How to Read Electric Guitar Notes

Learning tablature allows even beginner guitar players to learn songs without having to learn to read traditional music sheets.

Guitar music often comes in the form of tablature--simple, easy-to-read sheet music that uses pictures that represent the neck and strings on a guitar--and numbers on where your fingers should go--to teach a song. Tablature is a quick way to learn a song, scale or guitar solo, and learning to read it could be beneficial for your electric or acoustic guitar playing and, in turn, your music career. In just a few short steps--along with repetition and practice--you will be reading electric guitar notes, or tablature, in no time.

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the components of a tablature graph. The horizontal lines on the graph represent the strings on a guitar. The letters at the beginning of the graph--at the far left side, each lined up with a string--are the notes. The little "e" at the top represents the thinnest "e" string on your guitar. Each number on each horizontal line is the fret number on the guitar, with the first fret being the one at the end of the neck.

2. Familiarize yourself with the rules and symbols of reading tablature. Numbers that are directly on top of each other along the horizontal lines form a chord. Numbers that are spread out--not directly on top of each other--represent single notes. A zero on a horizontal line means you play that string open. Sometimes, you'll see various symbols while reading tablature. The best way to become accustomed with these is to print a key that has each symbol on it. Refer to it when needed.

3. Practice playing tablature--begin with chords. A "C" chord on a tab chart has a 0 on the little "e" line, a 1 on the "B" line, a 0 on the "G" line, a 2 on the "D" line, and a 3 on the "A" line. Because there is not a number on the big "E" line, don't play it. Repeat this step with other chords and practice changing back and forth quickly while reading.

4. Move to faster finger picking parts. The concept for reading the tablature is the same; you'll just be playing quicker single notes.

5. Begin learning songs. Most bookstores sell tablature books for famous bands. If you want to learn Metallica songs, you might buy the Metallica book. Or, you can download many tabs online for free. See Resources to find a tablature site online.

References

• How to Tune a Guitar: "Reading Tablature"
• Fret Play: "How to read guitar and bass tabs"

Resources

• Top 100 Tab Sites