Tablature is a straight forward, easy to learn method of transcribing music that is well-suited to beginners and accomplished musicians alike. This guide offers an introduction into the tablature, and is a valuable reference for any guitar or bass player learning how to play their instrument.
1Familiarize yourself with the basics of tablature. Pieces written using tablature are operationally based, meaning that music is notated with reference to the physical location of the note on the fretboard. Pieces are transcribed with 1 bar for each string on a given instrument (e.g. a piece for a six string instrument has six lines.) The highest bar denotes the bottom string (the thinnest and highest sounding one), and the lowest being the top string (the thickest and lowest sounding one). Columns denote measures, sort of like a traditional music bar.
- Each bar will have numbers and a letter at the beginning.
2Learn to play individual notes using tablature. The numbers represent notes and the letter tells the tuning of a particular string. So when you see a 1 on a string line, that means you play that string while pressing the first fret. If you see a 0, that simply means play the string without pressing a fret.
3Play a chord. You may run across numbers on multiple string lines all on top of each other. This means you will play each string while pressing each indicated fret at the same time, making a chord.
4Account for the length of notes. The space between notes judges the length of each one. The closer the space, the faster the next note is. In some cases, tablature will have letters at the top of the table with a letter indicating the note length as in standard notation. For example, an "e" is an eighth note and a q is a quarter note.
5Manipulate individual notes. If you see an X on a string, that indicates a muted note (not pressing a fret, but placing a hand or finger lightly on the string to where it is just a sort of clicking sound).
- If there is a "p" or an "h" in between notes, that indicates a pull-off or a hammer-on, respectively. A pull off is when you press 2 frets on the same string and remove the finger from the higher one to change the note to the lower one. A hammer-on is the opposite; playing a fret and then pressing a higher one on the same string, changing the note.
- If there is a "\" or a "/" between notes, that means to slide from the first note to the next one. The direction of the slash indicates if it is a slide up or down the neck.
- A "b" after a note means to bend the string on that note, changing the pitch.
- You also may see "s" "p" or "t" at the top of the tab, this means to slap, pop, or tap the note directly below it.
6Write key signatures. When writing tab for an actual song, set a standard key signature (e.g., 4/4, 3/4, etc.) and a tempo, like in traditional music notation.
7Attach additional information. Some tabs incorporate additional notation into a piece, which must be explained with an accompanying key.
How do I know which fret to play the note on?wikiHow ContributorIt depends whether you are reading from sheet music or tabs. When you are reading from tabs, just play the fret which number matches the number on the tab. When you are reading from sheet music, just try to find the position that's most comfortable to reach all the notes.
- When playing from tabs, be patient and read carefully.
- Music written for octave instruments, such as an eight string bass or twelve string guitar, are almost always written in regular four or six line tabs. The reason being that these instruments are almost always played the same as their respective normal instruments.
- If you are playing a five string bass, you can still play four string tabs, just ignore the lowest string on the bass. The same goes for seven string guitars.
- Always read any side notes on the tab: these may indicate a different tuning, the type of distortion or effect used, the type of instrument used or other useful information.
- In tabs written for fretless instruments, the number indicates the area to press relevant to a fretted instrument.
Things You'll Need
- A stringed instrument
- Some musical knowledge
- For writing: Either a pencil, ruler, and a sheet of paper; A sheet with the tab lines already written (preferred for analog writing); or a computer music writing program, preferably Finale Notepad, a (legal) free download.