How to Read Guitar Tabs

Tablature, or tab for short, is the easiest way to write down guitar music. Instead of notes on a staff, it shows you exactly where to put your fingers. Most song lessons online use it, so it's a great skill to learn early.

The six lines

A tab has six horizontal lines, one for each string:

e|------------------|   ← high E (thinnest string)
B|------------------|
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|------------------|
E|------------------|   ← low E (thickest string)

The top line is the thinnest string. This catches many beginners out, because when you look down at your guitar the thin string is at the bottom. Think of it as the guitar lying on your lap, face up.

The numbers

A number on a line tells you which fret to press on that string. A 0 means play the string open, without pressing anything.

• Read tabs from left to right, like a book.
• Numbers stacked on top of each other are played at the same time, like a chord.

Try a tune you know

Here is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star using only the top two strings. The other four lines are left out to keep it simple:

e|-----3-3-5-5-3---|-1-1-0-0---------|
B|-1-1-------------|---------3-3-1---|

That's C C G G A A G, then F F E E D D C. Hum it as you play and you'll hear the melody straight away.

Common symbols

• h: hammer-on. Pick the first note, then press the next one down firmly without picking again.
• p: pull-off. The opposite: pluck the string with your fretting finger as you lift it off.
• / or \: slide up or down to the next fret without lifting your finger.
• b: bend. Push the string upwards to raise the note.
• x: a muted note. Rest your finger lightly on the string so it makes a soft "chk" sound.

Free toolMusic Speed ChangerSlow down or speed up any song without changing its pitch, and loop tricky passages with A–B repeat.

Last updated 9 October 2026

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