Lesson 2...Guitar Tablature

In lesson 1 we explored the basics of guitar tablature. In this lesson you will learn how chords are notated in guitar tab and also about some of the limitations of tab.

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Take a look at example 1.

This shows a C chord in Guitar tablature. You play the 5th string-3rd fret, 4th string-2nd fret the 0 on the 1st and 3rd strings indicate you play those strings open and the 2nd string-1st fret. The chord symbol will also appear often at the top of the tab to help guide you in the right direction. Another important point about this example is that the numbers are stacked on top of each other. This indicates that the notes are played at the same time.

Now look at example 2.



In example 2 the notes in the guitar tablature are spread out. It is still a C chord but this time the notes are played individually instead of at the same time. This brings up an important point about guitar and tab.

There is no rhythmic notation in this example. If you are trying to play something in tab, you have to know how it sounds or you will not know what rhythms to play. Sometimes the rhythms are indicated by stems on the tab but this often makes the tab hard to read. The best solution is standard notation above the tab but you still have to know how to read rhythms.

I feel that a second drawback to guitar tablature is that players do not spend any time trying to figure out songs off of their favorite recordings. This is a great way to train your ear. After all, we hear music. Playing by tab is like paint by numbers. You will get the picture but you do not get the full benefit of doing it yourself.

I would encourage all of you to spend some time transcribing music. If you can not get it you can always look at the tab later. The benefits will be worth it.

I would also urge you to learn to read music and understand rhythmic notation. Remember that guitar tablature is written for guitar only. Standard notation is still the accepted form of communication between musicians that play other instruments.

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