8/22/2016

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Reading Guitar Tablature II, date: april 30, 2004

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Reading Guitar Tablature II

author: BHD

date: 04/30/2004

category: for beginners

Ok,soyou'vegotaguitar,itlooksgreat! rating: 9.7

Buthowdoyouplayit?!Thefirstthingyou votes: 657
shouldknowisthislessonworksforboth views: 97,813
acousticguitarsandelectric,butbass
vote for this lesson:
playersaregoingtohavetofindanother
place.Ok,nowthat'scleared.Herewego.
Vote
Therearetwodifferentwaysofwriting
Like
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downorreadingsongs.Thereisthe
professionalway,withallthefancynotesymbolsandthereisthe
basic,morecommonway.Iwillbeteachingyouhowtoreadthebasictype.Theseare
calledtablatures.
Thebasicstructureforatablature(ortab)lookslikethis:
E|
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|
Thismayhaveconfusedyou.Firstly,ignorethelettersontheleft.Youhavesixlines.Each
oneoftheselinesrepresentastringonyourguitar.Ok?
Thebottomlinerepresentsthetop(thickest)stringonyourguitar.Thetoplinerepresents
thebottom(thinest)stringonyourguitar.Lookatthis:
Thinest|
2ndThinest|
3rdThinest|
3rdThickest|
2ndThickest|
Thickest|
Doesthatmakesense?Nowforthefrets.Thisisthereallyawkwardpart.Iwilltryand
explain.
Afretistheareabetweenthetwo(usuallymetal)barsonyourguitar.Ifyouweretoldto
playthefirstfretonthetopstringthenyouwouldpushdownonfret1onthetopstring
withyourfingerandpluckthestring.I'mreallyhopingthatmadesense.
Thefirstfretisthefurthestawayfromyou.Thereareusually21,22,23or24fretsona
guitar.Ifyoulook,theyallgetthinnerastheygetclosertoyou.Therearealsomarks
tellingyouwhatfretiswhat.Thereisadotonthethirdfret,thefifthfret,theseventh
fret,theninthfret,thetwelvefret,thefifteenthfret,theseventeenthfret,theninteenth
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fret,andthetwentyfirstfretandmaybemore.Thisistohelpyougetaroundyourguitar
quicker.Nowtoputfretsintoatablature:
E|
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|1234
Whatthistabistellingyoutodoisfirst,toputafinger(TheIndexPreferably)onthefirst
fretonthetop/thickeststring.Thenyoupluckthestring.Ifyouarepushinghardenough
ontothefretyoushallfindthatyougetanice,deepnote.
Next,youputyournextfinger(preferablyyourmiddlefinger)ontothesecondfretonthe
topstring.Nowhitthestring.Youshouldgetanice,slightlyhigherpitchednote.
Thenyouputyournextfinger(yourringfinger)ontothethirdfret,ifyouarepushing
downhardenoughyouwillfindthatwhenyoupluckthestringyouwillgetaslightly
higherpitchednoteagain.
Thenyoupushyournextfinger(yourpinky)downhardontothetopstringpushingitdown
intotheforthfret,pluckthestringandyouwillgetanother,slightlyhigherpitchedsound.
Ifyoufollowedthiscarefullyyoushouldbegettingtheidea.Lookatthis:
E|1234
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|
Onthisone,youaredoingtheexactsameasthelastonebutyouareputyourfingerson,
andhittingthethinneststring.Youshouldgetaveryhighpitchedsound.Trythis:
E|
B|
G|
D|1234
A|
E|
Hadagoodtry?Ifyou'restuck,whatyou'redoingisputtingyourfingersonthethird
thickeststring,thethirdoneawayfromyou.Sowhataboutthis?
E|
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|0123
A0?Whatdoyoudowitha0?Fearnot!Azerosimplymeansyoupluckthatstringwithout
puttingyourfingeronafret.Thisisfretzero.Makesense?Herearetwo,infamousand
simpleriffs,trythemout:

"SmokeontheWater"byDeepPurple:
E|
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|035036503530
Ringabell?Notethatthewholesongisplayedonthethickest/deepestpitchstring.

"ComeAsYouAre"byNirvana:
E|
B|
G|
D|
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A|0022
E|00122221000
Thissongisplayedonthetoptwostringsofyourguitar.Itlookshardbutdoitslowlyat
firstandyou'llhaveitinnotime.ThesetworiffsarethefirstthingsIeverlearnedon
guitar!
Nowyouknowhowtoplaybasictabs!Nowtheadvancedbit:
WhatdoestheEADGBEstandfor?Youmayhavenoticedthatbetweennearlyallthetabs
Ihavewrittenherethereis:
E
B
G
D
A
E
Ontheleftofit.Whyisthis?Eachletterrepresentsanote.Ifyouhaveeverplayedona
keyboardorapianobeforeyouwillnoticethateachnoteiswrittenasaletter.C,D,E,F,
G,A,andB.AlltheEADGBEisisdifferentnotes.Thethickeststringonyourguitarisa
lowE,thethinestisahighE,inbetweenthemisA,D,GandB.Youdon'thaveto
rememberthisbutifyoudothenyou'reonemorestepclosertobeingaprofessional.I
rememberitlikethis:
Eddy
Ate
Dynamite
Good
Bye
Eddy
Itworksforme!Ihopeithelps.Next,bends,slides,hammeronsandpulloffs.Sooneror
lateryou'regoingtostumbleonatabwithoneofthesethreeinit.Iguarantee.Itwillhelp
alotifyouknowwhattheymean.

Bends
E|
B|
G|
D|3b4
A|
E|
WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?Fearnot.Firstly,putyourfingerontheforthfretofDand
playit.Thatiswhatyouwantittosoundlike.Now,whatyouwanttodoisputyourfinger
onthethirdfret,playthestringandbenditsoitmakestheexactsamesoundasfret
four.Gotit?It'snotthathard.

Slides
E|
B|
G|
D|7/9
A|
E|
This,too,isalsosimple.PutafingeronsevenofstringD,hitthestringandquickly,
makingsurethefingerisstillpushingthestringdownontothefrets,slideyourfingerup
tonine.Ifperformedcorrectlyyou'llgetanicesoundrisinginpitch.

HammerOn
E|2h4
B|
G|
D|
A|
E|

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The"h"representsahammeron,putyourindexfingeronfrettwoofHighE(thethinest
stringontheguitar)andpluckthestring,quicklyslamyourringfingerdownontothe
fourthfret.Itwillchangepitchandbeabitquieter.That'sallahammeronis.

PullOff
E|
B|
G|9p7
D|
A|
E|
The"p"meanspulloff.Putyourlittlefingeron9andyourindexfingeron7,pluckthe
string,andquicklyslideyourlittlefingeroffinadownwardsmotion(thiskeepsthestring
vibrating)andthepitchwillchangequicklyfrom9to7.Ihopeyouunderstoodthat,it's
hardtoexplainsopleasedon'tflamemeifyoudon'tgetit.
Ihopethislessonhelpedyoualot,tablaturesarethemostimportantthingyouwillcome
acrosswhenyoutryandlearnguitar.Ifyoujustcan'tunderstandmylessonthenIsuggest
yougofindanotherone,youwon'tgetanywherewithoutbeingabletoreadorwriteyour
owntabs.
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetoaskme:MSN/Email:
martialartzmaster@hotmail.comAIM:darksouls88.
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655 commentsposted

Godwithus 256 postedonApr30,200408:37pm#

commentspolicy

+11

Nicelessonforbeginnerslearningtoreadthemusic.

ultimate_punk 168 postedonMay01,200411:35pm#

good

linnylenae 12 postedonMay02,200403:49pm#

+1

WoW!ThatwasawesomekmowIknowhowtoreadthemIwassoconfusedforalongtime!Thanksalot,
nowIcangetthejitsofhowtoplaysongsthatIlike!

LindsayOAR33 15 postedonMay04,200409:25pm#

+4

Thanks,thishelpedmeoutalot!

siamesedream 10 postedonMay08,200408:53pm#

+1

Thereisalreadysomethinglikethisallovertheinternet.
Butthisonemakesmoresense...

pimpmasterg4988 13 postedonMay15,200408:30pm#

https://www.ultimateguitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/reading_guitar_tablature_ii.html

+1

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ReadingGuitarTablatureII|GuitarLessons@UltimateGuitar.Com
thxthisisrealygoodithelpmealot

LP91 281 postedonMay22,200401:46pm#

SWEET

WhiteKnight123 89 postedonMay25,200404:44am#

F***Fagitstoconfusiong!
Justkidding,goodjobiwishihadsomethingthiseasyanduserfriendlywhenilearnedtoreadtab,
thanks!

bbblinkunit 112 postedonMay26,200408:59pm#

heylinnylenaeitsjistnotjitsandontpoststufftwice
noimkiddingidontcarenicelessonman

Froddy 805 postedonMay27,200407:30pm#

greatlessonhelpsalot

blade1968 11 postedonMay31,200412:20am#

Yourockthathelpsheaps.

cynical 60 postedonJun02,200404:17am#

ithinkitsucks,thisdoesntteachtoreadmusic

TheOrphan 17 postedonMay17,201512:08pm#

Whosaidanythingaboutitteachingustoreadmusic?

misstigger615 12 postedonJun02,200409:27pm#

thankziwassocomfusedwiththehammersonsandpulloffthanky!!!

tado 12 postedonJun04,200405:58am#

it'ssonice!!!,butithinki'tllimprovemealittle!!!

bc2skaterpunk 242 postedonJun08,200401:06am#

cynicalucangofingerurselfbecauseifuhadnethingregisteredinthatvacantspaceucallurskullu'd
realizeitwouldhelpyouduh.GoodarticleIcouldhaveuseditaboutamonthago.

chicracer13 11 postedonJun14,200403:42pm#

thankyousoooomuchthishelpedalot

GTR_Player 16 postedonJun16,200402:56pm#

oops...
imeant
Eat
A
Dead
Goat
Before
Easter
...he
h...

LedZeppelinFan 11 postedonJun17,200403:36pm#

Thislessonisagreatone,IlearnthowtopreformsimplethingslikethatandnowIusethemeveryday!

https://www.ultimateguitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/reading_guitar_tablature_ii.html

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sepultura 659 postedonJun17,200404:50pm#

thnxdudethishelpedmealotinowknowhowtoplaythatpartiwasstuckoninthemetallicaonetab.
thnxloads.

Crazyhorse_99 11 postedonJun19,200403:41am#

ThisismyfirstguitarandthefirstsiteIexploredtolearntoplay.AllIcansayisOUTSTANDING!aside
fromthebendeverythingiscrystalclear.ImgladIcametothissitefirst,Imighthavegottenfustrated
andquit.Suggestion,maybeaddafewmoresimpleriffswiththeuseofB&Gstringstohelpwithtuning.
Oneoftheguysonthissitesuggestedthatbyplayingasongyouknowwillhelpwithtuning(itdidfor
me,thetop2andbottomstring).Thanks

CyberGamer369 24 postedonJun21,200403:11am#

greatarticle

mydirection 29 postedonJun29,200412:52am#

thatrules

megallama 12 postedonJun29,200403:42pm#

im***ingconfused
whenitslike
|3
|5
|5
|
andthenumbersarerightnexttoeachotheristhatachordorsomethingelsepleasehelp
imdumb

ilike2read21 11 postedonAug05,201603:39am#

Yesthat'sachord,thosenotesareallmeanttobeplayedatonce

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