What Is a Tab? How to Read Guitar and Bass Tablature

A tab (short for tablature) is a simplified form of music notation that shows you where to play notes on your instrument rather than which pitches to play. Instead of five-line staves with note heads, a tab uses one line per string, with numbers telling you which fret to press. If you can count to twelve and know which string is which, you can read a basic tab within minutes. The trade-off is that tab usually tells you little about rhythm, so you'll need to listen to the recording to get the timing right.

Tab vs. Standard Notation

Tab wins on speed and directness. Standard notation wins on completeness. Most players use tab to learn songs and pick up notation later if they need it.

How to Read Guitar Tab

A guitar tab has six horizontal lines. The top line is the thinnest, highest-pitched string (high E), and the bottom line is the thickest, lowest string (low E). This is the reverse of how you might expect it — the physical layout mirrors the strings as you look down at the fretboard.

e|--0--1--3--------|   high E (thinnest)
B|-----------------|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|   low E (thickest)

Numbers on a line tell you which fret to press on that string:

• 0 means play the open string (no fret pressed)
• 3 means press the 3rd fret
• 12 means press the 12th fret

When numbers stack vertically, play them together as a chord. When they run left to right, play them in sequence.

Reading Bass Tab

Bass tab works the same way but usually has four lines — one per string. The top line is the G string (highest), the bottom is the low E. Five-string and six-string basses add lines accordingly.

G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|--3--3--5--------|
E|-----------------|

Common Symbols and Techniques

Tabs use letters and symbols between or around the numbers to indicate how a note is played:

Example: e|--5h7--9b11--7/9--| means play fret 5, hammer onto fret 7, play fret 9 and bend it up to sound like fret 11, then slide from fret 7 to fret 9.

Finding Reliable Tabs

Large archives like Ultimate Guitar host millions of user-submitted tabs across guitar, bass, and ukulele. Because most tabs are transcribed by ear rather than officially licensed, quality varies widely. A few habits will save you time:

• Check the rating and version count. A tab with many positive votes and multiple revisions is usually more accurate than a fresh upload.
• Read the tuning note first. Many songs use drop D, half-step down, or open tunings. If you play in standard tuning, everything will sound wrong.
• Cross-check against the recording. Play along at reduced speed. If a chord or riff sounds off, try another version of the same song.
• Look for Guitar Pro files. These include rhythm notation and playback, which fills in the timing gaps that plain text tabs leave out.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Wrong tuning. The single most common reason a tab "doesn't sound right." Always confirm the tuning before you start.

Ignoring rhythm. Plain text tabs rarely show note duration. Listen to the song and count along — don't just play the numbers in a steady stream.

Misreading string order. Remember: top line = thinnest string. It's easy to flip this when you're starting out.

Skipping the technique symbols. A bend or slide played as a plain note changes the feel of the entire phrase. Learn the symbols early.

Trusting one tab blindly. If something sounds wrong, it probably is. Compare two or three versions before deciding a song is too hard.

The Short Version

A tab tells you which string and fret to play, using numbers on lines that represent your instrument's strings. It's fast to learn and ideal for playing songs, but it leaves out rhythm, so you need the recording as a reference. Start with well-rated tabs, check the tuning, and play along slowly before speeding up.