How to Read Guitar Tabs: A Beginner’s Guide

Guitar tab is the fastest way to start playing the songs and riffs you love. You don't need years of reading music. If you can count strings and frets, you can read tab today.

In this lesson Steve Stine covers the basics: what the lines and numbers mean, how to read chords, and how to decide which fingers to use.

Video: How to Read Guitar Tabs | The Basics, Steve Stine. Watch on YouTube

The six lines are your six strings

Standard notation uses five lines. Tab uses six, and each line is a string on your guitar:

e|----------|  1st string (thinnest, high E)
B|----------|  2nd string
G|----------|  3rd string
D|----------|  4th string
A|----------|  5th string
E|----------|  6th string (thickest, low E)

It can feel upside down at first. An easy way to remember it: low-sounding strings are at the bottom and high-sounding strings at the top, the same way low notes sit lower in written music. Not every tab labels the strings, so get used to the bottom line being the low E.

Numbers are frets

A number on a line tells you which fret to play on that string. You read from left to right, like a book.

e|---------------------|
B|---------------------|
G|---------------------|
D|---------------------|
A|---------------------|
E|-3-----3-5-----3-5-6-|

• 3 on the bottom line: play the 3rd fret of the 6th string.
• 3 then 5: 3rd fret, then 5th fret, both on the 6th string.
• 3, 5, 6: three notes in a row on the 6th string.

A 0 means play that string open, with no fingers on it.

Stacked numbers are chords

When numbers are lined up vertically, play them at the same time. Here's a G chord:

e|-3-|
B|-0-|
G|-0-|
D|-0-|
A|-2-|
E|-3-|

You won't always know the chord's name from the tab, and that's fine. Stacked means together.

What tab doesn't tell you

Basic tab usually leaves out two things: rhythm (how long each note lasts) and which fingers to use. Some tabs add rhythm markings, but often you'll fill in the gaps by ear. That's why it helps to start with songs you know, or to listen to the recording while you learn the part.

How to choose your fingers

A good starting rule: your four fretting fingers cover four frets, one finger per fret.

• Frets 3 and 5: first and third fingers.
• Frets 3 and 4: first and second fingers.
• Frets 3, 5 and 6: first, third and fourth fingers.

Some players hardly use their pinky, and that's OK. The point is to look at a group of notes, see them on the neck, then decide which fingers make it easy before you play.

A handy trick: on the same string, only the finger closest to the guitar body sounds. So when you go from fret 3 to fret 5, you can leave your first finger down. When you come back to 3, just lift the third finger.

Single-note playing can feel awkward at first. You may need to bring your elbow in a little so your pinky can reach. That's normal and gets easier with practice.

Put it into practice

1. Pick a song or riff you love and find its tab.
2. Listen to the recording a few times so you know how it should sound.
3. Read a few notes at a time: find the string, find the fret, choose your fingers.
4. Play it slowly. Speed comes later.

Tab is not a replacement for learning the notes on your guitar or reading standard notation, and depending on your goals those may matter to you later. But playing a song you love today is a great way to stay motivated. In the video, Steve walks through two famous riffs to show how quickly your ear recognizes a tune once you can read the numbers.

Just starting out? Play Guitar in 8 Weeks gives you a step-by-step path through chords, strumming and your first songs. You can also learn the notes on the fretboard next.

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