I have here some tutorials that will help on how to read guitar tab. For first timers it seems very complex, but it is actually simple, if you put a little time and effort reading.
Aside from notes, tablature is also very helpful in learning guitar, especially on complex songs. Through tablature you can get the exact sound just like on the recording.
Most people who plays a guitar are self taught or learned the basics from friends and most of them haven't teach you the basics of reading a tablature.
Even you are already an expert or a beginner, you should learn the basic of reading music, because the basics will make you more skilful.
If you want to get serious about a career in the music industry, learning to read music really is essential. For the casual guitarist, however, there is a guitar-centric method of music notation called guitar tablature, which while flawed, provides a simple and easy to read way of sharing music with other guitarists. Read on to learn more about how to decipher guitar tablature.
Understanding Guitar Tablature
A tab looks like the one above, it has six horizontal lines, each one representing a string of the guitar. On top is the high "E" while the bottom is the lower "E", based from a standard "E" tuning from the bottom it reads lower "E, A, D, G, B and high E".
Notice that there are numbers located smack dab in the middle of the lines (aka strings). The numbers simply represent the fret the tab is telling you to play. For example, in the illustration above, the tab is telling you to play the third string (third line) seventh fret.
When the number is "0" it indicated an open string and should be played
Reading chords within guitar tab is a relatively simple process. When a tab displays a series of numbers, stacked vertically, it is indicating to play all these notes at the same time. The above tablature indicates that you should hold down the notes in an E major chord (second fret on fifth string, second fret on fourth string, first fret on third string) and strum all six strings at once. Often, tablature will additionally include the chord name (in this case E major) above the tablature staff, to help guitarists recognize the chord more quickly.
