Bass Tab Music

Guitar TABs?

Does anybody know what guitar TABs are? I have been learning guitar for a little while now, both electric and acoustic and wanted to start learning some simple songs. I found this site that showed you the songs as TABs, but I can't understand them! Has anyone heard of them, or can explain them to me, it would be a big help.

Public Comments

1. Yes they are an easier way to read music for the guitar, and, unlike standard staves they are also able to define where on the fretboard the notes should be played (not possible in standard notation). There are 6 lines in the TAB notation, each relating to a string on your guitar. Which with standard tuning would be related to E -------------------0----- B -------------------1----- G -------------------0----- D ------------2-----2----- A ------0-----------3----- E -1----------------X----- You'll still need to take the timing from standard notation, usually written above. In the example above you'd play place your finger over the first fret on the thickest string (E string) and play that note, then the A string with no fingers on it, and the D string with a finger on the 2nd fret, finally a C chord (first finger on the first fret on the B string, second finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the A string - and strum the 5 highest strings only) Hammer-ons, pull-offs, different tunings etc can all be displayed this way.
2. Yes, I can help. The best place on the Internet to find tabs in http://www.ultimate-guitar.com On there you can find songs that have chords, and those written as tabs. Tabs will be written out in 6 lines, to represent the six strings of your guitar. The line at the bottom represents the low E, and you follow them up to the top one, the high E. On the lines, there will be a number. This tells you which fret to put your finger on for that string, e.g. a number 2 on the bottom line means to put your finger on the 2nd fret on the low E. You just do what is says in order to play the song. Hope this helps!
3. In guitar, tabs are an easier way of reading music than the traditional notation, they are quite simple to learn eg, E------------2(means you put your finger on the 2nd fret)---------- A---------------0(means you leave the fret open)---------------------- D---3(means you put your finger on the 3rd fret)-------------------- G--------------4(means you put your finger on the 4th fret)--------- B------------------------------------------------(you dont play the string) e------1(means you put your finger on the 1st fret)------------------ you can also look at this http://guitar.about.com/library/blhowtoreadtab.htm
4. It's a simplified way of notating music. Instead of dots on a stave the tab shows you the strings of the guitar and which fret to play on each string to get the required notes.