Guitar Help

[Frosty {A|R}]

To all you guitar experts, how do you play tabs? i mean like my friend at school today told me about like how each number is like what fret to play and all, so i was like ok thats simple enough but when i tried to play stairway to heaven i was so confused, it sounded nothing like it. can you guys show me how to read the tab? thanks.




---------5--7-----7--8-----8---2-----2---0-------
-------5------5--------5---------3---------1-----
-----5----------5--------5---------2---------2---
---7--------6--------5---------4---------3-------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------

-----0-------------------------------------------
--1-----1----0--1--------------------------------
----------2--0--2--------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
----------------0---0---5s8--7-------------------
-------------3-----------------------------------

(Repeat)

-------------0--2-----2--0-----0-----------------
------------------3--------1------0h1------------
-----------0--------2--------2---------2---------
---------2------0--------3-----------------------
-0--2--3--------------------------0--------0--2--
-------------------------------------------------

--------0-3-----3---3p2--2
------------0-------3----3
--------------0-----------
------0-------------------(Repeat bar 3)
-----2--------------0-----
-3------------------------
----------3---------------

---------------------2---
-------------1-----3-----
-----------0-----2-------
---------2------0--------
-0--2--3-----------------
-------------------------

(Strum F open chord with no bar x3)

(Repeat all bars)

 

[John_Bonham[DAM]]

wel i play drums but i hav had experience with tabs trying to learn guitar and bass and stuff. the only prob is idk how i wil be able to show u on the internet. the only thing i can tel u is that it goes from bottom to top
E|-------------------------------|high string
B|-------------------------------|
G|--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--------|
D|--4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--------|
A|--0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2--------|
E|-------------------------------|low string

 

[Frosty {A|R}]

i cant really explain what i need help with like i get all that stuff but im kinda confused which string you pluck first n stuff

 

[John_Bonham[DAM]]

u go left to right in the order u see it.

 

[Trihard]

If the numbers are lined up vertically, pluck them together. The numbers just mean which fret you you push the string down. Like ledzep said start from the left then go right.

 

[Jakemac]

Bah... To hard just read sheet music...

 

[John_Bonham[DAM]]

yea sheet music is even harder lol

 

[JMAN]

I can only play smoke on the water lol not a big guitar player but i am muscialy gifted lol I'm in the band at my high shool and i am in the new indoor drumline kinda fun

 

[BREAK_EM_OUT_JONES]

Ok look i will explain, i know it looks long i just gave an example of each situation...

How to read a TAB​

A tab does not show rhythum or timing, you kinda have to know how the song goes before you can play it....

Horizontal dashed lines represent the strings of a guitar

e|-----------------------------------| High e String...


A number on the string represents what fret your finger should be pressed on...

e|---0---3---5---7---5---3---0-----| Here is a simple scale.... a zero means you play the string without pressing down on a fret...

The letters at the left of the string represent what the string is tuned to. Here is what standard tuning looks like...

e|--------------------------------|high string
B|--------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|low string

A pentatonic scale would look like this tabbed...

e|-3--0-----------------------------|high string
B|--------3--0----------------------|
G|---------------2--0---------------|
D|----------------------2--0--------|
A|-----------------------------3--0-|
E|--------------------------------|low string

There are a few different moves represented by numbers or symbols in a tab...

A hit is represented by an (h) in a tab. A hit is where you play a note, then "hit" a fret to play another note without strumming...

e|---3h5-----------------------------|

a pull is where you play a note and remove your finger to make a different note without strumming...

e|---3p0-----------------------------|high string

A "tril" is done by hitting and pulling fast between 2 notes...

e|------12h15p12h15p12h15-------

A Slide is represented by the symbols / or \ depending on which way you slide up or down the neck of the guitar...

slide up...
e|--3/7------------------------------|high string

slide down...
e|---9\3-----------------------------|high string

A mute is represented by an "x". This means the string is plucked but your finger lightly touches the string causing a muted note...

e|--------3-x-3-x-3---------------------|high string

To represent how to let a note ring, they use the tilda key, or "~". Letting a note ring means you pick the string and let it continue as a long note...

e|---5~~~~~~~~---3~~~~~~~~~~---0~~~~~~~~---|high string

A string bend is represented by a "^" symbolor with a "b". This is where you bend the string after playing a note, causing the note to change to a higher one, without strumming again.

e|-----3^5---------------------------|high string

OR

e|-----3b5---------------------------|high string



Also here are some terms...



PM... - Palm muting, meaning you mute the strings around the pick-up area of your guitar with your picking hand. Quite common on punk-rock songs in chord verses.

Gliss - This is a sharp slide up, or down, the fret board.

Pick slide - basically scratching your pick along the strings, comes off best with a bit of distortion through your amp.

Coda - This is more often written in tab books to save space, however some tabs have it, and it means that you have to go back to a certain part of a song, basically an easy way to explain the order.

Trill - rapidly alternating between the notes indicated using hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Bar Dive - Use whammy bar on guitar to drop the note to a certain pitch.

Tremolo - Pick as fast as you can (up and down) on the notes indicated.

Rake - Dragging the pick across the strings noted, not quite as fast as playing a chord.

Arpeggio - Basically picking out notes from specific chords.


The best site i use for tabs is www.ultimate-guitar.com

Hoped this helped!

- OutbreaK

 

[John_Bonham[DAM]]

wow nice job outbreak. i would hav never been able to explain it that well.

 

[JMAN]

lol i bet he just copied and pasted jk

 

[Death]

jeez outbreak, i play guitar, never seen it like that though, eh, then again not very good at guitar

 

[John_Bonham[DAM]]

u can also go to www.911tabs.com they pull out every single tab from most sites including ultimate guitar and many more.