How To Read Guitar Tabs

Guitar Tab is an essential tool for guitarists to learn guitar parts on songs. It is the widely used nowadays especially now that internet is the way of life. Guitar tabs are everywhere on the net. Check out Ultimate Guitar There are also a number of guitar tab softwares you can check out like Power Tab and Guitar Pro.

For this lesson, I'm gonna show you how to read and play Guitar Tabs.

Strummed Chords -place forefinger on the B string on the 1st fret, middle finger on the D string 2nd fret and the ring finger on the A string 3rd fret. Strum all notes simultaneously including the open high E string and G string 9. (this is actually a C chord written in tab!)

Plucked / Arpeggiated Chords - with the same fingering above, plucked each note hitting the A string first, followed by the D string, then by the G string then finally the B string.

Full Bend - fret and pick on the G string 5th fret then bend 1 whole step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 7th fret.)

Half Bend - fret and pick on the G string 5th fret then bend half step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 6th fret.)

One and a Half Bend - fret and pick on the G string 5th fret then bend 1 and a half step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 8th fret.)

Pre-Bend - fret on the G string 5th fret then bend half step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 7th fret.) Bend the string first before picking. Don't release the bend.

Pre-Bend Release - fret on the G string 5th fret then bend half step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 7th fret.) Bend the string first before picking. Then release the the bend.

Bend, Release, Bend - fret and pick on the G string 5th fret then bend 1 whole step (should produce the same sound when fretting the G string 7th fret.), release then bend 1 whole step again.

Hammer On - fret and pick the G string 5th fret with your forefinger then hammer on the 7th fret using your ring finger.

Pull-Offs - fret pick the G string 7th fret with your ring finger then pull off the 5th fret using your forefinger .

Hammer-On / Pull-Offs Combination - fret and pick the G string 5th fret with your forefinger then hammer on the 7th fret using your ring finger then pull off to the 5th fret again using your forefinger .

Legato Slide - fret and pick the G string 5th fret then slide to the 7th fret then to the 9th fret.

Shift Slide - fret and pick the G string 5th fret then slide to the 7th fret then to the 9th fret picking each slide.

Tapping - fret and pick the G string 5th fret with your fore finger, then hammer on the 7th fret with your ring finger then tap the 9th fret with your picking hand finger.

Vibrato - fret and pick the G string 5th fret then shake it.

Wide Vibrato - fret and pick the G string 5th fret then shake it vigorously.

Trill - fret and pick the G string 5th fret with your forefinger then hammer on the 7th fret using your ring finger then pull off to the 5th fret again using your forefinger continously.

Tremolo Picking - fret and pick the G string 5th fret continuously with an up and down motion.

Natural Harmonics - slightly touch the G string above 5th fret with your fretting hand finger, pick the string then released your fret hand fingers.