
A——————-7s4———————————-|
E———————————————————-|

Vibrato

It is represented either by v or ~~~. It is used for providing a vibrating sound. The note is picked and then the string is bend up and down quickly to produce a vibration like sound.

e———————————————————-|
B———————————————————-|
G———————————————————-|
D———-3v———————————————|
A——————-7~~ ———————————|
E———————————————————-|