How to Read Notation on Guitar Sheet Music

Guitar sheet music is comprised of two parts. The first section of guitar sheet music is written in standard music notation. The second part is written in a special form of notation called guitar tablature. This notation is written specifically for the guitar. Guitar tablature is an important tool in guitar sheet music that gives critical details that are difficult to convey in stand music notation, such as fretboard position and which string a note is to be played on.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn what the numbers mean on guitar sheet music. The guitar tablature (sometimes referred to as guitar "tab") is the bottom portion of guitar sheet music that is comprised of notation written in numbers instead of musical symbols. These numbers tell you exactly what fret each note should be played on.

2. Learn the names of the six lines in guitar tablature. Each line of notation in guitar tablature represents a string on the guitar. The six lines can be thought of as the six strings of the guitar. These lines are laid out exactly like the strings of a real guitar. The bottom line represents the bottom string of the guitar (the low E string) and the top line represents the highest string on the guitar (the high E string.) From lowest to highest, the six strings are E, A, D, G, B and E.

3. Know how to read chords. If a group of numbers are stacked on top of one another, they represent a chord. This means that the notes are to be played together at the same time using a single pick stroke.

4. Play from left to right. Guitar sheet music is read in the same manner as reading a book.

5. Match up the line and the number. Reading guitar sheet music requires two basic units of information: what string to play and what fret to play. The string is represented by one of the six lines discussed in Step 2, and the fret is represented by a number as discussed in Step 1. For example, if the number "10" is written on line 2, you would simply play the tenth fret of the B string. Keep reading the numbers in order from left to right in order to complete the song.

Tips & Warnings

• When first learning how to read guitar notation, play songs you are very familiar with. This will make the learning process quicker. Playing a song you know makes it easier to tell whether or not you are reading the sheet music correctly, since you will already be aware of how the correct notes should sound.

Resources

• Buy Guitar Sheet Music