Reading tab, notation and rhythm – free guitar course

Guitarists use three kinds of notation, often together: the staff, tablature, and rhythm slashes with chord symbols.

Tablature

Six lines = six strings. The top line is string 1 (high E), the bottom line string 6 (low E): it is the player's view looking down at the guitar. The number gives the fret: 0 = open string, 3 = third fret. Stacked numbers are played together (a chord).

Tab's weakness: it says nothing about rhythm. That is why our scores show the staff and the tab: read the rhythm above and the position below.

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=80
K:C clef=treble-8
e f g2 | B c d2 | G A B c | [CEGce]4 |]

The guitar staff

A treble clef with an 8 below it: read as in treble clef, the guitar sounds an octave lower. Open low E is written three ledger lines below the staff, open high E in the top space.

Rhythm

Note	Length (in 4/4)	Count
Whole note	4 beats	1-2-3-4
Half note	2 beats	1-2
Quarter note	1 beat	1
Eighth note	½ beat	1-and

In songbooks, strumming rhythm is often written as slashes under chord symbols: one slash = one beat, and the chord stays the same until a new symbol appears. In our scores chords are written as real notes, with the symbol shown above.

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=70
K:C clef=treble-8
"Am"[A,EAce] [A,EAce] [A,EAce] [A,EAce] | "Em"[E,B,EGBe]2 [E,B,EGBe]2 |]