TB-011 • How To Read TAB

[justinguitar]

Questions...

[hougstar]

Would you recommend reading the tab music symbols, the fret number, or both?  I keep my eyes on the fret numbers and I am told it would be a lot easier if I look at both.

[mark biggs]

Questions...

   i don't get it, i look at how to read tab and all i see is some one asking a question?  what is this........

[aging_bimbo]

It's the forum for asking questions about the lesson. The lesson is here:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TB-011-ReadTAB.php

[mark biggs]

thank you aging bimbo, i'm new as of right now this minit. i am looking for ways to be great at the guitar, i have a gang of great guitars and drums bass, pa and 8 track. was in a couple of rockabilly bands playing upright bass, i did not like it much but did it good enough. i had my own band but they were all drunks including me. now i'm older and less budwiser so i am more interested in learning guitar instead of goofing off and playing only songs that don't require talent. i'll be 48 feb 3 and i want to make my mark in music before i'm gone or give it a good try. the blues is one avenue i'd like to shine on. metal is another. i think if i get the blues down the metal will be shreded better, as for tab i realy would like to start useing it but have trouble with it, it will come to me as i read about it like i said today is my first reaching out for help. i don't like commitments of my time so i never liked guitar lessons from stores, also they were not giving me my moneys worth. i like this forum

[woodbutcher]

I know this isn't a tab related question but this seemed to be the nearest place on the site to post it so sorry for not following this thread to the letter. Can anyone help us out with what "N.C." means in chord songbooks, i have a few and not in the key of any of them is what it means, I've tried playing (perhaps i should put the full stop there) open strings as in No Chord but this does not seem to sound right (like the rest of my playing) any help

[Tourniquet]

I'd read N.C. as "play nothing".

[Quark]

It is as T points out.
This from the Virginia Music Academy: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/ Appears to mean No Chord.
(Go to the alphabet key at the bottom and hit "n" then select N.C. from the index on the left).

W

[woodbutcher]

Thanks guys(or girls, no offence meant) at least its my playing and not my reading of the stuff

[DiS]

Being a beginner as I am I feel somewhat worried when reading a
tab the like the one below. Am I really going to stretch my fingers
from the 7th to the 2nd fret or am I reading it wrong?

Intro:
   B          A          B          A          B          A          E
e|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
b|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
g|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
D|-4-4-6-7--|-2-2-4-5--|-4-4-6-7--|-2-2-4-5--|-4-4-6-7--|-2-2-4-5--|----------|
A|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-4-5--|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-0-0-0-0--|

[DiS]

Ok, the tab above is "The Jack" by AC/DC. I have spent a few days checking how Malcolm and Angus plays these and to me it doesn't look like they're doing this bizarre stretch. So what ARE they doing? Are the tabs just for show or am I missing something here?

[Durnar]

Ive got a few basic questions that I can never find a straight answer to:

1. When the tab has a chord letter above the fret numbers, is this just generally which note is being played, or should I be trying to use that chord shape to play the notes?

2. Similarly, some tabs (such as this one for Everybody Hurts http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/r/rem/everybody_hurts_ver3_tab.htm) list normal chord shapes with slight changes (in this case 3rd fret on 1st and 2nd strings). Do I add an extra finger to the normal chord, move a finger across both, etc.

3. For notes that are well away from any normal chord positions (say, 12th, 13th, 14th fret), is there any particular way you're meant to hold this, maybe related to a chord, or is it just what comes naturally?

Thanks for any help.

[MediaMan09]

A simple question about the tab notation for 1st verse, 2nd verse etc.

In this example:
http://chordie.com/chord.pere/www.lindesign.se/uwp/guitar/b/beatles/blackbird.tab

am I correct in assuming that I am supposed to play:

-bars 1 to 8
-then bars 9 to 11
-then repeat 1 to 8
-then jump to 12
-then 13 to end  ??

[MediaMan09]

Got a question about bends... See tab for Santana  -Samba Pa Ti, at http://www.guitaretab.com/s/santana/16802.html

In the third row of the tab second bar, you will see:

e-|-5---7-------|
B-|-8^-10^-----|

This is not the normal type of bend where the same note (or pair of notes) is bent from one string to the next. Do I interpret the tab to mean:

-Play fret 5 on the high e sting and simultaneously bend fret 8 (ouch) from second string to third string, then
-Play fret 7 on the high e sting and simultaneously bend fret 10 (ouch) from second string to third string?

[Tourniquet]

Being a beginner as I am I feel somewhat worried when reading a
tab the like the one below. Am I really going to stretch my fingers
from the 7th to the 2nd fret or am I reading it wrong?

Intro:

Code:

   B          A          B          A          B          A          E
e|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
b|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
g|-----1-2--|----------|-----1-2--|----------|-----1-2--|----------|----------|
D|-4-4------|-2-2-4-5--|-4-4------|-2-2-4-5--|-4-4------|-2-2-4-5--|----------|
A|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2--|-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-4-5--|
E|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-0-0-0-0--|

Try that instead.... Tabs aren't always that realistic.

Ive got a few basic questions that I can never find a straight answer to:

1. When the tab has a chord letter above the fret numbers, is this just generally which note is being played, or should I be trying to use that chord shape to play the notes?

2. Similarly, some tabs (such as this one for Everybody Hurts http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/r/rem/everybody_hurts_ver3_tab.htm) list normal chord shapes with slight changes (in this case 3rd fret on 1st and 2nd strings). Do I add an extra finger to the normal chord, move a finger across both, etc.

3. For notes that are well away from any normal chord positions (say, 12th, 13th, 14th fret), is there any particular way you're meant to hold this, maybe related to a chord, or is it just what comes naturally?

Thanks for any help.

1: It's usually given to help you find the chord shape.
2: It varies from piece to piece, aim for economy of movement.
3: you could look for an associated barre chord in the region.

A simple question about the tab notation for 1st verse, 2nd verse etc.

In this example:
http://chordie.com/chord.pere/www.lindesign.se/uwp/guitar/b/beatles/blackbird.tab

am I correct in assuming that I am supposed to play:

-bars 1 to 8
-then bars 9 to 11
-then repeat 1 to 8
-then jump to 12
-then 13 to end  ??

Bar 1 to 8 covers for two verses so you are likely correct.

Got a question about bends... See tab for Santana  -Samba Pa Ti, at http://www.guitaretab.com/s/santana/16802.html

In the third row of the tab second bar, you will see:

e-|-5---7-------|
B-|-8^-10^-----|

This is not the normal type of bend where the same note (or pair of notes) is bent from one string to the next. Do I interpret the tab to mean:

-Play fret 5 on the high e sting and simultaneously bend fret 8 (ouch) from second string to third string, then
-Play fret 7 on the high e sting and simultaneously bend fret 10 (ouch) from second string to third string?

The tab isn't very clear, but you have interpreted it correctly... It sounds right and it's relatively slow so you'll get it with a little practice.